Why is Wednesday considered a fast day on a par with Friday? After all, the events of the crucifixion of the Savior and the betrayal of Judas are incomparable in scale. Our salvation took place on Calvary, and the Judas' pieces of silver are rather a case of a more private nature. Wouldn't a different way have been found to arrest Christ if Judas had not betrayed him?
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
The betrayal of the Divine Teacher by one of the disciples is a grave sin. Therefore, fasting on Wednesday not only reminds us of this terrible fall, but also exposes us: with our sins, we again betray the Savior of the world, who suffered for us. Wednesday and Friday were fast days already in the Primary Church. V Apostolic canons it is written (rule 69): “If anyone, a bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, or a subdeacon, or a reader, or a singer, does not fast on Holy Fourtecost / forty days / before Easter, or on Wednesday, or on Friday, except bodily weakness: let it be cast out. If he is a layman, let him be excommunicated. " Saint Peter of Alexandria (received holy martyrdom in 311) in Word for Easter says: “Let no one reproach us for keeping the environment and the heel on which we are blessed to fast according to Tradition. On Wednesday, because of the advice drawn up by the Jews about the tradition of the Lord, and on Heels because He suffered for us. " Pay attention to the words according to legend, i.e. from the beginning of the Church.
Man is a spiritual-bodily being of a double nature. The Holy Fathers said that the body wraps around the soul like a glove over a hand.
Therefore, any fast - one day or many days - is a complex of means in order to bring a person closer both spiritually and physically to God - in all the fullness of human nature. Figuratively speaking, a person can be compared to a rider on a horse. The soul is the rider and the body is the horse. Let's say a horse is being prepared for a race at a hippodrome. She is given certain food, trained, etc. Because the ultimate goal of the jockey and his horse is to come to the finish line first. Much the same can be said about the soul and body. The ascetic experience of the Orthodox Church, with God's help, has created a universal toolbox of spiritual, physical and nutritional means so that the rider-soul and horse-body can come to the finish line - to the Kingdom of Heaven.
On the one hand, we should not neglect food fasting. Let us remember why the holy forefathers Adam and Eve committed the fall ... Let us give a rather crude and primitive, far from complete interpretation: because they violated the food fast of abstinence - God's commandment not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This, it seems to me, is a lesson for all of us.
On the other hand, fasting should not be taken as an end in itself. This is just a means to thin our gross material flesh through certain abstinence in food, in the use of alcohol, in marital relations so that the body becomes light, cleansed and serves as a faithful companion to the soul for acquiring the main spiritual virtues: prayer, repentance, patience, humility, mercy, participation in the Sacraments of the Church, love for God and neighbor, etc. That is, food fasting is the first step of the ascent to the Lord. Without a qualitative spiritual change-transformation of his soul, he turns into a diet that is fruitless for the human spirit.
Once, His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Volodymyr said a wonderful phrase that contained the essence of any post: "If you are in a piste, there is no one alone." That is, this statement can be interpreted as follows: "If you, refraining from certain actions and food, do not cultivate virtues in yourself with God's help, and the main one is love, then your fast is fruitless and useless."
Regarding the question displayed in the title of the article. In my opinion, the beginning of the day in the evening - this concerns the liturgical day, that is, the daily cycle of services: hours, Vespers, Matins, Liturgy, which, in essence, are one service, divided into parts for the convenience of believers. By the way, in the days of the first Christians, they were one service. But the food fast should correspond to the calendar day - that is, from morning to morning (the service day is from evening to evening).
First, liturgical practice confirms this. After all, we do not begin to eat meat, milk, cheese and eggs on Holy Saturday evening (if we follow the logic of allowing fasting in the evening). Or on Christmas Eve and Epiphany, we do not eat the same products in the evening, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and the Holy Epiphany (Epiphany). No. Because fasting is allowed the next day after the completion of the Divine Liturgy.
If we consider the Typicon norm about Wednesday and the heel, then, referring to the 69th Rule of the Holy Apostles, fasting on Wednesday and Friday equated to the days of Great Lent and allowed eating food in the form of dry food once a day after 15.00. But dry eating, not complete resolution from fasting.
Of course, in modern realities, the practice of one-day (Wednesday and Friday) fasting is softened for the laity. If this is not the period of one of the four annual fasts, then you can eat fish and vegetable food with oil; if Wednesday and Friday fall during the fasting period, then the fish will not be eaten on that day.
