www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Fasting on Wednesday and Friday

Dear Friends,

Which is the Canon that prescribes the strict fast on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the year, outside the periods where meat is permitted of course? And also the Great Fast?

Is it in the Apostolic Canons?

Alex

Alex,

I don't know if it's in the Canons or not, but if your priest, bishop, metropolitan, cardinal, or whatever, decides to require it, you are obliged to be obedient to him and do it!

Tammy

I don't have the Canons here at work with me, but I do know that it is in the Didache, which I believe historically pre-dates the Apostolic Constitutions (I think the Apostolic Constituion's date of origin is in dispute, although it undoubtedly has Apostolic roots, even if it is a later document). Of course, the Didache only says to "fast" on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Priest Thomas

Dear Tammy,

My hierarchy of those I'm obedient to goes like this:

Pope
Patriarch
Bishop
Wife
Administrator of the Forum

After that, it's whoever I feel like listening to . . .

Alex

Bless, Father Thomas,

Thank you!

May God allow us to see one another in the near future!

Alex

Dear Friends,

Spurred on by Father Thomas, I have found the text for the rule of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays (and the Great Fast).

It is the 69th Canon of the Apostles:

http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/cannons_apostles_rudder.htm

God bless,

Alex

ROFL, that is great!

Forgive someone that is new to this type of thing, but what exactly are the "Cannons of the Apostles?" What are thier apostolic credintials? This sounds like a very important thing to know about!

In His Name,
Stephen

Actually, I suspect it goes more like this:

1. "whoever I feel like listening to . . . "
2. All the others.

Dear Charles,

I don't think you'll get an argument from my dear bishop on that score!

Or from the Administrator either . . .

Alex

Dear God-loving Steve,

That link I include above discusses the Canons of the Apostles - the 85 rules set down by the Apostles themselves in Jerusalem during the first early Apostolic Council.

It doesn't figure as an Ecumenical Council - perhaps because no one from Rome or Constantinople were present . . .

Alex

I asked the priest and he said Wed. and Fridays. The first day of lent no meat or dairy, same on Good Friday. So, I'm doing Wed, Friday, and someone clear it, Sundays are no meat as well? Anyway, It can't hurt going above the minimum required anyway.

The canon is clearly not from the time of the apostles, since they fasted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as was the Jewish practice.

Later, as way to set the Church off from and protect her from the Judaizers, Wednesdays and Fridays were selected.

Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year (minus the exceptions), in a strict regime, would be kept with only fluids (non alcoholic) until the midday meal around 3:00 PM. Many people are locked into a "lunch hour" by their employers, and so eat at noon, etc.

The midday and later meals of the day would have no meat or dairy.

Adding the Great Lenten ascetical discipline [no meat, dairy, fish (vertebrate), wine, or olive oil], on top of the normal Wednesday and Friday discipline extends this combined fasting regime to Monday through Friday (fluids in the AM followed by a lenten meal with no meat, dairy, vertebrate fish, wine, or olive oil).

Some will prepare a main meal with shellfish accompanied by a beer, thus keeping to the letter of the law, but lightening the fast a bit.

On all Saturdays and Sundays always during the Great Fast, wine and oil are allowed. There is no ascetical fasting on any Sunday, only preeucharistic fasting. Holy Saturday is the only Saturday upon which one may fast ascetically.

The glorious Annunciation allows for fish (vertebrate), wine and oil, even were it to fall upon Holy Friday! As one of my professors said, (paraphrased) "It bursts in upon the Lenten season as a brilliant, unstoppable ray of hope for all mankind in all generations." Surely, to call the very incarnation of God anything less would be remiss.

With love in Christ,
Andrew

Perhaps someone with an "in" at this site could get their webmaster to plug the Apostolic "cannons" and proclaim instead their "canons"

Neil, who is eternally vexed by this misspelling, particularly on the sites of those who should know better - which is also where it inevitably appears

Dear Reader Andrew,

Well, contemporary Orthodox commentary would disagree with you on that!

And it is said that our Lord Himself instructed His Apostles to fast on Wednesday and Friday.

If that is true, and I don't doubt it, then . . .

Alex

Dear Andrew,

At the Monastery I visit, which is one of the Athonite ones set up here by Father Ephraim, they serve lunch at 1:00 p.m. on every Wednesday and Friday and also every day during Great Lent.

