Any fast, if done correctly, brings only benefits to the body.
However, many still perceive fasting as a kind of punishment, which is fundamentally wrong.
If you know how to eat properly during Lent, then this period will fly by for you.
In addition, you will be surprised how many interesting and varied dishes you can prepare during Lent.
Fasting for Orthodox Christians - what is it?
Fasting is a temporary, voluntary restriction or complete refusal of fast food, as well as a struggle with one’s passions. At this time, you need to refrain not only from fast food, but also from attending entertainment events and establishments of this kind. This is our gratitude to God for his great Sacrifice. Fasting is a kind of treatment that is designed to pacify and lighten the body, as well as disarm passions and curb desires. That's all today more people they try to keep fasting, but, unfortunately, many perceive it as a diet, which is fundamentally wrong. Fasting is much more than just not eating. As John of Damascus wrote: “If fasting was all about food, then cows would be holy.”
In fasting, as in everything else, you need to know when to stop. There is no need to rush from one extreme to another. Before you start fasting, consult your confessor or priest. And of course, the post should not become shortcut get to the hospital.
In Orthodoxy there are four multi-day fasts:
Great, Petrov, Assumption and Nativity fasts.
Wednesday and Friday.
One-day posts:
Fasts are appointed on the eve of any holiday or in honor of it.
Lent gives every Orthodox person the opportunity to prepare for Easter. Christ prayed in the desert for forty days, after which he was betrayed and accepted martyrdom on the cross, thereby saving the entire human race from sin. The Orthodox, observing this fast, seem to walk this entire path together with Christ. This is one of the strictest fasts.
When the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, they dispersed to preach the Gospel throughout the world, constantly being in labor, prayer and fasting. In honor of this event, it was appointed Petrov post. After all, every Orthodox person must preach with his life Orthodox faith.
Dormition post dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It allows all Orthodox Christians to prepare for the great feast of the Assumption Holy Mother of God, who, preparing to meet her Son, prayed and fasted a lot. This post is equal in severity to the Great Fast.
Christmas post- the last one of the year. It was established so that every Orthodox Christian cleanses his soul through fasting, repentance and prayer. We must meet the Savior who came into the world with a pure soul and heart in order to show our desire to follow the teachings of Christ.
How to fast correctly: rules, behavior, church attendance
There are several basic rules that should be followed to understand how to fast correctly.
1. Before you start fasting, you need to understand that abstaining from food is a tool with which a person fights his sins. You need to abstain from food, and not exhaust yourself and your body. You must soberly assess your strength depending on your preparation for fasting and your state of health.
2. Fasting requires gradual entry and preparation. Start preparing for it by abstaining from fast food on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year.
3. For those who wish to fast for the first time, it is recommended to first talk with the priest, tell him about your physical and mental state and ask for a blessing to observe the fast.
4. It is advisable to attend all church services that take place during Lent. However to modern man It is quite difficult to follow this rule, especially for those who constantly work. But still, try to attend the evening service on Saturday and, of course, Sunday services.
5. During Great Lent, and now other Lents, the sacrament of Unction is performed in churches, which no Orthodox person should miss if he decides to fast. The time of this sacrament must be known in advance, since in different churches it is carried out at different time. After the rite of Unction, at the first opportunity it is necessary to take communion.
6. Simply abstaining from food without prayer will not benefit the soul. Moreover, it can be harmful if a person, abstaining from fast food, begins to rise above others. Orthodox man During fasting, one must devote oneself to prayer, abstaining from passions and vices, repentance, doing good deeds, forgiving offenses, watching less TV and attending entertainment events.
7. B Lately More and more often the statement began to be heard that it is supposedly not necessary to abstain from fast food, the main thing is to do good deeds and not offend anyone. It may be true, but it is impossible to humble your spirit without measuring your body. As mentioned above, you should not go from one extreme to another. Abstinence and good deeds during fasting should be inseparable.
8. Lent is a time of reconciliation. Try to improve relationships with your friends and loved ones if you were previously in conflict.
9. In addition to abstaining from food, every Christian should concentrate his energies on good deeds. Do your best to help everyone in need. This can be not only a material sacrifice, but also your work and care for those who need it.
10. Every person knows about his weaknesses. Fasting is exactly the time when you can start fighting them. For example, try to overcome bad habits. Of course, this cannot be done without prayer. Devote every free minute to prayer and reading the Gospel.
How to eat properly during Lent: when and what can you eat?
There are several types of fasting:
— strict fast– refusal of any food and drinks, except simple ones drinking water;
— xerophagy- consumption of plant foods in kind without cooking it;
— eating boiled food- it is allowed to eat plant foods, having previously prepared them, but without seasoning them with oil;
— eating boiled food with oil— it is allowed to cook vegetable foods with the addition of vegetable oil;
— eating fish– not only cooked plant foods are allowed, but also fish and seafood.
