What is fasting, what is needed, how to properly observe it

What is fasting? Why do you need it and how to properly observe it? You will learn about this after reading this article.

The purpose of the Orthodox fast

What is fasting? What is it needed for? The purpose of the Orthodox fast for the Christian is to destroy the harmful spiritual manifestations and bring virtues into his life. This faithful attain a sincere and attentive prayer, and more often visit the temple to participate in divine services.

How to fast? What is it worth to refuse? During the fast, Orthodox Christians voluntarily abstain from eating meat, dairy products, desserts. They also try to avoid all kinds of pleasures and entertainments. But an Orthodox Christian, first of all, should take care not of his stomach, but of his own state of mind. Fasting is not properly perceived as a diet.

Often many people, observing fasting, become irritable, wait for its speedy end, forgetting about the soul. If a person really began to think about his soul, he would certainly enjoy the post. After all, his whole being is focused on healing the soul.

Thus, for a true Christian, the fasting time is the best, at which time he becomes closer to God.

What is more important: fasting or spiritual fasting?

What is fasting? What is it needed for? Is the body more important than the spiritual one? It is very important for a Christian to understand that only abstinence from food means nothing without fasting. Rather, on the contrary, as mentioned above, this can do much harm. At the same time, harm can be not only irritability, but also that the fasting can feel the sense of his superiority and excessive piety. But the meaning of fasting is precisely the elimination of sins.

What is fasting? What is it needed for? Fasting is a medicine. Not always sweet, but effective. He helps to tear himself away from enjoyment, gather his thoughts and think about his spiritual health.

If a fasting person, using only fast food, instead of repenting and praying, helping his neighbor, the performance of good deeds is constantly experiencing sinful feelings, then fasting will not be genuine, will not be spiritual.

It must be understood that when a person fasts, he does not starve. In no service of Lent there is no mention of it in the usual sense for people, that is, in the non-use of meat and tasty food. The church calls for fasting bodily and fasting spiritually.

So, fasting only then will have a true meaning when it is combined with spiritual work on oneself. An ordinary person living in the rhythm of the modern world will not be available to the influence of the Higher Power. Fasting softens man's callousness, and then he becomes more accessible to the influence of the Higher World.

What makes post think about how to behave correctly?

How to fast properly? Many people, fasting, believe that it will be a great sin if they eat, even by impotence, anything incomprehensible, but they do not care that they neglect and blame their neighbors, for example, friends are deprived, insulted or lie to them. This is a real hypocrisy towards God. This is the unconsciousness of faith and humility!

It is absolutely obvious that repentance and prayer during fasting should always be accompanied by reflections about one's own sinful life and, of course, should go along with restraint from various fun and entertainment: going to dances, theaters, friends. One should try to avoid reading light-minded books, listening to joyful musical compositions, watching television programs for entertainment. If all these activities attract a Christian, then he has to make an effort on himself, in order to save his soul from it, at least in the lean times. This is the essence of fasting.

Therefore, it is necessary to fast with the soul, and with the body, with joy. It is necessary to learn how to combine the post with the inner post. You need to study your soul and fix your vices. When people cleanse their bodies through abstinence, they must purify the soul with repentance and prayer, and then they can acquire virtue and humility, love and respect for one's neighbor. This is what will be the true fast, pleasing to God, therefore, saving the soul of man.

When you can eat fish in fasting?

When do you eat fish in a post? According to the general rules, this product is allowed on big holidays that fall during the time of fasting.

In Lent, dedicated to the resurrection of the Lord, you can eat fish for the Feasts of the Annunciation, Palm Sunday (entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem), Lazarus Saturday.

When in a post do you eat fish yet? Also, this product can be eaten in those Orthodox holidays that fell during the period of fasting. After all, for example, every year Lent is at different times.

In the Assumption fast, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the fish is allowed on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The Christmas site is dedicated to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is not as strict as Lent, fish can be eaten every Saturday and Sunday.

In Petrov fast, dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, fish can be used on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

However, as mentioned above, fasting is not a diet. If a man, a Christian, needs to eat fish because of his infirmity, then with the blessing of the priest to relax the fast, you can eat fish any day. After all, the main thing is the healing of the soul, and not what is in the stomach. Fasting in food helps to keep spiritual fast, because after eating fatty, delicious food, a person needs to lie down, sleep, spend time idly, do not want to read prayers, let alone go to the temple. And the food can be cooked such that it will be fast and tasty.

Therefore, during fasting, you should not count the days before the holiday, when you can eat a piece of fish, you need to treat it easier - and fasting will not be a burden, it will be a joy.

How to hold fast to an Orthodox Christian?

In fact, this question has absolutely no clear answer. Everyone should fast to the best of his abilities and abilities. Someone can, roughly speaking, hold out all fasting on bread and water, staying in constant prayer, often visiting the temple, visiting the Sacraments every week, and for someone refusing to watch TV - already fasting. Do not immediately take on the impossible, to the post must be approached gradually, with the mind.

