On the first day of Great Lent, Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria led the Great Compline service with the reading of the first part of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Nedelya Cathedral, according to the official website of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The service was attended by hierarchs, clergy of the Sofia Metropolis, and numerous faithful. At the conclusion of the worship, the Patriarch delivered a sermon emphasizing the spiritual power of communal prayer and the importance of shared spiritual effort during the Lenten season.

“Hundreds of holy fathers labored so that the Church could address God with one voice and one heart,” Patriarch Daniil said. He stressed that liturgical life is not merely a tradition but a form of spiritual protection, noting that a person left alone can become vulnerable to despair and temptation.

The Patriarch described the Church as “a ship of salvation,” guiding believers out of sin and restoring hope. He highlighted the special place of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in Lenten services — one of the longest penitential texts in the Orthodox tradition.

Comprising approximately 250 troparia, the canon is read during the first days of Great Lent and then in its entirety during the fifth week. Through vivid images from biblical history, the faithful address their own souls, recalling examples of both sin and repentance while asking God for mercy. According to Patriarch Daniil, it is in this union of personal repentance and common prayer that the true meaning of Lent is revealed.

“How close God is to the praying person. He strengthens him and restores the joy of salvation,” Daniil said, calling on believers not to neglect church services during the days of Great Lent.