The Church clearly defines what nutritional rules must be followed on certain days. Let's look at them in detail for each multi-day post:
1. Lent.
First and Holy Week Lent is the strictest fast, only raw food without oil or complete refusal of food is allowed.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday – raw vegetables.
Tuesday and Thursday - dishes without oil. Boiled dishes from vegetables, legumes, mushrooms and cereals.
Saturday and Sunday – adding oil is allowed. Boiled or steamed foods.
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – allowed fish dishes.
Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday - fish caviar and boiled dishes with butter are allowed.
Good Friday– complete refusal to eat until the shroud is removed.
2. Petrov post.
Throughout Lent, with the exception of Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you can eat fish dishes.
Monday – preparation without oil. Hot dishes.
Wednesday and Friday – raw food diet.
On other days, you can cook dishes with the addition of oil. Mushroom, vegetable, fish dishes and porridges.
Nativity of John the Baptist - fish dishes are allowed.
3. Assumption Fast. The duration of the fast is only two weeks, but in severity it is equal to the Great Fast.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday – raw food diet.
Tuesday and Thursday – cooking without oil. Boiled dishes from cereals, legumes, vegetables and mushrooms.
Saturday and Sunday – cooking boiled dishes with butter.
Transfiguration of the Lord - fish dishes are allowed.
4. Nativity Fast. Until December 19, the rules for eating are the same as the rules during Peter's Fast.
On the days of the feasts of St. Nicholas and the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, fish dishes are allowed.
Fish is prohibited during the last week of fasting.
On Wednesday and Friday, Orthodox Christians fast, remembering the betrayal of Judas and the martyrdom of Christ.
Of course, it is very difficult to follow all these rules, especially for those who decided to fast for the first time. Therefore, before each fast, it is necessary to communicate with the priest and take his blessing.
Foods that should not be consumed on any fasting days:
- any meat and offal;
- animal fat, margarine and butter;
— fermented milk and dairy products;
- mayonnaise;
- fish and seafood (except on certain days when this is allowed).
Products that are allowed to be consumed during fasting:
- fruits and vegetables;
- greenery;
- cereals and cereal flakes;
- herbs and spices;
- legumes;
- Soy meat.
As you can see, during Lent there is quite a large selection of products from which you can prepare many tasty and healthy Lenten dishes.
How to fast correctly during Lent: who can be allowed relief
There are certain categories of people who are allowed some relaxations in fasting, or who are not recommended to fast at all. These categories include:
1. Children under 7 years of age. At this age, the body is actively developing, so do not exclude fish and meat from your child’s diet. You can replace some of these products with vegetable proteins: buckwheat, legumes, nuts and mushrooms.
2. Pregnant and lactating women. Women during pregnancy and breastfeeding are allowed to eat eggs, dairy products and fish.
3. People who have suffered serious illnesses. To restore strength, such people need amino acids and fats.
4. People suffering from chronic diseases.
5. Travelers and people who work hard physically.
If you are fasting for the first time, you can give yourself some slight indulgences by consulting with a priest first.
If you didn’t keep your fast: what punishment should you give yourself?
This question torments those who tried to keep the fast, but at some point broke down. In fact, only your priest can give you a punishment for this. He can assign you a reading. Penitential Canon for several days or certain work, for example, caring for elderly or sick people. That is, with some of their own good deeds atone for this sin.
In fact, observing fasting is very individual. Even if you give up, for example, only meat, this is already good. After all, one person has enough willpower to immediately hold a strict fast, but another will not be able to do it, and he will begin to grumble. Today you will give up meat, and by the next fast you will give up milk. If it’s easier for you, you can gradually give up fast food.
Posting calendar for 2016
Every Wednesday and Friday except Have continuous weeks.
Now you know how to fast correctly. Begin your feat by fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. Today on the Internet you can find a lot interesting recipes for fast days. And remember that simply abstaining from food, without limiting yourself in anything else, is not fasting, but a diet! Enjoy your post!
How is Islam different from other religions? The fasting of Ramadan is the holiest time of the year for Muslims. They abstain from all pleasures in order to test willpower over carnal desires, repent of sins, and overcome pride in the name of the forgiveness of the Almighty. How to fast in Islam? This will be discussed in the article.
General information
During the Islamic fast, fasting people should not take any food during the day. They are not allowed to drink alcoholic drinks, join intimate relationships. Currently, there are bans on smoking cigarettes and chewing gum (and, as you know, they did not exist at the time of the prophet). And drinking alcohol in Islam is prohibited not only in holy month Ramadan, but also, in general, throughout the year. Moreover, their sale is also unacceptable. Unlike Christianity, fasting in Islam allows the consumption of any food: meat and fried. At the same time, it is limited in time. It is permissible to eat only in dark time days. It must be taken into account that Islam does not allow eating the meat of certain animals. For example, pork is highly prohibited.