But the main thing, dear brothers and sisters, is for us to remember that mentally and heartily we must delve deeper into the memory of the day on Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday - man's betrayal of his God-Savior; Friday is the day of death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if, on the advice of the holy fathers, in the midst of the tumultuous bustle of life, we make a prayer stop on Wednesday and Friday for five, ten minutes, for an hour, whoever we can, and think: “Stop, today Christ suffered and died for me,” then by itself This remembrance, combined with prudent fasting, will have a beneficial and salvific effect on the soul of each of us.
Let us also remember the great and comforting words of the Savior concerning the struggle of the human soul and the demons who besiege it: “This kind is expelled only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). Prayer and fasting are two of our saving wings, which, with God's help, tear a person out of the mud of passions and lead him to God - through love for the Most High and for his neighbor.
Priest Andrey Chizhenko
There are many one-day posts. They are different in the strictness of observance and are not always associated with a specific calendar date. The most famous of them are on Wednesdays and Fridays every week, on the day of the Exaltation of the Lord's Cross, on the day before the Baptism of the Lord, on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist.
There are also one-day fasts associated with the commemoration of famous saints. These posts are not strict, unless they happen on Wednesday and Friday. On such one-day fasts, fish cannot be eaten, but food with vegetable oil is permitted.
Special posts can be appointed by the church in connection with some kind of misfortune or social disaster - an epidemic, war, terrorist act, etc.
One-day fasts precede the sacrament of communion.
Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays
On Wednesday, according to the Gospel, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ, and on Friday Christ endured suffering and death on the cross. In memory of these events, fasts are established in the Orthodox Church on Wednesdays and Fridays every week. The exception is continuous weeks, or weeks, during which the existing restrictions on these two days do not apply. Such weeks are Christmastide (January 7-18), Publican and Pharisee, Cheese, Easter and Trinity (the first week after Trinity).
Fasting on Fridays is the most ancient and widespread custom dating back to the 1st century AD. NS.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, meat and dairy foods, as well as eggs are not allowed. Many especially pious Christians do not allow themselves to eat even fish and vegetable oil these days, that is, they switch to dry food. The easing of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays can only be if this day falls on the feast of a particularly glorified saint, to whose memory a special church service is dedicated.
In the period from the week of All Saints until the birth of Christ, one should also refrain from fish and vegetable oil. If Wednesday or Friday is the days of the celebrated saints, you can eat vegetable oil. On major holidays, such as the Intercession, it is allowed to eat fish.
Fasting on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
This day falls on September 14 (27). The holiday was established in honor of the memory of the discovery of the Cross of the Lord. This event took place in the 4th century. According to legend, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine the Great, won many victories thanks to the Cross of the Lord and therefore was in awe of this symbol. Expressing gratitude to God for the consent of the church at the First Ecumenical Council, he decided to build a temple on Calvary. Helen, the mother of the emperor, went to Jerusalem in 326 to find the Cross of the Lord.
According to the custom that then existed, crosses, as instruments of execution, were buried near the place of execution. Soon 3 crosses were found on Calvary. It was difficult to find out which of them was the Lord's, since a tablet with the inscription: "Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews" was found separately from all the crosses. As a result, the Cross of the Lord was determined by the power that manifested itself in the healing of a sick woman and the resurrection of a person from touching this cross.
According to statistics, most monks are centenarians. Perhaps the reason for this is the diet that they follow.
The glory of the miracles of the Lord's Cross also attracted a lot of people, that because of the tightness, many could not only approach and kiss, but even see it. Then Patriarch Macarius stood on an elevated place and raised the cross, showing it to everyone in the distance. This is how the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross arose.
The holiday was timed to the day of the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which took place on September 13, 335, and began to be celebrated the next day, September 14.
In 614, the Persian king Chozroi took possession of Jerusalem and removed the shrine from there. In 328, the successor of Chosroes, Cyroes, returned the stolen Cross of the Lord to Jerusalem. This happened on September 14, so this day is a double holiday - the Exaltation and Finding of the Cross of the Lord.
Cheese, eggs and fish should not be eaten on this day. This is how Orthodox believers express their veneration of the Cross.
Protestants have no fixed calendar posts. The question of the time and duration of fasting is decided individually.
