Metr. Tikhon Issues Great Lent 2026 Message
Photo: oca.org
SPPRINGFIELD, VA — The primate of the Orthodox Church in America has issued his annual message for the beginning of Great Lent 2026, calling clergy, monastics, and faithful to spiritual sobriety and discernment amid what he described as a “media-mad, ever-online” culture.
In his archpastoral letter, His Beatitude Metr. Tikhon urged Orthodox Christians across North America to resist the dominance of opinion and constant self-expression. While acknowledging that the faith sometimes calls believers to speak and act, he emphasized humility and self-examination as the proper starting point, citing St. Paul’s exhortation to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.”
The Metropolitan contrasted society’s fixation on reacting to every controversy with the Orthodox Tradition’s emphasis on dispassion, restraint, and discernment. Such practices, he wrote, do not limit freedom but increase it, freeing believers from compulsion and allowing space for prayerful reflection and alignment with God’s will.
Ultimately, he reminded the faithful that the Lenten struggle is directed toward joy—the lasting joy of communion with God—as the Church prepares to celebrate the radiant feast of Pascha.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Tikhon celebrated the Feast of the Three Hierarchs at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
Read also
UOC Community Marks Patronal Feast Despite Seizure of Church Building
Despite losing access to their church, the faithful of Verkhni Stanivtsi continued their patronal feast celebration with outdoor worship and prayer.
Registration Opens for OCA’s 2026 Pastoral Retreat
The OCA’s 2026 Pastoral Retreat will bring clergy together for prayer, learning, and renewal while addressing contemporary pastoral challenges facing the Church.
ROCOR Pastoral School Announces Summer Courses
The Orthodox Pastoral School is expanding access to theological education through a diverse lineup of online summer courses open to both enrolled students and the public.
New Married Student Housing Takes Shape at St. Tikhon’s Seminary
A decades-long vision for on-campus housing at St. Tikhon’s Seminary is becoming a reality as new duplexes rise to serve married seminarians and their families.
Tens of Thousands Join Belgrade Procession With the Theotokos Belt
Tens of thousands joined Belgrade’s Ascension Day procession as the Holy Belt of the Theotokos was carried through the Serbian capital.
OCA Announces Second 2026 Diaconal Practicum
The Orthodox Church in America will host its 20th annual Diaconal Liturgical Practicum in Ohio this August to train current and future deacons.