Now Is the Accepted Time: Lenten Sermons of St Theophan the Recluse

by Theophan the Recluse

“ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). St Theophan the Recluse, one of the greatest teachers of the Russian Orthodox Church, was steeped in the patristic tradition. He  calls all to salvation through the joy of repentance, confession, and holy communion.  These sermons, delivered by the saint over a number of  years, are organized thematically  to reveal the meaning of the liturgical life of the Church and its application to our lives. They begin with the preparatory period before the Fast and continue through it, culminating in the time  of Holy Week. St Theophan is concise, clear, and profound. Drawing from early patristic commentary, he shows the specific actions the enemy of our salvation, the devil, uses to weaken a person in mind, soul, and body and gives the reader tools to fight back against him. The reader is assured that the Lord will tangibly grant him the knowledge that his labor is not in vain and his path is not misguided. Thus, this book will inspire the reader to enter into the Lenten season with renewed hope. “ Oh, that the Lord Himself would help us never to be deprived of His abiding in us! … The Lord is in us! Let us take care to keep Him within ourselves forever.”   — St Theophan

216 pages, Paperback

Published January 16, 2026

About the author

St. Theophan the Recluse, also known as Theophan Zatvornik or Theophanes the Recluse (Russian: Феофан Затворник), is a well-known saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born George Vasilievich Govorov, in the village of Chernavsk. His father was a Russian Orthodox priest. He was educated in the seminaries at Livny, Orel and Kiev. In 1841 he was ordained, became a monk, and adopted the name Theophan. He later became the Bishop of Tambov.

He is especially well-known today through the many books he wrote concerning the spiritual life, especially on the subjects of the Christian life and the training of youth in the faith. He also played an important role in translating the Philokalia from Church Slavonic into Russian. The Philokalia is a classic of orthodox spirituality, composed of the collected works of a number of church fathers which were edited and placed in a four volume set in the 17th and 18th centuries. A persistent theme is developing an interior life of continuous prayer, learning to "pray without ceasing" as St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

Russian profile: Феофан Затворник