Not only sacred for Muslims is the time of fasting. Islam divides it into two types. The first post is mandatory. It must be observed in the holy month of Ramadan (the ninth in the Second is recommended. In Islam, the calendar is not the same as the Gregorian calendar. It is shorter by 11 days. And that is why every year the month of Ramadan comes ten days earlier. And such days of fasting are recommended Islam: every Monday and Thursday; 9th, 10th, 11th of the month of Muharram; the first six days of Shawwal. In addition to abstaining from food and carnal pleasures, those who are fasting are required to pray (perform namaz). Meals must be taken before (Fajr ) and after evening (Maghrib).It is generally accepted that during this month the Almighty (Allah) is more favorable to prayers and increases the significance of good deeds.
Unlike Christian fasting, fasting in Islam is not sad, but festive. For devout Muslims it is the greatest holiday. They prepare for it in advance: they buy food and gifts, since the Almighty forgives sins and answers the prayers of not only those who fast, but also those who help those in need and simply engage in charity. After all, even the most disadvantaged must eat after dark and participate in the holiday. Therefore, at the end of the sacred time, it is customary to collect money (zakat) for the poor. In addition to doing godly deeds, you need to try not to deceive anyone. Otherwise, it is generally accepted that the Almighty will not accept either fasting or prayer.
Fasting time
Islam, as the reader already knows, calls on all Muslims to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. What number its attack will fall on depends on lunar calendar. For every year it falls on a new date. During uraza, it is customary to get up before the morning prayer to eat breakfast. This procedure of eating before sunrise is called suhoor. The Holy Prophet ordered the faithful not to neglect it, because it will give a lot of strength to accomplish. Therefore, waking up an hour earlier should not be any difficulty for believers. It is recommended to complete suhoor before completion morning prayer- Fajra, so as not to be late for the time of fasting.
Throughout the entire day, until dusk, the fasting person must spend it in complete restriction, without food or water. He must interrupt it before evening prayer. Iftar should be opened with a sip of fresh water and a date. It is recommended to break the fast on time, without delaying it for later. After taking water and dates, you do not need to eat food immediately. First you need to do it and only then you are allowed to start dinner - iftar. It is forbidden to eat to satiety and overeat. You need to take just enough to satisfy your hunger. Otherwise, the post will lose its meaning. And, as you know, it is needed to cultivate bodily lust.
Actions that devastate the body
What breaks fasting in Islam? These actions are of two types: that which empties a person and that which fills him. The first include those during which certain fluids leave the body. As you know, this can be intentional vomiting (if it was not intentional, the fast is not considered broken) or bloodletting. Just as stated above, it is forbidden to enter into intimate relationships. And as you know, during this process, both men and women experience the release of sexual genetic material. Since the action is intentional, it is considered a violation.
In general, even without the release of genetic material, intimate contact breaks the fast. Even if it occurs between legal spouses. If the ejection occurred without intimate contact, but deliberately (masturbation), then this is also a violation, since in Islam such an action is considered a sin. However, if a man deliberately decided to do this, but no sexual fluid was released, then the fast is not considered broken. It is also not a violation for unintentional release in both men and women.
In Islam, this violation is the most serious. If a person has repented, then he can atone for his guilt in two ways: either free the slave (in the civilized world this is difficult and virtually inaccessible), or fast for the next two months. Even if, without a good reason, he violates or interrupts the restriction that he endures on the occasion of repentance for adultery, he must begin anew two months of abstinence.
Hugging and kissing during fasting is allowed. But these actions should not lead to sexual arousal, so that something that breaks the fast does not happen. If spouses know how to control themselves, they can calmly kiss each other. If you don’t have confidence in yourself or your significant other, then you need to refuse hugs. Sometimes it happens that the release of genetic material occurred in a dream. And as you know, a person does not control his actions at this time. Therefore, the fast is not broken. In this case, there is no need to reimburse it. And sodomy and bestiality in Islam are grave sins always, and not just in the month of Ramadan.
Bleeding during fasting
Donating blood is also a violation. It is believed that in this way a person becomes weaker. And feeling unwell during fasting is unacceptable. This means that a person should not become a donor. Even in cases of extreme necessity, this is a violation. However, the fasting person can make up for it on another day. If the blood flowed unintentionally, then the restriction is not violated. Donating blood for analysis also does not apply to this. Indeed, in this case, little fluid is released, so the person does not experience weakness. In addition, fasting during menstrual cycle(also a kind of bloodletting). As you know, representatives of the fair sex experience weakness and pain during this period. And, as stated above, fasting is unacceptable at such times.
Nausea while fasting
If a fasting person has stomach problems, he does not have to hold back vomiting for fear that this may break his fast. When a Muslim deliberately caused her, then there will be no punishment for this action. If the fasting person involuntarily empties the stomach of its contents, this will not affect the observance of the fast. This means that it is not necessary to restrain the urge to vomit. But it is prohibited to deliberately call them.
