February 2026

We begin the month of February with the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord on Monday, February 2nd. On this feast day, we will also have the blessing of candles, reminding us that Christ is the Light who illumines the world.

As we look at the month ahead, we see that Zacchaeus Sunday was celebrated last week, and we now enter a fast-free week from February 1st through February 7th. During this week there is no fasting on Wednesday the 4th or Friday the 6th. With Zacchaeus Sunday already behind us and a fast-free week placed before us, the Church gently reminds us that the Great Fast is not far off. Great Lent will begin on February 23rd.

Zacchaeus Sunday serves as both a   reminder and a warning—not only that the Fast is approaching, but that we should already be preparing for it. This preparation should be thoughtful and intentional: What spiritual books will we read? How will we fast? Which services will we attend? Will we add additional prayers to our daily rule? Will we spend more time reading the Gospel and      the Epistle?

The Great Fast is a time when we work seriously on our souls. It is like a spiritual boot camp, meant to lead us to real transformation in our lives. As Orthodox Christians, we are deeply blessed to belong to a Church that truly cares for our salvation. The Church gives us all the tools we need to grow in Christ—if we choose to make use of them. At times, these tools may seem rigid or difficult, but they are given out of love to help us heal and grow spiritually.

Even something as simple as making the Sign of the Cross properly carries great spiritual benefit. Many outside the Orthodox faith may misunderstand this practice and speak negatively of it, yet there is great power in crossing ourselves with reverence and faith. When we make the Sign of the Cross, we call upon the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—or we may invoke Christ through the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This simple act, done with humility, is terrifying to the enemies of Christ and protects us from the snares of the demons.

As we journey through the month of February, let us keep before us the coming of the Great Fast and, beyond it, the joy of Pascha. May we cross ourselves with humility, pray

Fr. Mikel

What is the proper Orthodox Church Dress Code?

1) Men should not wear hats, bandanas, shorts, sleeveless shirts, or casual footwear like flipflops.

2) Women should not wear miniskirts, spandex-tight clothing, low-cut or revealing tops (unless covered with a sweater or other garment), or casual footwear like flipflops.

3) Children should be given a little more flexibility but should still wear “church clothes” so that they know they are somewhere that is special and holy.

4) Everyone should refrain from clothing that is immodest, ostentatious, a fashion-statement, or otherwise distracting from the prayerful and sacred space of the Lord’s House. Clothing or bodily adornments with images, symbols, or writing should not be worn or at least covered up, so that the holy icons and Word of God do not have to compete with the logo of our favorite sport team, the name of a music band, or the slogan of our political party.