From the 1st to the 14th of August we fast in honor of Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God. It’s a strict fast, with fish eaten only on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Savior (6 August). If 15 August falls on a Wednesday or Friday there Read more…
Do I have to fast from food or can I fast from social media? This is a very common question and sometimes makes sense to a lot of us, because social media can be more distracting to our spiritual life than food. How about if I am vegetarian does that Read more…
The Orthodox fasting seasons grant us an opportunity to enrich our spiritual lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. When it comes to fasting and modifying our typical food choices, I understand, as a registered dietitian and a nutrition counselor, that this can sometimes be confusing, daunting, or difficult. Yes, fasting Read more…
Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi 11/9/88 Monastery of Vatopaidi Dear M. The Grace of Christ be with your spirit. I received your letter and read its contents with care. What is commendable is not so much the issues in themselves, but your own good intentions and determination for a stricter Read more…
Metropolitan Ioïl (Frangkakos) of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia In this period, we have two fasts, as we all know. There are about seven weeks of strict fasting, eight if you include the Cheese-fare weekwhich precedes. For a lot of people this is an enjoyable and desirable time, for others Read more…
Lenten Nourishment Study Group with Dietitian Krista Fedorchak The Orthodox fasting seasons grant us an opportunity to enrich our spiritual lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but modifying our typical food choices can sometimes be confusing, daunting, or difficult. Yes, fasting should be a struggle, but one of a spiritual Read more…
One of the more curious features of living in Greece is that, if you go to a football match on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, one of the messages relayed to the crowd at half-time is always: “The Triodion is open! Bring your family and friends to Read more…
‘Fasting in the body, let us also fast in the spirit, loosing the bonds of injustice. Let us abandon agreements made under duress. Let us break all unjust commitments. Let us give bread to the hungry. Let us welcome the homeless poor into our houses, so that we may gain Read more…
Metropolitan Ioïl (Frangkakos) of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia ‘Indeed, I tell you, they have their reward’. Whatever we gain and achieve in virtue and our moral perfection is an inviolable treasure and, moreover, one that’s personal, inalienable. It’s not ‘about us’, it’s ‘us’, not even the body and senses, Read more…
“Many Christians, unaware of the great value of fasting, either keep the fast with difficulty or reject it altogether. We should not be afraid to fast but embrace it with joy.” (St. John Chrysostom) Fasting is so much more then abstaining from certain foods. Christ reminds us in the Gospels Read more…