Actions that fill the body
Filling actions include those during which the human body is filled. This is eating and drinking. And as you know, they are unacceptable during daylight hours. In addition to them, taking medications, blood infusions, injections are also considered violations. If medications are taken as a rinse and not swallowed, then this is acceptable. Therefore, it is necessary to take pills and other medications in the dark. Also, the fast is not considered broken if the blood is re-infused after it has been purified and saturated with the necessary nutrients. In addition, drops for the eyes and ears or enemas are also not prohibited during the holiday. It is even permissible to remove teeth, despite the possible bleeding from the wounds. If a fasting person uses it (including asthmatics), then the fast is also not broken. Because air is not food and drink, but gas entering the lungs.
Any Muslim who deliberately ate or drank committed a great sin. Therefore, he is obliged to repent and make up for the violation on another day. And it is a double sin to accept what Islam prohibits on any day, not just during Lent - alcohol and pork. If a person simply forgot about the restriction (and this is often observed in the first days of the fast), then the fast is not considered broken. It is not necessary to reimburse it. A person must thank the Almighty for sending him food (and there are many hungry people in the world). If a Muslim sees that someone else is reaching for food, he is obliged to stop him and remind him of fasting. Swallowing saliva or food debris stuck between the teeth is also not a violation.
What actions do not break the fast?
How to fast in Islam? What actions will not violate it? In addition to the cases indicated above, these include the following manipulations: applying antimony to the eyes (as is known, this is important for Muslim women); brushing your teeth with a special brush (miswak) or a regular brush without toothpaste. The use of the latter is not prohibited. The main thing is not to swallow the product, even partially. Other hygiene procedures are also allowed: rinsing the nose, mouth, taking a shower. Swimming is also allowed, but provided that the person does not dive headlong, as this can lead to water entering the body.
Also, a Muslim who involuntarily ingested tobacco smoke or dust does not break his fast. Inhalation of aromas (even intentionally) is also allowed. If women (and sometimes men) prepare food, then tasting them is acceptable. But it is forbidden to swallow it. Treating wounds with ointments, iodine, and brilliant green solution is acceptable. Women can have their hair cut and dyed. The same applies to men. In addition, representatives of the fair sex are allowed to use cosmetics. But many people refuse it during Ramadan.
Smoking while fasting
Smoking during the fast also breaks the fast. In general, this process is undesirable in Islam, since it harms the body and mind, and empties the wallet. And also due to uselessness. Therefore, intentionally swallowing tobacco smoke (as opposed to involuntary) breaks the fast. But many people who are on a diet do not enjoy cigarettes only during daylight hours. It is not right. Because smoking not only cigarettes, but also hookah is prohibited throughout the month of fasting in Islam. It often happens that after the end of Ramadan, many give up this bad habit.
Fasting during pregnancy and lactation
How to fast during pregnancy in Islam? Future mom If she feels well, there is no threat to either her or the child, she must comply with the restrictions. If there is a possibility of miscarriage, then fasting is not necessary. The same applies to nursing mothers. Therefore, before the onset of holy fasting, the above women should consult a doctor. And pass the necessary tests.
If it is not recommended for them to fast due to a difficult pregnancy or for other reasons, then they are obliged to make up the fast at another time. Preferably before the next Ramadan. In addition, such a young lady needs to distribute alms to those in need (both money and food). However, if a woman cannot make up for the fast because she is again carrying the baby under her heart or continues to feed, then it is quite enough for her to help the poor.
Fasting for a pregnant woman in Islam is not too strict. It does not have to be observed for all thirty days in a row. Violations every second day are acceptable. Sometimes you can take a break for a week. The main thing is to keep it for thirty days in total. Since the days of fasting in winter are much shorter than in summer (in the cold season it dawns late and gets dark early), young mothers are allowed to make up for fasting on these days, even if Ramadan was in the summer.
Fasting during critical days
Is it possible to fast during menstruation? Islam prohibits a devout Muslim woman not only from observing restrictions, but also from performing namaz. If a woman does not do this on her menstrual days, then there is no need to compensate. All this is due to the fact that these days ladies are not pure. And as you know, observance of the most important Islamic rituals is allowed only if complete hygiene is observed.
If a woman keeps a fast, and suddenly she begins to have discharge, then it is considered broken. the girl will have to compensate him. But if this happened after dusk, then there was no violation. The next day you need to refrain from restrictions until the end of the monthly cycle. In a word, fasting should be for the benefit of those fasting, and not to their detriment. And if you feel weak in the body, you can get more negative things from the energy than positive things.
How to fast correctly? How should you eat during Lent? What is it for? The editors of the portal “Orthodoxy and Peace” will answer all these questions!
In Old English, Lent is called Lecnten - spring. Spring is not only a season. Spring of the soul, when it is finally necessary to remove all the dirty snow of sins, to melt the ice in hearts, when the soul should bloom, washed by the Sacrament of repentance. Great Lent is the longest and strictest fast of the Orthodox Church.