Fasting on the eve of the Baptism of the Lord
The Baptism of the Lord takes place on January 5 (18). According to the Gospel, when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove, which was witnessed by John the Baptist. He also heard the voice of God saying: "This is My beloved Son, in Him I am well pleased." Thus, John testified that Jesus is the Messiah, that is, Christ is the anointed of God.
On the eve of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a supper is held in the church, during which there is a consecration by sprinkling and a tasting of holy water. In connection with this church charter, a fast was established. During this fast, you can eat 1 time per day and only soy and kutya with honey. Thanks to this menu, the eve of Epiphany is popularly called Christmas Eve (nomad). If the evening falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the fast on that day is not canceled, but it is facilitated. On such a day, they eat 2 times - after the liturgy and after the consecration of the water.
For modern Catholics, fasting is as easy as possible. It is allowed to eat eggs and milk; it is allowed to eat 1–2 hours before communion.
Fasting on the day of the Beheading of John the Forerunner
This day is celebrated on August 29 (September 11). It was installed in memory of the death of John, who was the Forerunner of the Savior. According to the Gospel, John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas for denouncing him for cohabitation with Herodias, the wife of Philip, Herod's brother.
On his birthday, Herod made a feast at which Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced so skillfully that the king liked it.
Very often, doctors ignore the facts recorded by statistics: many peoples and tribes that eat mainly plant foods are distinguished by special endurance and longevity.
He promised to give her everything the girl wants for the dance. The mother persuaded her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist as a reward. The king fulfilled his promise by sending a soldier to the prisoner to cut off his head.
Weekly posts on Wednesdays and Fridays
Fasting on Wednesday and Friday every week: Wednesday in remembrance of the betrayal of Christ by Judas, Friday in memory of the suffering and death of the Savior on the Cross.
So, weekly fasting is observed on Wednesday and Friday (with the exception of those free from fasting Continuous Weeks and Christmastide ("holy days"), which begin with the arrival of the feast of the Nativity of Christ (January 7) and last until Epiphany (January 19).
On weekly fasting days, the consumption of animal products (meat, milk, butter, cheese, eggs) is prohibited, vegetable food, vegetable oil and fish are allowed. A particularly strict fast should be observed a week after Trinity (from the Week of All Saints) before the Nativity of Christ - on Wednesdays and Fridays, it is forbidden to eat not only meat and dairy foods, but also vegetable oil and fish.
From the book Lenten table author Bushueva LAOne-day fasts 1. Epiphany Christmas Eve - January 18, on the eve of the Epiphany of the Lord. On this day, Christians prepare for cleansing and consecration with holy water on the feast of Epiphany. 2. Beheading of John the Baptist - September 11 This is the day of remembrance and death of the great prophet John. 3.
From the book Easter cakes, Easter, pancakes and other dishes of Orthodox festive cuisine the author Kulikova Vera NikolaevnaFasting and meat-eaters The first mention of fasting can be found in the Third Book of the Kingdoms of Holy Scripture, which tells about the events that took place several millennia before the birth of Christ. The ancient Jews fasted once a week, on the days of purification. Long fasting
From the book Culinary Book of Orthodox Fasts and Holidays the author Isaeva Elena LvovnaFasting on Wednesdays and Fridays Fasting on these days of the week is established in memory of the fact that Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas (on Wednesday) and crucified (on Friday). St. Athanasius the Great said that "by allowing food on Wednesday and Friday, this man crucifies the Lord."
From the book Orthodox Fasts and Holidays the author recipes CollectionOne-day fasts One-day fasts, if they fall on any day of the week, except Friday and Wednesday, are strict days (without fish, but with vegetable oil). The first one-day fast is established on January 18 - on Epiphany Eve. On this day on the eve of Epiphany
From the book Fast Tasty! Orthodox Lenten Table the author Mikhailova Irina AnatolievnaMulti-day fasts There are only four multi-day fasts: Great, Christmas, Assumption and Petrov (Filippov, or Apostolic) fast. The most important and strictest food restriction has always been Great Lent. It continues for forty days in commemoration of the fast.