In Christ,
Alice

Those who are already used to fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays during the year...and yet may not be quite ready to fast strictly daily...or cannot because of health---might consider fasting on Mondays also? It is a traditionally monastic custom to refrain from eating meat on mondays by Eastern monastics in honor of the Holy "fleshless" ones, the angels. Also we are reminded by the Holy Fathers and Mothers that "even the Pharisees fasted twice a week"---so we should try and out do them in our fervor!

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Dear Alice,

And they do that because they know their Apostolic Canons!

As for the spelling of "cannon," I think it could have something to do with what those monks might do with those who hold opinions that say the Apostles fasted on Tuesdays and Thursdays . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,

I know of a priestmonk/Igumen who dislikes those who like to (in his words)"SHOOT canons"!

Alice, who is amused by this play of words

So you're saying these canons can be interpreted somewhat broadly ...

... so in other words ...

... they're (ahem) "loose canons"?

Dear Alice and Dolly,

To bring it full circle, so to speak, the UGCC had priests who were called "Canons" (as the RC Church has).

These priests could invariably be recognized by their paunch.

So to have a paunch meant that one had a vocation to be a Canon . . .

Alex

The Didache also makes mention of certain days of fasting, indicating an early origin to our traditional practice:

"But do not let your fasts fall on the same days as the hypocrites, who fast on Monday and Thursday. Rather, you should fast on Wednesday and Friday." (Didache 8:1)

Pace e' bene -

Gordo

I remember Canon as a rather large detective on TV...any connection?

Smirking -

Gordo :p

Bless, Father Gregory!

Is the Monday fast for monastics year-round?

Alex

Dear Brethren:

CaelumJR's citation from the Didache just goes to demonstrate what has been understood for some time: that the cited "hypocrites" were the Judaizers who fasted upon Tuesdays and Thursdays (perhaps I was wrong and it was Mondays and Thursdays).

As a hypocrite says one thing but does another, so the Judaizers said that they were Jews waiting for the Messiah, but subsequently rejected the Christ Messaih.

Because so many of the traditions of the Apostolic Church and those of the Jews were virtually identical: naming and circucision of a baby on the eigth day, the purification and reception of the mother and the presentation of the child on the 40th day, the offering of the first-born male at the altar (also on the 40th day), the Passover meal and its date (to wit: see The Quartodecima Controversy), the Penetcost feast, the Transfiguration (blessing of the harvest's first fruits), and others; it was easy for the Judaizers to blend in covertly amongst the Christians (the majority of whom were also ethnic Jews).

It behooved the Church to change certain traditions and issue certain prohibitions so as to protect the flock from the Judaizing Party.

The movement of the fasting days was an early and simple move. The use of leavened bread was another. The canonical prohibition upon having a Jewish doctor was another. The canon against setting aside Saturday as a day of rest was yet another.

These were all moves that refused to reject the Church's OT Jewish heritage, but which made it more difficult for the Judaizers to operate.

Paul's confrontation with Peter in the Book of Acts and the Book of Galatians are excellent studies of the battle that the Church had with the Judaizing party.

In Christ,
Andrew

Dear Alice:

The rubrics prescribe the Presanctified for 3:00 PM, or for 12:00 Noon. Interestingly, the rubrics mention 3:00 PM first, clearly indicating it to be the earlier tradition and "the model" time.

Some communities have a 12 Noon Presanctified on a Wednesday followed by a 1:00 PM meal (nothing wrong with that!) They may have a 3:00 PM on Fridays in order to "drag out" the period of fasting on the strictest of the week days, the day of the crucifixion.

Also, if fasting for the Presanctified, the fast is complete: no food or water; not merely no food, so it is more difficult to keep until 3:00 PM.

Some monasteries have a Presanctified Liturgy each of the five week-days, not only during Holy Week.

May you and your loved ones have a most blessed Lent.

In Christ,
Andrew

Dear Alex, +May the LORD bless you! Yes, Monday is kept as a fastday for monastic year round (except on the fast-free weeks of course). Here because we work long hours with HIV/AIDS clients during the week, we abstain from meat only...and limit the amount of food.

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!

Dear Andrew,

Thank you for your good wishes!

Wishing you and yours a most blessed Lent too!

In Christ,
Alice