“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” - Saint Matthew 6:14

In the Orthodox Church, after the noon prayer of the first Monday of Great Lent, there is the service of reconciliation and forgiveness — Shubqono. The Church begins the fast not with rules, but with restored relationships.

This is no accident. Forgiveness stands at the very center of Christian faith and Christian life. Before we abstain from food, we must abstain from resentment. Before we discipline the body, we must soften the heart. St. Isaac the Syrian writes: “Be at peace with your own soul, and heaven and earth will be at peace with you.”

Shubqono reminds us that Lent is not a private spiritual project. It is a communal journey. We bow before one another and say, “Forgive me,” because pride cannot travel the narrow path of repentance. Practically, today we examine our hearts. Is there someone we avoid, resent, or silently judge? Take one step — a message, a prayer, a release of bitterness. Even if reconciliation is not immediately possible, forgiveness can begin within us.

Lent truly begins when walls fall. In forgiving and being forgiven, we make space for God’s grace to transform us.