50 day Great Lent – Valya Nombu (Canonical Fast)

The Great Fast

The importance of this fast is much evident from the name itself.  This is observed to actively participate in the Resurrection of Christ through a life of passion and suffering. The Church prescribes the forty days of fast in seven weeks which ends on Friday (Nalpatham Velly) before the passion week. But the fast gets completed only with the Easter and therefore it is also called fifty days Lent (Anpathu Noimbu). The Monday, the beginning of the Lent, there is a special service called the service of reconciliation (Subukono) and the purpose of which is that the faithful enter into the season  of  fast having reconciled with all. This means that the fast is holy and being holy it would become proper only if it is approached with preparation. The Church recommends the faithful to get content with one meal a day and avoid all delicious food.