The Church Charter distinguishes five degrees of strictness of fasting:
1) complete abstinence from food;
2) dry eating;
3) hot food without oil;
4) hot food with oil (vegetable);
5) eating fish.
According to the church charter, two days of the first week of fasting and Good Friday(Friday Holy Week) – days of strict fasting – abstaining from food.
On the remaining days of Great Lent, except Saturdays and Sundays, the Church established the second degree of abstinence - plant food is taken once, without oil, at evening time. On Saturdays and Sundays, the third degree of fasting is allowed, that is, eating cooked plant foods with butter, twice a day.
Meat, eggs, dairy products, animal fats are completely excluded. Fish is allowed on Annunciation and Palm Sunday. Fish caviar is acceptable on Lazarus Saturday.
It must be remembered that the rules indicated in the charter were drawn up in ancient monasteries and represent the ideal of fasting. IN modern conditions fasting may weaken: for example, at the Moscow Theological Seminary, students are blessed with fish more often than 2 times per fast. Therefore, Orthodox Christians usually ask for the blessing of a priest and determine with him the extent of their fast.
For patients on the move, children under 14 years of age, for pregnant and lactating women, there is a weakened fast. The Church advises determining the measure of fasting with a priest. Thus, the 19th century saint Theophan the Recluse advised: “Eat fish when you are weak. God bless. There is no sin here when it is done out of necessity and not out of whim. And when you begin to fast, then abstain, if you are strong. And if not, then abstain for a day or two just before communion; It’s possible even without this when you’re weak.” “There are no laws to kill yourself, since it is known that fasting upsets your health. And Saint Pachomius, in his Rule, wrote that sick monks should eat meat if it is necessary for health.
Regarding fasting when there is no health, says St. Theophan the Recluse, patience with illness and complacency during it replace fasting. Therefore, if you please, eat food that is required by the nature of the treatment, although it is not lean.” But at the same time, you must definitely consult with your confessor and, even if he blesses you to weaken your fast, repent before God of your weakness.”
The Church reminds that the main meaning of fasting is a deeper spiritual life, sincere repentance of sins, more frequent attendance at divine services, communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and prayer.
“The main thing is that we must fast spiritually, and not burden ourselves with new sins when we repent,” said Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' on the eve of fasting.
According to the words of the holy fathers: “If you see a beggar, give him alms; if you see an enemy, make peace; if you see your friend happy, don’t be jealous; if you see beautiful woman, pass by. Let not only the lips fast, but also sight, and hearing, and legs, and hands, and all the members of our body. Let your hands fast, remaining clean from theft and covetousness. Let your feet fast by stopping going to illegal spectacles. Let your eyes fast, learning not to be drawn to handsome faces and not to gaze at the beauty of others. …Let your hearing also fast; and the fast of hearing is not to accept slander and slander. Let the tongue also fast from foul language and swearing. What good is it when we abstain from birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?” It is not for nothing that the Apostle Paul warned us: “If you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.”
“Contrary to what many people think and feel, a period of spiritual tension (say, during Lent or fasting) is a time of joy, because it is a time of returning home, a time when we can come to life. This must be the time when we shake off everything that is decayed and dead in us in order to gain the ability to live - to live with all the spaciousness, with all the depth and intensity to which we are called. As long as this moment of joy is inaccessible and incomprehensible to us, we will end up with a monstrous and blasphemous parody; We, as if in the name of God, will turn life into complete torment for ourselves and for those who will have to pay for our fruitless attempts to become saints.
This concept of joy may seem strange next to extreme tension, the feat of abstinence, with real struggle, and yet joy runs through our entire spiritual life, church life and evangelical life, because the Kingdom of God is taken by effort. It is not given simply to those who carelessly and lazily wait for its arrival. For those who wait for it in this way, it will, of course, come: it will come in the dead of midnight, coming like the Judgment of God, like a thief whom no one is waiting for, like a bridegroom who comes while foolish virgins indulge in sleep. This is not how we should expect the Kingdom and Judgment.
We must return to a state that we usually cannot evoke even from our depths, it is so alien to us - a state of joyful anticipation of the Day of the Lord, although we know that this Day will be the day of Judgment. It is amazing to hear in the church that we proclaim the Gospel, the good news of Judgment, and we proclaim that the Day of the Lord is not fear, but hope, and together with the Holy Spirit the Church can say: Come, Lord, and come soon!.. While we are unable to speak In such categories, our Christian consciousness is missing something very important. No matter what we say, in this case we are still pagans dressed in gospel clothes. God is still God afar off for us, and His coming is darkness and horror for us; and His judgment is not redemption, but our condemnation; and meeting face to face with Him is a terrible event, and not the hour towards which we strive and for which we live.”