From the book Orthodox Fast. Lenten recipes the author Prokopenko IolantaOne-day fasts Weekly fasts on Wednesday and Friday, except for: Easter week (Bright week after Easter) a week after Trinity Christmastide (from Christmas to Epiphany Christmas Eve) a week about the publican and the Pharisee before Great Lent (so that we do not become like a Pharisee,
From the book Cookbook of Orthodox Posts the author Kashin Sergey PavlovichOne-day fasts - fasting on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27) was established in honor of the memory of Christ's suffering on this day; - fasting on the day of the Beheading of the head of the Baptist of the Lord John the Baptist (September 11) was established in order to honor the memory
From the book Culinary Book-Calendar of Orthodox Fasts. Calendar, history, recipes, menus the author Zhalpanova Linisa ZhuvanovnaMulti-day fasts - Nativity Fast, or Filippovsky (from November 28 to January 7 - 40 days); - Great Lent (from Forgiveness Sunday to Easter - 49 days); - Peter's (or Apostolic) fast (from All Saints' Week (one week after Trinity) until the day of the apostles Peter and Paul (12
From the author's bookFasting Christmas (Philippian) Fast This fast begins on November 28 and serves to prepare believers for the meeting of Christmas. This fast lasts until January 7. Fasting begins the day after the commemoration of the holy Apostle Philip (November 27), which is why it is called
Orthodox church calendar of fasts and meals for 2019 with an indication and a brief description of multi-day and one-day fasts and continuous weeks.
Church Orthodox calendar of fasting and meals for 2019
Fasting is not in the belly, but in the spirit
Folk proverb
Nothing in life comes without difficulty. And to celebrate the holiday, you need to prepare for it.
In the Russian Orthodox Church, there are four multi-day fasts, fast on Wednesday and Friday throughout the year (with the exception of a few weeks), and three one-day fasts.
During the first four days of the first week of Great Lent (Monday through Thursday), the Great (Penitential) Canon is read during the evening service, a work of the brilliant Byzantine hymnographer of St. Andrew of Crete (8th century).
ATTENTION! Below you will find information on dry eating, eating without oil, and fasting days. All this is a long-standing monastic tradition, which even in monasteries cannot always be observed in our time. Such strict fasting is not for the laity, but the usual practice is abstaining from eggs, dairy and meat foods during fasting and during strict fasting - also abstaining from fish. For all possible questions and about your individual measure of fasting, you need to consult with your spiritual father.
Dates are in the new style.
Fasting and meal calendar for 2019
| Periods | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|
from March 11 to April 27 |
xerophagy | hot without oil | xerophagy | hot without oil | xerophagy | hot with butter | hot with butter | |
| Spring carnivore | a fish | a fish | ||||||
|
from June 24 to July 11 |
hot without oil | a fish | xerophagy | a fish | xerophagy | a fish | a fish | |
| Summer carnivore | xerophagy | xerophagy | ||||||
|
from 14 to 27 August |
xerophagy | hot without oil | xerophagy | hot without oil | xerophagy | hot with butter | hot with butter | |
| Autumn carnivore | xerophagy | xerophagy | ||||||
| from November 28, 2019 to January 6, 2020 | until December 19 | hot without oil | a fish | xerophagy | a fish | xerophagy | a fish | a fish |
| December 20 - January 1 | hot without oil | hot with butter | xerophagy | hot with butter | xerophagy | a fish | a fish | |
| January 2-6 | xerophagy | hot without oil | xerophagy | hot without oil | xerophagy | hot with butter | hot with butter | |
| Winter carnivore | a fish | a fish | ||||||
in 2019
The Savior himself was led by the spirit into the wilderness, he was tempted by the devil for forty days and did not eat anything during those days. The Savior by fasting began the work of our salvation. Great Lent is a fast in honor of the Savior Himself, and the last, Passion Week of this forty-eight-day fast is established in honor of the remembrance of the last days of earthly life, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
Fasting is observed with particular rigor during the first week and during Holy Week.
Complete abstinence from food is accepted on Clean Monday. The rest of the time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - dry food (water, bread, fruits, vegetables, compotes); Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil; Saturday, Sunday - food with vegetable oil.
Fish is allowed on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and on Palm Sunday. On Lazarev Saturday, fish caviar is allowed. On Good Friday, food must not be eaten before the Shroud is taken out.
in 2019
From Monday of the week of all Saints, the fast of the Holy Apostles begins, established before the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. This post is called a summer post. The continuation of the fast is different, depending on how sooner or later Easter happens.
