The Diocese
Posted: 02/12/2026
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden Eden to till it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
Barekendan, the Threshold of Great Lent, is not merely a feast for us; it is a spiritual pause, a sacred threshold upon which a person is called to reflect on their life, their choices, and their relationship with God. Barekendan reminds us of the joy of Paradise, of the fullness in which humanity once lived in the presence of the Creator, before sin entered the world.
Holy Scripture bears witness that humanity was created to live in Paradise, enjoying not only material blessings but, above all, God’s fatherly love and care. God walked with humanity, spoke with them, and it was this divine presence that constituted true happiness. Paradise was not merely a place, but a state of being—a life of unity with God, peace, and light. Through disobedience, however, humanity lost this life and was separated from God’s presence.
Great Lent is precisely the remembrance of that lost Paradise and the path that leads back to it. Fasting is not an end in itself, but a conscious choice to renounce everything that prevents us from seeing God. When the body grows silent, the soul begins to speak. When a person restrains their desires, the heart becomes more sensitive to the voice of God.
Barekendan teaches us that fasting should begin with joy and hope, not with heaviness. We give up certain things in order to rediscover what is most essential—God’s presence in our lives. Without God there is no Paradise, and with His presence, even amid trials, it is possible to live with inner peace.
Paradisal life is not merely an ideal of the past or the future; it is a calling for today. Every fast, every prayer, every act of repentance is a step toward that life in which humanity once again lives in the light and fatherly love of God. May this long journey of Great Lent draw us closer to God and help us rediscover our lost Paradise in His living presence.
Deacon MIKAYEL MARGARYAN
