“What are Meatfare and Cheesefare Sundays About?”

The Church never introduces us to Lent abruptly. It does so gradually, step by step, helping us to grow inwardly along the path whose culmination will be Holy Week and the Resurrection. Then follow forty days with the risen Christ present alongside the apostles, a period of preparation for the Ascension, and, ultimately, the birth of the Church at Pentecost.

But today, we won’t rush ahead. Let us focus on the time of preparation and entry into Lent — the spiritual space in which we find ourselves now.

Thus, preparation for Lent begins with Zacchaeus Sunday, followed by the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, and then the Prodigal Son. All of these Sundays speak of mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance — emphasizing God’s openness to the sinner and His readiness to love unconditionally. The next Sunday shifts the focus: it is the Sunday of the Last Judgment. This day opens up the eschatological dimension of Great Lent, reminding us that Lent is a preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior.

Here arises the question: how will the God who appeared so merciful in the preceding Sundays judge us? What will be the criterion of His judgment? The answer of this Sunday is clear: God, who is Love, will judge us by love — not an abstract concept, but concrete love. Love for our neighbor, for those whom He has placed beside us. This is how our Christianity is truly measured — by our ability to see Christ in another person.

And what does it all lead to? God’s acceptance, the Lord as the greatest Teacher, showing us how to forgive, and the story of the Last Judgment… It all leads us to the final Sunday before Great Lent — Forgiveness Sunday. The Gospel of this day is very concrete: without forgiving others, there is no forgiveness from God; fasting should not be for show, but before God, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be. All of these Sundays form a great path, preparing our hearts for forgiveness.

Now, let us consider the somewhat puzzling names — Meatfare Sunday and Cheesefare Sunday. According to a tradition dating back to the 4th–5th centuries, meat — which in the ancient context symbolized bodily pleasures and luxury — was excluded from the diet on the Sunday of the Last Judgment, while Cheesefare Sunday involved refraining from dairy. In this way, a gradual rhythm of preparation is created: the body becomes accustomed to restraint, and the soul to spiritual focus.

Thus, we have two more weeks to prepare for Great Lent. Two weeks during which we can “exercise” both body and soul through the deep tradition of our Church, which cares for the person as a whole.