Ask a priest
a question
The Orthodox Church approaches the Great Lent which will start on March 3rd according to the Julian calendar. In order to prepare for the Lenten journey, the Church gives us four pre-lenten weeks to help us understand why we fast.
Today, we commemorate in prayer the great prophet Saint John the Baptist. He directed us towards Christ. He put his hand on Jesus' head and baptised Him in the river Jordan. With his repentance, St John called humanity to a new life.
On August 26, the Belarusian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God. The image was discovered in the river which flows through Minsk. The icon is safely located today in the Holy Spirit Cathedral.