In monasteries, questions regarding fasting do not arise, but people living in the world are often perplexed: how to fast when colleagues or family members do not fast, when you need to work full time and have a long way to get to work, when you are overcome by illnesses and infirmities, fatigue and stress?
The Optina elders considered fasting very important and gave many instructions about fasting and abstinence.
Why do we fast
The Monk Ambrose wrote about the need to observe fasts:
In addition, there is an indication in the Gospel that we must fast on Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday the Lord was handed over to be crucified, and on Friday he was crucified.”
The elder explained why we abstain from fasting food:
“Mean food is not defilement. It does not defile, but fattens the human body. And the holy Apostle Paul says: “Even if our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is renewed from day to day” (2 Cor. 4:16). By the outer man he called the body, and the inner soul.”
St. Barsanuphius reminded us that if we please the flesh, then its needs grow incredibly quickly and suppress any spiritual movement of the soul:
“The proverb is true: “The more you eat, the more you want.” If we just quench our hunger and thirst and get busy or begin to pray, food will not distract us from our activities. I experienced this myself.
If we please the flesh, then its needs grow incredibly quickly, so that they suppress any spiritual movement of the soul.”
Is fasting harmful to health?
Elder Ambrose instructed:
“Of course, it’s a different matter if someone breaks the fast due to illness and bodily infirmity. And those who are healthy from fasting are healthier and kinder, and what’s more, they live longer, even though they seem skinny in appearance. With fasting and abstinence, the flesh does not rebel so much, and sleep does not overcome so much, and fewer empty thoughts enter the head, and spiritual books are read more readily and understood more readily.”
The Monk Barsanuphius also explained to his children that fasting not only does not harm health, but, on the contrary, preserves it:
“But the commandments of the Lord are not grievous. The Orthodox Church is not our stepmother, but a kind and loving mother. She instructs us, for example, to observe moderate fasting, and it does not harm our health at all, but, on the contrary, preserves it.
AND good doctors, even non-believers, now claim that constantly eating meat is harmful: plant foods are necessary from time to time - that is, in other words, they prescribe fasting. Now in Moscow and others big cities Vegetarian canteens are being opened to give the stomach a rest from meat. On the contrary, due to the constant consumption of meat food, all sorts of diseases occur.”
Should sick people fast?
There are cases of such bodily infirmities when fasting is not harmful, but, on the contrary, beneficial. Elder Barsanuphius gave an example from his pastoral practice, when a sick woman did not observe fasts, fearing deterioration in health and even death. But when she began to fast on the advice of the elder, she not only did not die, but completely recovered:
“Two spouses from a merchant family, leading a pious life, came to me. He healthy man, but the wife was constantly ill and never kept fasts. I tell her:
Start fasting and everything will pass.
She answers:
What if I die from fasting? It’s scary to do such an experiment.
“You won’t die,” I answer, “but you will get better.”
And indeed, the Lord helped her. She began to observe the fasts established by the Church and is now completely healthy, as they say - “blood and milk.”
To the sick child who did not want to break his fast, Elder Ambrose answered:
“I received your letter. If your conscience does not agree to allow you to eat a modest meal during Lent, although due to illness, then you should not despise or force your conscience. Fast food cannot heal you from illness, and therefore later you will be embarrassed that you acted contrary to the good suggestions of your conscience. It is better to choose from lean foods that are nutritious and digestible for your stomach.
It happens that some sick people eat fasting food as medicine and then repent of this, that due to illness they violated the rules of the Holy Church about fasting. But everyone needs to look and act according to their conscience and consciousness and in accordance with the mood of their spirit, so as not to upset themselves even more by confusion and double-mindedness.”
However, illnesses and infirmities different people are different, and with some you can limit yourself, while with others it is better not to violate doctors’ orders. Not eating this or that food should not be an end in itself. Fasting is intended for healthy people, but for the sick, fasting is the disease itself. Pregnant women, sick people, and small children are usually exempt from fasting.
Thus, in connection with the upcoming fast, Elder Ambrose gave instructions to the mistress of the house, who was burdened with numerous worries with children and had no good health:
“Try to spend the coming fast judiciously, taking into account your bodily strength. You must remember that you are the mistress of the house, surrounded by children; besides, ill health becomes attached to you.
All this shows that you we need to take more care of spiritual virtues; Regarding the use of food and other bodily exploits, good reasoning with humility should come first…
Saint Climacus quotes the words: “I did not fast, nor did I lie down, nor did I lie down on the ground; But I humbled myself, and the Lord saved me.” Humbly present your weakness to the Lord, and He is able to work all things out for good.”
The monk warned:
“Bodily weakness and pain are tricky, and it’s tricky to cope with it. Not without reason, Saint Isaac the Syrian, the first of the great fasters, wrote: “If we force a weak body beyond its strength, then confusion comes upon confusion.”
Therefore, in order not to be needlessly embarrassed, it is better to tolerate bodily weakness as much as necessary.”
