Eastern Catholics: How many days do you fast a year?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Don’t forget the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Nativity Eve (Dec. 24 Gregorian), Theophany Eve (Jan. 5 Gregorian), Great Week (which is not technically part of the Great Fast), and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Aug. 29).
 
The Apostles’ Fast varies depending on the date of Pascha. If Pascha is early, the Apostles Fast is longer; if later, then the Apostles’ Fast is shorter.

Best of all, my birthday falls during Green Week this year!
 
Yes, but not fasting in the sense that the OP defined: no food (or only bread and water). About half the year a vegan diet is observed. I don’t think complete fasting is ever required and would be a personal decision under the direction of a spiritual father?
 
I didn’t say it HAD to be “no food” or “only bread and water”. In my first post, I said, “A Significantly Restricted Food Intake, not just abstaining from meat.”

I do not consider the Latin Catholic “fast days” (of which we only have 2) to be a “significantly restricted food intake” because we get 2 small meals and one regular meal. For many of us this isn’t a significant portion restriction.

“Significantly restricted food intake” could be veggies only, assuming you were restricted in portions and weren’t just eating the whole salad bar all day, if you get my drift. Or it could be juice all day (which is actually not that bad of a fast due to the sugar in the juice). Etc.
 
Last edited:
Complete fasting from all food and water, at least in the Churches I attend, is prescribed for the 6 hours prior to receiving Communion…
But Lenten fasting is prescribed from Saturday Vespers until no food or water…
Hence hydrating after the Divine Liturgy is de-riguer!
I do not think we have a bread and water fast prescribed by the Church for all…

Lenten Fast rules are prescribed for every Wed and Fri plus Sat after Vespers - with exceptions, mind you - in addition to the Great Fast of Lent and the three lesser Fasts… So the result, at least for me, in entering into this Way, was a kind of pesky intrusion into my “normal” way of working hard and eating a lot every day of what I wanted… Every time you turn around, you have another dietary restriction of some kind or another… For us, the Monday fast is optional, so that for the pious, unlike me, take on the Lenten Fast on Mondays too…

I have always understood the term “fast” to mean some dietary restriction… Dry and raw foods - eg no meat, dairy, wine or oil - is pretty standard… With fish, wine and oil added according to feast days… It kind of forces you to look at the calendar every day, unless you want to live in perpetual fasting…

Clean Week entering into Lent is the most strict, with water only plus one Lenten soup meal after each Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy, one Wed and one Fri… Those of us with physical demands are free to eat a small Lenten meal each day as needed - On the idea that the Fast is for the man, and not man for the Fast… And this while not forsaking Communion Wed and Fri…

But IF you decide to pig out on a Big Mac Cheeseburger and a shake, then attend, receive Antidoron, and do not Receive…

Enough!

geo
 
Last edited:
I’m basically a vegan for almost half the year :+1:t3:or al least do my best.

ZP
 
Last edited:

God bless you all from the Eastern Chruch or Orthodox church! Here is a fasting song I found from the Coptic Church,


These priests had the courage to go to Iraq – 2019 Even to Mosul
 
Last edited:

I really like this song too. I know I am meant to stay in the Roman (latin) Church but I will continue to pray for unity one day.
So many Eastern Catholic and Orthodox martyrs … (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
These are our holy Coptic martyrs
and our Caldean martyrs Hymn by Chaldean Catholic Priest-Martyr in Iraq - YouTube To think Fr Ragheed’s parents were living and might still be. Also the Deacons who died too with Father and one was his cousin.
 
Last edited:

This is a song they sing for Apostles Fast. Coptic have a different psalm tone then like the Byzantine. But I’m supper ignorant regarding Eastern or Asian Eastern (if that is the right term) anyway just love learning about the other lung Saint John Paul asked – that the Latin church would learn more about the Eastern and that the Eastern church would stay faithful to their traditions and spirituality.
 
Thank-you for this picture of the Coptic martyrs in Lybia about to have their heads cut off -
See how peaceful are their faces!
I think it was this Peace that resulted in two locals joining them in their martyrdom…

This is a great picture

geo
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top