The Orthodox Church Calendar (p. 3)
The Annunciation to the Theotokos, March 25 (April 7)
This feast celebrates the coming of Archangel Gabriel to reveal to
Mary that she would bear the Christ, and her acceptance of this
awesome responsibility.
Palm Sunday-the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem, Sunday before Pascha
On the Sunday before Pascha we cry Hosanna with the children as the
King enters His holy city and, symbolically, our hearts.
The Ascension of Our Lord, forty days after Pascha
When the Lord ascended into heaven, He took our redeemed humanity with
Him to the very Throne of God, making it possible for each of us to
follow Him there.
Pentecost, fifty days after Pascha
On this day we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit to the
Disciples, and through them, to us.
The Transfiguration of Christ, August 6 (Aug. 19)
Before His Passion, Christ revealed His divine glory to a chosen few
of His disciples, so that they would not despair at His
Crucifixion.
The Dormition of the Theotokos, August 15 (Aug. 28)
Mary the Mother of God "fell asleep" in the Lord on this day, and her
body was taken directly to heaven (as all the Apostles witnessed),
guaranteeing our bodily resurrection.
Lesser Feasts
Following is a list of a few of the more important of the lesser
feasts. For a complete listing, consult the current St. Lawrence
Church liturgical calendar.
- September 1 (Sept. 14)-Church New Year
- October 1 (Oct. 14)-Protection of the Theotokos (side altar feast of St. Lawrence Church)
- December 6 (Dec. 19)-St. Nicholas
- January 1 (Jan. 14)-Circumcision of Our Lord and St. Basil the Great
- Sunday before Great Lent (March 9, 2003)-Forgiveness Sunday
- First day of Great Lent (March 10, 2003)-Clean Monday
- First Sunday of Great Lent (March 16, 2003)-Sunday of Orthodoxy
- Saturday before Palm Sunday (April 19, 2003)-Lazarus Saturday
- July 2 (celebrated on Sat., June 28, 2003)-St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco (side altar feast of St. Lawrence Church)
- June 29 (July 12)-Ss. Peter and Paul
- August 1 (Aug. 14)-Procession of the Holy Cross
- August 10 (Aug. 23)-St. Lawrence (patronal feast of St. Lawrence Church)
- August 29 (Sept. 11)-Beheading of St. John the Baptist
The structure of fasting in the Orthodox Church is rather complex. There are various degrees of fasting and abstinence involving different categories of foods. Sometimes a feast will fall on a fast day, causing the fast to be lightened on that day. In addition, Saturdays and Sundays during fast seasons are always less strict than other days. Here are the basics.
Categories of abstinence, from least strict to most strict:
- Meat and meat products, including poultry
- Dairy products and eggs
- Fish with backbones
- Wine and oil
Whatever foods are allowed, we are expected to stop short of eating to fullness when fasting. In addition to fasting from foods, believers try to limit the indulgence of their senses and participation in worldly entertainments on fast days.
Days of fasting:
Throughout the year, with the exception of the Nativity season (from
Nativity to Theophany) and Bright Week (the week after Pascha), all
Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days. On Wednesday we fast in
remembrance of the Lord's betrayal in the Garden, and on Friday we
fast in remembrance of His Passion and death on the Cross. Fasting is
usually from all categories above, but when a major saint's day or
feast falls on a Wednesday or Friday, the fast is reduced to allow
wine and oil and sometimes fish.
In addition, a few days of the year are designated as days of complete abstinence: the Beheading of John the Baptist, the Elevation of the Cross, the Eves of Nativity and Theophany, Holy Friday and Holy Saturday.
Also, Orthodox Christians are required to abstain from all food and drink during the time prior to partaking of the Holy Eucharist.
Seasons of fasting:
There are four major seasons of fasting in the Orthodox year:
- The Nativity fast, also called Advent or Little Lent. This begins forty days before Nativity, on November 15 (Nov. 28). Wine and oil are permitted throughout this fast and fish is permitted on many days.
- Great Lent, beginning on Monday seven weeks before Pascha. This is a strict fasting period, with abstinence from certain meals prescribed as well as from all categories of foods listed above. Technically separate from but contiguous with Great Lent is Holy Week, the six days before Pascha. Fasting is even stricter here than during Great Lent.
- The Apostles' fast. This fast begins on the Monday after All Saints, which is the Sunday after Pentecost, and ends with the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul on June 29 (July 12). The length of the fast is variable because of the variable date of Pascha.
- The Dormition fast begins on August 1 (Aug. 14) and ends with the Feast of the Dormition on August 15 (Aug. 28).
The Purpose of Fasting
We fast for several reasons:
- to remind ourselves of our complete dependence on God as we experience the physical and spiritual weakness that come with fasting;
- to discipline our bodies and reduce our attachment to the things of the flesh;
- to facilitate prayer, as a surfeit of food deadens the perceptions of the spirit;
- to help us to repent and overcome uncontrolled passions.
The foods from which we fast are primarily those which have the most potential for making us feel overfull and forgetful of spiritual things.
It is unwise for a person to attempt to observe the Orthodox fasts in isolation. Within a parish, adjustments are generally made to adapt the fasts to local circumstances; in addition, certain persons may need to modify their fast for medical reasons. Also, fasting without direction can lead to spiritual pride.
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