The Orthodox Church established several posts of different durations: multi-day, weekly (on Wednesdays and Fridays) throughout the year, except for solid weeks, and one-day. For each of these types of fasting, there are special instructions that it is advisable for believers to fulfill. However, concessions are also provided for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, patients and the elderly. Fasting is not an end in itself, but a means of humility of the flesh and cleansing from sins. Without prayer and spiritual work on oneself, fasting turns into a regular diet.
You will need
- - products prescribed by the Lenten menu;
- - Orthodox calendar of fasting and holidays for the year.
Instruction manual
1
Lenten menu completely excludes the following products: meat, milk and any dairy products, eggs and dishes, including them in its composition. On church holidays that fall on fasting days (except Wednesday and Friday), it is allowed to eat fish and seafood.
2
The list of "permitted" during the fast includes a lot of products that can not only harmlessly, but also with particular benefit to maintain the human body for quite some time. On all days of fasting, except the most severe ones, feel free to eat cereals, grains and legumes, bread and pasta, fruits and vegetables, vegetable oils, mushrooms and berries, honey.
3
The most important - Lent - precedes the celebration of Easter. The post in the first and last (passionate) week of fasting takes place with particular severity. On the first day of Great Lent (clean Monday) and on Good Friday until the shroud is taken out during Vespers (occurring at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.), completely refrain from eating.
4
In the following days of fasting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the extreme degree of fasting was established - "dry eating." These days, drink water, stewed fruit, eat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables (as well as dried and pickled). On Tuesdays and Thursdays, eat hot food cooked without oil. On Saturday and Sunday, the use of vegetable oil is allowed.
5
On the holidays of Great Lent (Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Palm Sunday), cook the fish. And on Lazarev Saturday, it is allowed to eat fish caviar.
6
Continuing the Lent of the Holy Apostles (or the Lent of Peter) on Wednesdays and Fridays, observe strict fasting (dry eating). On Mondays, cook hot food without oil, and on all other days, eat fish, mushrooms, cereals, flavored with vegetable oil.
7
The Assumption Fast lasts 14 days. Observe dry eating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, hot, oil-free food is provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and vegetable oil is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. The Transfiguration of the Lord falls on this post - on this day you can eat fish.
8
The charter of the Christmas Lent until the day of St. Nicholas (December 19) coincides with the charter of the summer Petrov Lent. After this day and until the end of the fasting, it is allowed to eat fish on Saturday and Sunday (except for the pre-holiday of Christmas).
9
Throughout the year, believers fast weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays. It consists in the rejection of the use of meat and dairy products. And during the week before Christmas, fish and vegetable oils are also excluded. Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is canceled only during five solid weeks (Holy Week, Week of the Publican and Pharisee, Maslenitsa, Easter and Trinity weeks).
10
Get used to the posts gradually, first determining for yourself some necessary minimum food per day, and then gradually reducing it to a reasonable limit. The most important thing is to monitor your state of mind at this time. If fasting makes you irritable, intolerant, then it hurts you, because the goals of fasting are completely opposite - humility, cleansing the soul of vices, approaching God and growing in love.
Useful advice
Combine bodily fasting with spiritual fasting: intense prayer, distance from worldly amusements and fuss. Do mercy with special zeal. For example, St. John Chrysostom taught that money or products saved during fasting should be distributed to the hungry and the poor. In no case do not blame those who do not fast, but rather do your own "logs in the eye."
