Greetings,

I can't seem to find the guidelines for the Nativity Fast and would be much obliged if someone could help me out. It snuck up on me (this is my first Christmas season as a Byzantine Catholic, and I was deer hunting over the weekend ).

So any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Nathan

Nathan,

There are indeed "guidelines," but fasting is not something that ought to be done on your own, especially if this is your first year as a Byzantine Catholic. My advice, as unsatisfying as it may be, is: ask your priest!

God bless,
Jason

A primer can be found at "Philip\'s Fast / Advent" .

Philip’s Fast is voluntary. Each should fast according to what is appropriate to himself and his family after consultation with a spiritual director.

Philip’s Fast was never as rigorous as the Great Forty Day’s Fast before Holy Week and Pascha. According to the tradition, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were days of strict fasting without meat, dairy products or oil (in Slavic countries). On Sundays fish was permitted (but lay people were often permitted fish on all days).

I personally do not keep the ‘traditional fast’. I recommend the following:

-Abstinence from meat products on all Wednesdays and Fridays from November 15 until Christmas (Friday’s as a minimum).
-Strict Fast (no meat or dairy) on Christmas Eve and Theophany Eve.
-At least one act of charity (beyond whatever it is you already do). This might mean helping your parish deliver Christmas Baskets to those in need, inviting an (elderly) widow or widower to dinner (or doing them some service), visiting a nursing home.
-Extra time in prayer (public (most parishes celebrate either the Advent Moleben or Advent Vespers) or private (pray the psalms through once during this season).

I agree with the Admin, what he describes is similar to my own fasting - except that since I'm not a big meat eater (red meat never really agreed with my digestive system and I run a lot so I have to be careful 'bout that - well - nuff said), so I avoid a couple other festive foods on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as avoiding meat (like I'll pass on having a glass of wine or a chunk of chocolate). I am glad the Admin brough up charitable acts - fasting helps YOU and YOUR spiritual well-being directly, but why not use the time to do for others as well? My husband and I try to visit and contribute to a religious community (e.g. a monastery) during the period and we also buy clothes for families in a local shelter. My SFO group makes that easy, though, as we receive a shopping list of clothing items with sizes from them. Matter of fact, helping out at a shelter and serving dinner is a wonderful thing to do at a time of year when most of us are probably far too focused on glitter and gluttony - embracing the needy is a wonderful way to prepare to commemorate our Savior's birth.

First the most important thing you should do is to have a spiritual director!

Now if I may I respectfully disagree with the Admin.

To me there is nothing better than the Nativity fast. In fact, I find it much more spiritually fulfilling than the Great Fast. For the sake of argument I need to make one point. That is, in the west Christmas feast day seems to dominate the mindset of Christians. To the eastern Christian Pascha seems to dominate the mindset. We (if you are in Europe or the Americas) Christians of the west regardless of our religious affiliation are culturally dominate by this western mindset. As an example, many employers allow for a week or longer for the “holiday” season. I am told if we lived in the “old country” the same would be said for Pascha but we are not. Whether it is on bullboards, TV, radio, etc... we know it is the Christmas season.

With that said it is hard not to get energized by the feast day. This heighten cultural seasonal awarness makes the Nativity fast all the more important for us. I find strictly following the fast (veggie only) for the entire time period cultivates itself in a heighten spiritual experience. This experience reaches its pinnacle on the Christmas Eve feast. It is made even more enjoyable knowing that I can share my experience with family and friends whom I might not normally see during the course of the year.

My advice if your spiritual director agrees follow the fast with great enthusiasm, and I know you will reap a bountiful spiritual reward!

Well if it means anything, Admin.`s description of the Fast is the one my family always followed.

Your Sister In Christ

The fasting rules are as follows:

Dear Administrator,

The psalms should be prayed through once each week!

Are you introducing Latinizations?

Alex

I think it is wonderful that Ray keeps the traditional Philip’s Fast and I salute him for it.

Not everyone, however, is in a position to keep the full, traditional fast. How and when one fasts must take into account one’s daily life (the needs of one’s family). Households that include children and/or those with medical needs (food allergies, or diabetics, for example) will have to adjust their regimen after consultation with their spiritual father or mother and medical doctor.

One of the most important things about fasting is that no one should know that you are fasting. If those you live with have to make a large, involuntary sacrifice so that you may keep the fast perfectly, then you have already lost.

No spiritual father or mother would recommend the full fast to someone who has not kept it before. I think that the recommendations I have made to Nathan are very reasonable, especially since this is his first go around.

And, of course, fasting is useless without prayer and works of charity.

Alex,

I’m just making a general recommendation to someone who is just starting out. Not everyone has time to keep a full prayer life (I can’t imagine a woman with 3 children under 5 finding an hour a day for prayer!). The logic I offered is clear. If you’re doing something then do a bit more during the fast. If you’re just starting out, then praying the entire Psalter once through during Philip’s Fast is an excellent start.

Admin

My daughter, during her first year of investigating the Byzantine Catholic faith for herself, undertook, without a spiritual advisor, a full, strict fast during the Nativity fast last year. Following the custom of many Americans, she made an exception for Thanksgiving Day and was royally sick that night. She had no idea that her body would react that way and no one to tell her. In addition, her strict adherence to the fast caused alot of low blood sugar and racing heart symptoms which caused us to take her to the cardiologist to have her monitored because of a slight heart valve issue she has had since birth. Everything turned out well, she is very healthy, but it was quite a scare. If she had had a spiritual advisor who knew anything about her she might not have had such a hard beginning. She has since modified her fasting practices and manages to stay healthy and feel well during fasting. I am just offering this experience so that anyone attempting it for the first time realizes that it's not a "do it yourself" project, particularly if you are young, active and possibly still growing.
Just my 2(non-Byzantine)cents
I pray that you will be blessed for your obedience and will grow in God's grace
Michele

For the Melkites, the Traditional Navity Fast is from Nov. 15-Dec. 24 versus the Modern Fast is Dec 10-24.

Ancient Traditional Practice versus Modern here:

http://www.mliles.com/melkite/nativitypreparationfast.shtml

Fasting guidelines here:

http://www.mliles.com/melkite/fastingguidelines.shtml

Dear Friends,

There is also a beautiful Akathist to the Nativity of OLGS Jesus Christ on Fr. Whiteford's Orthodox Liturgical Resources pages - don't worry, it is translated into the liturgical language of the Byzantine Catholic Church!

A great way to prepare and then continue celebrating our Lord's Nativity!

And certainly all the Akathists to the Most Holy Mother of God are especially appropriate for the entire Nativity season - including the Rule of the Theotokos.

Alex

Does shrimp count as a Perhaps a better question is it wise to eat shrimp during the fast even if it is allowed? This might be a good spiritual director question.

Dear Ray,

Shell-fish don't have a backbone, so, in accordance with strict Orthodox fasting rules, this is the only kind of "fish" allowed when fish is allowed during fasts, especially the Great Fast.

The Oriental Orthodox of India were horrified when the RC missionaries among them ate fish with backbones on Fridays and considered them to be sinners . . .

Alex