Great Lenten Fasting Guidelines for 2021

• If you currently do not fast regularly or at all… abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays

• If you currently fast from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays… abstain from meat every day during Great Lent

• If you currently fast… increase your fasting one “level” this year following the example above beginning with Wednesdays and Fridays.

Suggested Fasting Levels in the Orthodox Christian Tradition

1.       Abstain from meat

2.       Abstain from meat and dairy products and eggs

3.       Abstain from meat, dairy products and eggs, and fish

4.       Abstain from meat, dairy product and eggs, fish, and wine and oil

5.       Abstain from cooked foods

Fasting for Presanctified Liturgy - On Sunday we know (provided we are healthy and no other prohibitions from our doctor regarding fasting) that we should refrain from all food and drink until after we receive Holy Communion on Sunday mornings. But what if we are planning on receiving Holy Communion on Wednesday night, when should we fast?

For those adults who are physically able, we are asked to fast just as we would on Sunday morning all day from the time we awake until after we receive Holy Communion. It is acceptable to drink simple beverages such as coffee or tea or preferably water (not milk, milkshakes, beer etc) until about noon and then complete fast until Holy Communion. I must remind you that fasting is not meant to make you ill, but to be an offering to God and discipline of our bodies. If you become light headed or need some food, by all means have a small snack especially if you are in a situation where you must remain alert such as driving or other physical labor. If you must eat during the day, a light breakfast and light lunch should be sufficient followed by a complete fast following lunch until Holy Communion.

For those children who already fast on Sunday morning, they should be asked to follow as much of the fast as they are able. As parents this will require discernment in how our children are behaving and feeling. Again it is not meant to make our children ill, however, many times our children can fast more than we realize, and it should be encouraged as an offering to God and spiritual discipline. For children who do not yet fast, a small snack should be offered around 4pm.

For everyone who is receiving Holy Communion, or Holy Unction or any other Mystery (Sacrament) of the Church, the Church teaches us to fast in preparation and we should do this to the best of our abilities. Great Lent is a perfect time to exercise our free will and to offer our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.” Romans 12.11) 

It has always been the understanding of the Church that fasting is forbidden for those who have a medical condition requiring food for medications or other requirements such as pregnant and nursing mothers. We must remember that fasting is a spiritual discipline and not meant to cause physical harm. These suggestions are for your spiritual growth, and are not meant to obligate you in any way. You should speak with your spiritual father about your specific fasting situation.

Why and Old Covenant and Why a New Covenant? Saturday’s Gospel (Matthew 6:1-13) has the Answer.

In the Old Testament, God made an agreement – a Covenant – with His people. This First Covenant was given to Moses alone to the Hebrew People. With the Old Covenant, God would also agree to give the Hebrews the promised land if they would follow His Commandments and offer the Sacrifices. With the New Covenant, God Himself through His Incarnation as Jesus Christ, God promises us His Heavenly Kingdom if we follow His Commandments and participate in His Sacraments. 

The Old Covenant was written on tablets of Stone but the New Covenant is written on our Hearts. When we are Baptized and Chrismated we receive a spiritual gift. We receive the Holy Spirit who remains in our hearts and informs us how we should behave as the sons and daughters of the Most High. Our actions always follow our thoughts and emotions. We are to observe any thought or emotion not befitting to a child of God and we must then fight to cleanse it from our hearts and our minds. Sincere frequent participation in Sacraments and acts of charity with humility are the tools the Lord gave us to cleanse ourselves from all such impure attacks. If we do this, we will reach the state where we do good deeds and our left hand will not know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3), because we will have returned to our original state where doing a good deed is instinctual and natural to us. This is the purpose of the New Covenant, to heal us restoring us to our original state as Adam and Eve where in the Garden and to bring us to the state that Christ is after his bodily Resurrection.

Fr. Simeon

Memorials

Sunday - March 14

 All ministries wishing to sign up and host the Coffee Hour, please contact Chris Palaidis at 727-808-3895, once the hall reopens.

St. Nicholas Kitchen will continue preparing the Monday meals from 7:30 – 11:00 am. The meals will be delivered to the new Hope Center at the Sheppard center where the meals will be given to those in need by their and our volunteers. We will still need volunteers, food and monetary donations. Meals will be served from 11:00 – 12:00 pm. For further information, please call Chris Palaidis at (727) 808-3895.  

MAKE AN OFFERING OF OIL - Following the ancient tradition of the Temple as commanded by God, Orthodox Christians bring an offering of olive oil to be continually burned in the Church lamps, serving as a reminder of the presence of the Light of God. We invite anyone to make an offering of oil to the Church along with the names of loved ones & friends who are alive in the Lord, or alive with us on Earth, so that we may pray for you, your family and friends.

  *THE DEADLINE IS MONDAY 5PM FOR ALL BULLETIN INFORMATION*

 Memorial & Artoklasia Service Planning