Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Cheesefare Sunday
February 14, 2026
As we enter Great Lent, let us sincerely ask each other for forgiveness. Let us cast aside pride, resentment, and mutual reproaches. Let us enter the season of fasting with hope, which leads us to Easter—to the bright Resurrection of Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Today is called Cheese Fare, or Forgiveness Sunday. The Church prepares us for Great Lent and instructs us to reflect on the importance of fasting.
In today’s Gospel, we hear the words of our Saviour: “If you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.” These words show us that the path to eternal life with God begins with forgiveness.
We often think that fasting is primarily about abstaining from food. But the Lord teaches us something else: about our hearts, which are capable of love and forgiveness. For it is possible to abstain from dairy and meat dishes but at the same time carry anger and resentment within ourselves, and then such fasting will not bear any fruit. Forgiveness is spiritual strength. To forgive means to give justice to the Lord God and not allow evil to reign in our hearts.
Then the Lord says to us: “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites… But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:16–18). In these words, the Lord teaches us that true fasting is not for show. Fasting is the invisible work of the soul before the Lord God, a time of repentance, mercy, and prayer.
The Lord concludes today’s Gospel with the words: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20). Fasting is a special opportunity to examine where our heart is. What are we most attached to: earthly comforts, material goods, or Almighty God, His love, and eternal life?
As we enter Great Lent, let us sincerely ask each other for forgiveness. Let us cast aside pride, resentment, and mutual reproaches. Let us enter the season of fasting with hope, which leads us to Easter—to the bright Resurrection of Christ.
Lent is the path of reconciliation with God, the path back to paradise. May the Lord help us to spend the time of fasting in repentance and love, so that, having purified our hearts and minds, we may joyfully meet the Risen Saviour. Amen.
