Fasting

[尼古拉前执事]

WHAT TRUE FASTING MEANS

Let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and the ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of your body. Let the hands fast by being pure of avarice. Let the feet fast by ceasing from running to forbidden spectacles. Let the eyes fast by being taught never to fix themselves rudely upon handsome countenances. For looking is the food of the eyes; . . . For it would be an example of the highest absurdity to abstain from meats and from food because of the fast, but with the eyes to feed on what is forbidden. . . . Let the ears also fast. The fasting of the ear is not to receive evil-speakings and calumnies. Let the mouth, too, fast from foul words and from revilings.

(St. John Chrysostom, On the Statues, III, 11)

Oftentimes have I quoted the words of Saint Seraphim, and once again shall I mention them. Once there came to him a mother who was concerned about how she might arrange the best possible marriage for her young daughter. When she came to Saint Seraphim for advice, he said to her: “Before all else, ensure that he, whom your daughter chooses as her companion for life, keeps the fasts. If he does not, then he is not a Christian, whatever he may consider himself to be.” You see how the greatest saint of the Russian Church, Saint Seraphim of Sarov, a man who, better than we, knew what Orthodoxy is, spoke concerning the fasts?

(Saint Philaret the New Confessor, Metropolitan of New York, Homily on the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder)

[Ekaterina]

:bump:

[CorpusChristi]

The Fact remains, that we shouldnt even have to enguage in talks with non-believers of our fasting, it should be kept to a minimal,as to who knows what we are doing,else pride come in and destroy the strength of the fast. as Christ has told us. REJOICE " " ,FOR GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN.we must stand behind those that really knew the Faith and practices of what was pleasing to CHRIST- Apostolic Succession is our only teachers of how to be pleasing to GOD, have faith in the Churchs teachings, bow down and keep Gods word at the tip of your tongue always................
http://www.orthodox.net

Fasting rules provided in Chapter 33 of the Typicon
It is fitting to know, that during the fast of the Holy Apostles, and of the Nativity of Christ, on Tuesday and Thursday, we do not eat fish, but oil and wine only. On Monday, on Wednesday and Friday, we taste neither oil nor wine, but we fast until the ninth hour, and on these days we eat dry food.* On Saturdays and Sundays we eat fish.

If a saint having the [Great] Doxology occurs on a Tuesday or on a Thursday, we eat fish.
If on a Monday, likewise.

If on a Wednesday or a Friday, we permit oil and wine only; we eat once a day.

If a saint having a vigil [occurs] on a Wednesday or a Friday, we permit oil and wine and fish.

If the memorial of the saint whose temple it is occurs on a Wednesday or a Friday, we do likewise.

A instruction provided in the Typicon under 14 November

"It is fitting to know that on the morrow we begin the fast for the Nativity of Christ, the holy forty days. During these forty days, we ought to keep three days in each week, fasting from oil and wine: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Only if a great saint occurs, do we permit [a relaxation] on his memorial, and we do [this] for the love of the saint [and] for the sake of his feast, which [during] this month [of November] are the 16th, 25th and 30th [days], [and in] December [are] the 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 17th and 20th days. For, on these days, if on a Tuesday and on a Thursday, we eat fish. On a Monday, on a Wednesday and on a Friday, we permit only oil and wine; we do not eat fish, except [on the feast of] the temple. If one of these [is the feast of] the monastery's temple, we permit fish and wine. On the Entry of the Theotokos [into the Temple], on whatever day it occurs, [even] if on a Wednesday or a Friday, we permit fish also. Some typica command [us] to fast from the 9th day of December, and not to permit fish, except on Saturdays and Sundays and [on the feast of] the temple of a saint. From the 20th day, even until the 25th, if a Saturday and a Sunday occur, we do not permit fish."

A summary of the above prescriptions is as follows:

1. Fish is permitted on all Saturdays and Sundays, except 20 and 21 December.

2. Fish is permitted on the following weekdays: 21 Nov/4 Dec (Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple), 25 Nov/8 Dec (Apodosis of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple), 4/17 Dec (Great-martyr Barbara), 9/22 Dec (Conception of the Theotokos).

3. Wine and oil are permitted on all Tuesdays and Thursdays.

4. Wine and oil are also permitted on the following weekdays: 24 Nov/7 Dec (Great-martyr Catherine), 5/18 Dec (Venerable Sabbas the Sanctified), 12/25 Dec (St. Spyridon), 17/30 Dec (Prophet Daniel).

5. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, except as indicated in paragraphs 2 and 4 above, fish, wine and oil are not permitted.

*The term, "dry food," refers to "xerophagy," which means unboiled food that is either raw, dried, salted or pickled, as well as plain bread.

**Permission for oil and wine on the feast of the Great-martyr Catherine (4/17 Nov) is not mentioned in the Typicon, but is mentioned in the Menologion that is appended to the Great Horologion.

***If a vigil is served for Venerable Sabbas the Sanctified (5/18 Dec), then fish is permitted.

It should be noted that local practices may require the modification of the above provisions. For example, if a local commemoration, such as St. Innocent of Irkutsk (26 Nov/9 Dec) or the Kursk Icon (27 Nov/10 Dec), occurs on a weekday and a vigil is served, then fish is permitted on that day.

In some places, the prescription to obstain from fish on weekdays that occur after 9/22 December is not observed. If such is the case, then, when a local commemoration, such as St. Herman of Alaska (12/25 Dec), occurs and a vigil is served, fish is permitted on that day.

Summary Tables

No Special Feast Polyelaion
or vigil rank Saint Parish Feast
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
through Dec 20 Strict Fast Wine & Oil Wine & Oil
Tuesday
Thursday
through Dec 20 Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Saturday
Sunday
through Dec 20 Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
after Dec 20 Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Tuesday
Thursday
after Dec 20 Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Wine & Oil
Saturday
Sunday
after Dec 20 Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Wine & Oil

Mon Wed Fri Tue Thu Sat Sun
Nov 16 / 29 Ap. Matthew Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Nov 17 / 23 St. Gregory the Wonderworker Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Nov 21 / Dec 4 ENTRY of the Theotokos Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Nov 24 / Dec 7 St. Catherine, Great Martyr Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Nov 25 / Dec 8 Hieromartyr Clement Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil
Dec 4 / 17 Great Martyr Barbara Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil

[DavidHawthorne]

Christ is Among Us!

I have a Protestant friend who likes to razz me on how the the Church allows us to have shellfish during the fasts but no other meat products. He says shellfish are still animals and if we were to allow any form of animal during a fast why would it be shellfish which was considered unclean in the OT?
I said something about shellfish not really being considered animals in ancient times because of their lack of a backbone and different circulatory system (not having the type of blood that excites the passions) but he seems unimpressed- anyone out there with a good concise answer that works for them?

In Christ,
Rd. David

[AndyHolland]

Shellfish like lobsters are closer to insects. Bonappeti. Early in some American colonies you could not feed a slave lobster more than twice a week.

andy holland
:shock:

[joasia]

The reason we can eat shellfish is because they don't bleed, as fish and animals do. The fast is suppose to elimate anything that comes from an animal or that bleeds. That's why the Great Lent is more strict and no fish is allowed except for specific dates. We should not eat anything that bleeds or comes from anything that bleeds. I think it's related to the fact that Christ shed His blood for us.

But, I think someone more knowledgable in the theology of it can explain it better than me.

In Christ,

Joanna

[ultra_sinful]

I've read that oil can be used in fasting. Ask your spiritual Father for permission.

btw canola oil is not good to eat. it is a relatively new type of oil invented in canada made from a plan that even insects don't eat because of its toxicity.