Great Lent and the Ascetic Foundations of Society
Today marks the beginning of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church. Not simply a fast, it is a time for that true asceticism which, according to Fr. Georges Florovsky, “is inspired not by contempt, but by the urge of transformation.” There is something of this true asceticism, even if imperfect and plete, at the basis of all human society. One must, even to only a small extent, renounce self-will to be a member of a family, a clan, or a...