Today at St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York, Fr. Nareg Terterian opened the season of Great Lent on Poon Paregentan, marking the beginning of the Church’s sacred journey toward the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his sermon, Fr. Nareg invited the faithful to reconsider what Lent truly means. Too often, Lent is reduced to food and external fasting. Drawing from the Prophet Isaiah, he reminded the congregation that God is not pleased with fasting that lacks justice, mercy, and humility. From St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he emphasized that “the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Lent is about much more than diet. It is about transformation. Reflecting on the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, Fr. Nareg highlighted the three pillars Jesus presents at the beginning of this spiritual journey: charity, prayer, and fasting. Charity is not merely writing a check. It is a disposition of the heart. It is learning to see others, to enter their struggles, and to give not only resources, but time, compassion, and love. Prayer is not presenting God with a list of requests. It is cultivating a relationship. It is a conversation with the Heavenly Father. Without prayer, spiritual life cannot survive. Lent is a time to create sacred space in the home and in the heart. Fasting is not intended as a public display. It is an act of discipline and detachment in a culture of abundance and convenience. By giving up what is unnecessary, believers rediscover who they are and who God is. Lent teaches that not every desire needs to be satisfied and that true treasure is not found in earthly accumulation. Concluding with Christ’s words, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Fr. Nareg encouraged the community to begin this Lenten pilgrimage with intention. The journey ahead is solemn, but it is also awakening. It is a movement from distraction to clarity, from excess to simplicity, and from routine to resurrection. As Great Lent begins, the faithful are invited to walk intentionally, pray intentionally, and store up treasures in heaven as they journey together toward Easter morning at St. Sarkis Church.