Elder Anatoly (Zertsalov) wrote:
“You can eat fish if you are weak. Just please don’t be angry and don’t hold onto your thoughts for too long.”
What to do if you can’t get enough of lean food?
 |
“You write that it’s scary to be left without milk. But the Lord is strong to give strength to a weak nature. It would be good to eat perches and ruffs..."
The elder himself ate very little food. Surprised by this, they once asked him whether it was difficult for him to achieve such abstinence or was it already given to him by nature? He answered with these words:
“If a person is not forced, even if he ate all the food of Egypt and drank all the water of the Nile, his belly will still say: I hunger!”
Reverend Ambrose He used to say, as always, briefly but aptly:
“Explaining lips are a pork trough.”
How to combine fasting and social life(when they invite you to anniversaries, banquets, etc.)?
Reasoning is also required here. There are banquets and holidays where our presence is completely unnecessary, and we can safely refuse this celebration without breaking the fast. There are feasts where you can eat something lean, unnoticed by others, without exalting your fast over others.
In cases of breaking the fast “for the sake of guests,” St. Joseph taught:
“If you break abstinence for the sake of guests, then you don’t need to be embarrassed, but reproach yourself for it and bring repentance.”
Instructed:
“Fasting can be twofold: external and internal. The first is abstinence from modest food, the second is abstinence from all our senses, especially vision, from everything unclean and nasty. Both posts are inextricably linked with each other. Some people pay all their attention only to the external post, without understanding the internal one at all.
For example, such a person comes into society somewhere, conversations begin, in which very often there is condemnation of his neighbors. He takes an active part in them and steals a lot from his neighbor’s honor. But then it’s time for dinner. The guest is offered a quick meal: a cutlet, a piece of pig, etc. He resolutely refuses.
Well, eat,” the owners persuade, “it’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth!”
“No, I’m strict about this,” he declares, completely unaware that by judging his neighbor, he has already violated and even completely destroyed the fast.”
Post on the road
There are other situations when we cannot fully fast, such as when traveling. When we travel, we live in special conditions beyond our control.
Although if the journey is short and there is an opportunity to eat lean food, then you should refrain from eating fast food.
In this regard, we can recall the instructions of Elder Barsanuphius:
“A young girl, Sofya Konstantinovna, who came to visit the Niluses in Optina Pustyn, complained to the elder in confession that, living in someone else’s house, she was deprived of the opportunity to observe fasts. “Well, why are you now tempted by sausage on your way on a fast day?” - the old man asked her. S.K. I was horrified: how could the elder know this?”
If the post seems unnecessary, redundant
Sometimes people deny the meaning of fasting, declare that they agree with all the commandments, but they don’t want to, cannot, and consider it unnecessary and superfluous. Elder Barsanuphius said in this regard that these are the enemy’s thoughts: the enemy sets this up because he hates fasting:
“We understand the power of fasting and its significance if only from the fact that it is somehow especially hated by the enemy. They come to me for advice and confession - I advise them to observe holy fasts. They agree with everything, but when it comes to fasting, I don’t want to, I can’t, and so on. The enemy is so exciting: he doesn’t want the holy fasts to be observed...”
About abstinence and three degrees of satiety
You also need to remember that you can become satiated with lean food to such an extent that it becomes gluttony. For people of different body types and having different physical activity the amount of food will also vary. Reverend Nikon reminded:
“One pound of bread is enough for one person’s body, four pounds of bread is enough for another person’s body: he will not be satisfied with less bread. Therefore, Saint John Chrysostom says that a faster is not one who consumes a small amount of food, but one who consumes less food than what is required for his body. This is what abstinence is all about.”
The Monk Ambrose wrote about abstinence and the three degrees of satiety:
“You write about food that it is difficult for you to get used to eating little by little, so that after lunch you are still hungry. The Holy Fathers established three degrees regarding food: abstinence - in order to be somewhat hungry after eating, contentment - in order to be neither full nor hungry, and satiety - in order to eat to the full, not without some burden.
Of these three degrees, everyone can choose any one, according to their strengths and according to their structure, healthy and sick.”
If you break your fast due to inattention
It happens that a person eats fast food on a fast day due to inattention, absent-mindedness, or forgetfulness. How to deal with such an oversight?
The Monk Joseph gives an example of a man who ate a quick pie on a fast day, and at first he ate it, forgetting about it. fast day, and then remembering, still finished it, reasoning that he had sinned anyway:
“In your second letter, you described an incident that happened to you in St. Petersburg: you ate one half of a quick pie on Wednesday out of oblivion, and the other half you ate, having already come to your senses. The first sin is excusable, but the other is not excusable. It’s like someone running out of oblivion towards an abyss, but in the middle of the road he comes to his senses and still continues to run, despising the danger that threatens him.”
If you break your fast due to lack of willpower
Sometimes a person tries to keep the fast, but cannot stand it, due to lack of willpower, he breaks it and becomes despondent as a result. To these the Monk Joseph advised:
“When you cannot abstain, then at least let us humble ourselves and reproach ourselves and not condemn others.”