The general rules presuppose the rejection of meat, sweets, fish (except for a few days), in each post there are dry days, when you can not eat cooked and hot food.

But this is the so-called food aspect and is not at all basic, as mentioned above. The main thing is spiritual fasting.

During fasting, a person cleanses himself of sinful dirt, he tries to draw near to Christ. At this time, you need to read more prayers, read spiritual literature, visit the temple more often, and there are always special services during the fast, each of which can be observed only once a year, in this church post. This is a miracle of miracles, everyone must experience it himself.

On the Sacraments during the Fasting

It is imperative during the fasting to join the Church Sacraments: Confessions and Communion.

Confession is repentance in one's sins, where the priest acts as an intermediary between God and the Christian. The believer leaves there all the burden of his sins. And only after that he can proceed to the Great Mystery of the Sacrament - the eating of the flesh and blood of Christ. God Himself enters the human soul through these Sacraments, purifying and healing it.

And based on the essence and meaning of the Orthodox fast, it is clear why it is at this time that the Sacraments are so useful.

Thus, fasting is not only a restriction of oneself in food, it is a huge spiritual work, but for each person it has its own.

Separately on the Great Post

Before Easter, Christians observe the longest, Great Lent. This is an integral part of the great Christian holiday. Observe fasting is necessary in order to purify your body and soul to the great holiday, the Resurrection of the Lord.

Fasting lasts six weeks, the seventh is Passion Sevenica, it requires even more severe abstinence. This period is the most strict and solemn at the same time. Preparation for it begins three weeks before it begins.

The main goal of the Great Lent, like any other, is repentance, rejection of the usual, perishable, vain pursuits and deeds.

During the fast, it is worth remembering that it is not necessary for God, but for man himself. A Christian does not do God a fast, he heals a soul. As already mentioned above, Lent consists of 2 parts: The fourth month is a period of repentance, and the Holy Week is a period of purification.

After all, it's no accident that the Orthodox Church twice offers the parishioners to read the farewell canon of Andrei of Crete twice for the Fourteenth . It is not in vain weekly, on Saturdays, during the all-night vigil in the temples, they sing: "Repentance open my doors, Life-Giving".

Just for repentance to Christians, the time is given for the Fourteen. If a person does not have a goal of repentance, then one should not start attending a fasting - it is a waste of time.

Separately about Passion Semidice

Holy Week in another way in the people is called Holy Week. This is the week preceding Easter, this is a special time for the Orthodox.

"Passion" in translation from Church Slavonic means "trials and suffering." The name is received this week because it recalls the last days that Jesus Christ spent on earth, his suffering, betrayal, the pain of crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

During the Holy Week of fasting, Christians observe the strictest abstinence, especially in the spiritual plane. The number of services in the temples is increasing, each of which carries its own special, profound meaning.

Every day of Holy Week on services in the churches is special, the clergy read separate chapters from the Gospel that tell Christians about the events that took place in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. Every day in Holy Week Christians remember what happened then.

The most special days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Maundy Thursday

On Thursday, the Orthodox remember the Last Supper, when the Savior gathered his disciples for the last time, communicated them, gave instructions. He then said that one of his disciples would betray him, and each of them denied it, including Judas.

Good Friday

On Friday, betrayal happened, and on the same day, Christ was crucified. On Holy Friday in all Orthodox churches, a shroud (coffin) is taken out. Removal takes place after two o'clock in the afternoon, at the hour of death of the Savior, crucified on the cross.

On this day, the divine service carries a special, tragic meaning, it tells of the suffering and suffering that Christ suffered on the cross.

Great Saturday

On Holy Saturday, the Orthodox Church recalls the burial of the Savior and his descent into hell for the salvation of the human race and the resurrection of the dead.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday, Christians rejoice and celebrate the Great Feast - Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the bright Easter came. The post is over. You can also taste inconvenient food.

About prayers during Lent

During the Great Lent, prayer should be given a little more attention and time than it turns out at the usual time.

It is also desirable to devote as much time as possible to the services that will be visited during the fast. If it is difficult to trace the words that the priest reads, you can take with him to the temple a book with texts of prayers.

It is worth with special care and diligence to implement prayer rules, both morning and evening.

In the morning you can wake up early, and early in the evening to finish your business, in order to start to read prayers, adding more, at your discretion.

During the fast every day it is worthwhile to read the prayer of the Monk Ephrem the Syrian. On the way to work, study or on business with headphones, you can listen to the Psalms or read in the transport, if it is convenient.

Prayers read in Lent help to completely cleanse the soul and body, earn forgiveness and receive a blessing.

The incalculable temptations that fall upon a person during Lent are also helpful in opposing prayer: for anger, rage, sorrow, envy, laziness, sinful thoughts, one must answer himself with a short Jesus' prayer.