Maintaining Fasts During the School Year

[5Loaves]

This was posted this morning on the Facebook of All-Merciful Saviour Orthodox Christian Monastery

Since this is the only thread on fasting at the moment I thought I’d share it here, not because anyone is posting about looking at someone else’s plate but just as a good basic message about fasting. The bolding is mine.

Keeping the Canons

We must guard against becoming judgmental of others regarding fasting and other disciplinary issues in the life of the Church. It is a serious mistake if we hold others to impossibly high standards of canonical strictness, for in doing so** we open the door to eventual burnout and failure on our own part.** We should be concerned only about our own adherence to the canons, and not worry about our neighbors.

Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

 

[lssanjose]

This was posted this morning on the Facebook of All-Merciful Saviour Orthodox Christian Monastery

Since this is the only thread on fasting at the moment I thought I’d share it here, not because anyone is posting about looking at someone else’s plate but just as a good basic message about fasting. The bolding is mine.

This should be on a plaque somewhere. I remember growing up with family, and friends; and going through the fasting cycle, with them (since we were Roman rite, typically during lent). Things became a game to us: see who broke their vow of giving up x, y, or z; or, calling each other out when someone accidentally ate meat, on a day of abstinence.

 

[Credo_ergo_sum]

I see your religion says “technically pagan” and your location “medieval byzantium”. I must tell you that paganism is outlawed in the Byzantine Empire. I suggest you get back in your time machine and come back to our time. Wouldn’t want to have you executed in Constantinople, now do we?

Besides, which Church are you going to join? The Eastern Orthodox or the Roman Catholic.

I am in high school myself too. However, Dutch high schools are very different from American high schools. We don’t get lunch at the cafeteria but have to take meals with us from home. I guess that would make your situation easier.

I cannot however participate myself in fasts, since that would probably alarm my parents who know nothing (well, almost nothing, my mom asked my why I bought so many books of Augustine, Jerome and Ambrose and she thinks the icons in my room are somewhat remarkable too) of my interest in Orthodoxy and Catholicism and they are already worried because I’m very thin, strict eastern-style fasting wouldn’t make things any better. So I cannot really advice you myself.

Anyway, I wish you luck with your fasts

 

[AtThyRefuge]

I’m Latin Rite, so please forgive me for any offence due to my ignorence.

Though a terrible person when it comes to fasting and literally DIES during Lent, I totally understand your point when it comes to Ash Wednesday (a Latin fast day during school calendar) and roasted beef or something on the cafeteria’s menu, which the chef doesn’t allow you to take the vegeterian stuff.

Is there by anychance a salad bar or something in your cafeteria? or an own choice sandwich bar? That might be somewhere to try, just getting the vegies and stuff, or maybe try to bring your own food, such as sandwiches, salads etc. Another tip is to always check to cafeteria’s menu beforewards if possible, this can ensure you know which days are okay (eg. fish menu, is fish allowed in the Eastern Rite?), and the days which you might want to bring your own food.