The integral fast of the 3 first days of Great Lent

[Jean-Serge]

Among the fasting practices, there is the one on the integral fast of the first three days of Great Lent. This practice is not purely monastic as some like to state but also kept in the world. The principle is simple: it is a total abstention of food and drink until the presanctified liturgy of Wednesday. Then, after communion, it will be possible to eat and drink. Those willing, can continue after this, the integral fast to break it after the presanctified liturgy of Friday evening.

Some practical tips to have for such type of fasting coming from discussions:

• the first day of Lent is anyway normally a day of total fasting with no drink and food, on the eve think about drinking a lot
• the second day is the most difficult: people can have headache, feel tired
• the 3rd day is the easiest since the morning because you know it is over. Eating after such a long fasting can cause a small stomach ache because the digestion resumes

During this period, it is highly recommended to have some little physical activity in particular when you feel not very well; it can be walking a bit. Saying the services for Lent does help a lot (matins, vespers, complines), in particular with the 3 prescribed bows at each tropar of the canon of Saint Andrew.

For a person that never tried this, a two year process might help. On year one, allow yourself to drink on day 2.

Anyway, it is a interesting spiritual experience but also a very great human experience because you really understand what hunger really is.

[Barbara]

Thank you Jean-Serge for this detailed and inspiring explanation.

Everyone probably knows that the headache appears because of the dumping of toxins into the blood
due to fasting.
Is an herb allowed to mitigate the effects of that unloading of poisons all at once ?

[Jean-Serge]

Thank you Jean-Serge for this detailed and inspiring explanation.

Everyone probably knows that the headache appears because of the dumping of toxins into the blood
due to fasting.
Is an herb allowed to mitigate the effects of that unloading of poisons all at once ?

I would say that the objective is not to end at the hospital either feeling too bad... People I talked to told me they experienced a moderate headache, not a terrible one that forbids you to sleep; and by the way, the headache is not permanent. The first person who told me about this type of fasting were a Russian family who indicated me they were drinking herbs during this period; but they did not tell me if this was during the 3 first days, if it was for particular reasons and which herbs .

[jgress]

Thanks for the post, though perhaps the timing is off. We'll probably forget it by next Clean Monday unless you remember to bump it then.

[Barbara]

Well, it's good to be preparing for !
Perhaps, too, being the time of the Apostles Fast, we are meant to think more deeply about the serious fasting described here.

That's encouraging about the Russian family which was drinking herbs, Jean-Serge.
It's really a good idea to help control any bad effects which could be experienced.

I read something just now from a scientific point of view that fasting routinely does stop development of diabetes,
researchers in the US postulated. Also it's good for the heart, they maintain.

[jgress]

Well, the Apostles' Fast is not nearly so severe. I just wonder why Jean-Serge decided to bring up the Triimeron now, when Great Lent is almost a year away.

Also, it's worth mentioning to some readers that fasting must be carried out under the guidance of a spiritual father or priest. A do-it-yourself attitude to fasting can be spiritually dangerous; I'm not basing this just on my own experience, but also from what I learned from more experienced priests, monks and laymen. No layman should attempt something as severe as a three-day total abstinence from food and drink, if he has not previously fasted so severely. As with prayer rules, it's best to humbly accept whatever rule of fasting your spiritual father imposes. God willing, some day you will be able to observe the fasts in their full strictness, but only if you fulfill your current rule and don't try to do more or less.

I mention this only because you sometimes hear legalistic claims like "you don't need a blessing to follow the common rules of the Church", with the result that an inexperienced person tries to go without food and drink for several days, fails and then perhaps gives up fasting entirely. This is very bad spiritual advice and it's irresponsible to give it, in my opinion.

Finally, the "common rules" may vary from one parish to another in their exact details, e.g. some allow fish on all days except Wednesday and Friday during the Apostles' Fast, while others allow it only on weekends, so you should base your practice on what you observe in your own jurisdiction, not just what you read in a book.

[jgress]

Also, the health benefits of fasting only refer to fasting from food. I don't think any health expert recommends fasting from water for days at a time. We don't fast for our bodily health, in any case, but as a spiritual exercise.