Also, Elder Joseph, in response to his child’s lamentation that he could not fast properly, answered:
“You write that you fasted poorly - well, thank the Lord for how He helped you abstain, and remember the words of St. John Climacus: “I did not fast, but humbled myself, and the Lord saved me!”
About immoderate, unreasonable fasting
The Monk Ambrose warned against unreasonable fasting, when a person who has never fasted before imposes on himself an immoderate fast, possibly instigated by the demon of vanity:
“Otherwise we had one example of an unreasonable fast. One landowner, who spent his life in bliss, suddenly wanted to observe a strict fast: he ordered himself to grind hemp seed throughout Lent and ate it with kvass, and from such a sharp transition from bliss to fasting, his stomach was so spoiled that doctors could not find it for a whole year. could correct it.
However, there is also a patristic word that we should not be killers of the body, but killers of the passions.”
Fasting is not a goal, but a means
 |
The Monk Leo did not approve of those who, abandoning prudent moderation, indulged in excessive bodily exploits, hoping to be saved as if by them alone:
“I do not refute abstinence, it always has its strengths, but its essence and strength do not lie in not eating food, but let all memory and the like be eradicated from the heart. This is true fasting, which the Lord requires of us most of all.”
Elder Barsanuphius also recalled:
“Of course, fasting, if not accompanied by prayer and spiritual work, has almost no value. Fasting is not a goal, but a means, a benefit that makes prayer and spiritual improvement easier for us.”
Reverend Anatoly(Zertsalov) wrote:
“Not eating bread and not drinking water or anything else means not fasting. For demons do not eat or drink anything at all, but they are still evil...”
And Elder Nikon aptly and briefly remarked:
““True fasting is the alienation of evil deeds” (as it is said in one Lenten stichera).”
Temptations of fasting
During fasting, irritability and anger often awaken in us. Fasting should release our spiritual strength for good deeds.
The Monk Ambrose taught:
“You need to have abstinence not only from various foods and drinks, but from passions in general: from anger and irritability, from jealousy and condemnation, from secret and obvious exaltation, from stubbornness and inappropriate insistence on one’s own, and the like.”
How to post
For some reason, many women, out of habit, brush it off when the conversation turns to days of fasting, even those who consider themselves believers and go to church... Fuck it. Like, it’s hard, boring and generally somehow stupid!
And at this time they themselves spend a lot of money on all sorts of weight loss products and health-improving drugs.
Meanwhile, everything that came from antiquity came for a reason. And we can say: these are quite enough certain days to keep yourself “in shape” all the time. Moreover, it is now known: it is precisely at the time when the Orthodox fast (before Christmas, Easter) that the body is most predisposed to the accumulation of excess fat, so the benefits of fasting for health and figure are undeniable. We are not talking about spirituality here.
Therefore: let's ask the priest for a blessing, be patient and... use this unique opportunity to lose weight. You’ll find out at the same time :)
How to post
First you need to understand: fasting is not hunger. ? There are a great many wonderful Lenten dishes, the basis of which is the so-called healthy food. And we give up only modest foods: meat, dairy products, fats, baked goods, eggs, and during strict fasting – fish. Of course, it is worth reducing the portions: the human stomach is capable of stretching, and therefore at first a small plate will not be enough for him. But then it will return to normal size, and you will stop noticing it. Fasting treatment is one of the most gentle and harmonious options.
To prevent these days from becoming painful, you need to remember a few rules on how to eat during fasting:
- – it helps eliminate toxins and suppresses the feeling of hunger;
- remember: satiety comes not from the number of calories, but from the variety of tastes, so meals during fasting should not be monotonous. Eat, for example, sour, salty, bitter things - you will be satisfied;
- don’t forget to carry a few apples or a banana with you so that you won’t be tempted to go into a cafe and munch on a bun;
- It is advisable that your family supports you - it is very difficult to resist when delicious smells come from the kitchen...
And now - the next moment. Very important. I'm constantly hungry... But what's the matter? The intestines are lined with a layer of plaque that prevents them from penetrating into the blood. nutrients coming with new food. There are more and more deposits, the stomach sags, but there is no benefit. This plaque needs to be removed. We are already prepared, the post is approaching the middle. Now you need to stock up on courage (for only 4 days)… and apples. For three days we eat and drink alone Apple juice. On the fourth day, when the body is already prepared and almost cleansed, we clean the intestines with salt water (you need to drink from two to five liters), so that it is not disgusting to drink. Most likely, your health will worsen: the body has begun to cleanse itself. But then, when they come out feces(when water comes instead), it will become much easier for you. And, most importantly, you no longer need to carry extra pounds.
From the next day we return to our usual varied but lean diet. And remember: you need to celebrate the holidays in an outfit one size smaller than usual.