It constantly starts on All Saints Monday and ends on July 12th. The longest Petrov fast includes six weeks, and the shortest one a week with a day. This fast was established in honor of the Holy Apostles, who by fasting and prayer were preparing for the worldwide preaching of the Gospel and preparing their successors in the work of saving ministry.
Strict fasting (dry eating) on Wednesday and Friday. On Monday you can eat hot food without oil. On other days - fish, mushrooms, cereals with vegetable oil.
in 2019
From 14 to 27 August 2019.
A month after the Apostolic Lent, the many-day Dormition Fast begins. It lasts for two weeks - from 14 to 27 August. By this fast, the Church calls us to imitate the Mother of God, who, before Her transfer to heaven, was incessantly in fasting and prayer.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday - dry food. Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil. On Saturday and Sunday, food with vegetable oil is allowed.
On the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord (19 August) fish is allowed. Fish day in Assumption, if it falls on Wednesday or Friday.
in 2019
Rozhdestvensky (Filippov) post. At the end of autumn, 40 days before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Church calls us to the winter fast. It is called Filippov, because it begins after the day dedicated to the memory of the Apostle Philip, and Rozhdestvensky, because it happens before the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
This fast was established in order for us to bring a grateful sacrifice to the Lord for the earthly fruits collected and to prepare for the grace-filled union with the born Savior.
The food charter coincides with the charter of St. Peter's Lent, until the day of St. Nicholas (December 19).
If the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos falls on Wednesday or Friday, then fish is allowed. After the feast day of St. Nicholas and before the prefeast of Christmas, fish is allowed on Saturday and Sunday. On the eve of the feast, you cannot eat fish all the days, on Saturday and Sunday - food with butter.
On Christmas Eve, you cannot eat food until the first star appears, after which it is customary to taste soothing - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins.
Continuous weeks in 2019
Week- week from Monday to Sunday. These days there is no fasting on Wednesday and Friday.
There are five continuous weeks:
Christmastide- from 7 to 17 January,
Publican and Pharisee- 2 weeks before
Cheese (Shrovetide)- the week before (no meat)
Easter (Light)- week after Easter
- the week after Trinity.
Fasting on Wednesday and Friday
The weekly fast days are Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, fasting is established in remembrance of Judas' betrayal of Christ, on Friday - in memory of the sufferings of the Cross and the death of the Savior. On these days of the week, the Holy Church prohibits the consumption of meat and dairy foods, and during the week of All Saints before the Nativity of Christ, abstinence from fish and vegetable oil should also be followed. Only when Wednesday and Friday are the days of the celebrated saints is vegetable oil allowed, and on the biggest holidays, such as the Intercession, fish.
Some indulgence is allowed for those who are sick and busy with hard work, so that Christians have the strength for prayer and the necessary labor, but the use of fish on the wrong days, and even more so the complete permission of fasting, is rejected by the charter.
One-day fasts
Epiphany eve- January 18, on the eve of the Epiphany of the Lord. On this day, Christians prepare for cleansing and consecration with holy water on the feast of Epiphany.
Beheading of John the Baptist- 11 September. This is the day of remembrance and death of the great prophet John.
Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord- September 27. Memory of the Savior's suffering on the cross for the salvation of the human race. This day is spent in prayer, fasting, contrition for sins.
One-day fasts- days of strict fasting (except Wednesday and Friday). Fish is prohibited, but food with vegetable oil is allowed.
Orthodox holidays. About the meal on holidays
According to the Church Charter, there is no fast on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany, which happened on Wednesday and Friday. On Christmas and Epiphany Eve and on the feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Beheading of John the Baptist, food with vegetable oil is allowed. On the feasts of the Meeting, the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Dormition, the Nativity and the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her Entry into the Temple, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, John the Theologian, which happened on Wednesday and Friday, as well as from Easter to Trinity on Wednesday and Friday fish allowed.
When there is no marriage
On the eve of Wednesdays and Fridays of the whole year (Tuesday and Thursday), Sundays (Saturday), Twelve, Temple and Great Feasts; in continuation of the posts: Velikiy, Petrov, Uspensky, Rozhdestvensky; during Christmas time, on Meat Week, during Cheese Week (Maslenitsa) and on Cheese Week; during the Easter (Bright) week and during the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27.
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