PART FIVE

THE SERVICES OF GREAT LENT

§ 101. Teaching on the Fasts. We call Fasts those periods which the Church has appointed to inspire the faithful to apply themselves more ardently to saving their souls, to cleansing themselves from the grime of sinfulness, and to strengthening their will in its battle with temptations. Outwardly, the fast consists in either completely refraining from any food (for the course of a day or even several days), or restricting the diet to certain foods. Interiorly the fast consists in intensifying works of Christian love and kindheartedness. The HolyChurch emphasises this in her hymnology, and depicts for us the character of true fasting: “True fasting is to put away all evil, to control the tongue, to forbear from anger, to abstain from lust, slander, falsehood and perjury” (Aposticha - Monday of the First Week). “Brethren, while fasting bodily, let us also fast spiritually; let us loosen every bond with injustice; let us dispel the oppressive acts of violent dealings; let us rend asunder every unjust record; let us give bread to the hungry and let us welcome the homeless poor into our homes, that we may receive great mercy from Christ God” (Vespers of the First Week).

§ 102. Types of Fast. Originating in the very first days of Christianity (see Acts 13:2-3), the fasts are divided between those that are kept for a day and those that last for many days. In the first group we have: 1) that onWednesdays - in memory of the betrayal of the Saviour by Judas; 2) that on Friday - in memory of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ; 3) that on the feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross of the the Lord (14th/27th September); 4) that on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist (29th August / 11th September); 5 ) that on the eve of the Baptism of the Lord (5th / 18th January).

There are four fasts that last many days: 1) the Nativity or St Philip’s Fast, which is appointed to prepare the faithful worthily for the festival of the Nativity of Christ and which lasts six weeks, from 14th/27th November until 24th December / 6th January; 2) The Great Fast which last seven weeks and precedes Pascha, and is actually made up of two separate fasts: a) the Holy Forty Days in memory of our Saviour’s forty-day fast, and b) Passion Week; 3) The St Peter’s or Apostles’ Fast, in honour of the Holy Chiefs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, which begins a week after Trinity Sunday and lasts until the feast of the Apostles on 29th June / 12th July; 4) the Dormition Fast which lasts for only two weeks from the 1st/14th August until the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God on 15th/28th August. It was inaugurated to prepare the faithful for the festivals of the Transfiguration (6th / 19th August) and of the Dormition. For this reason this fast is sometimes called the Theotokos’ Fast or even the Saviour’s.