OBSERVING THE HOLY APOSTLES’ FAST

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

OBSERVING THE HOLY APOSTLES’ FAST

Jesus said:

"However, this kind does not
go out except by PRAYER and
FASTING" [Matthew 17:21]

Orthodox Christians understand fully well that having a spiritual life requires both Prayer and Fasting. It is true that all sin in thought, word and act daily and therefore spiritual warfare is real and unrelenting. Keeping ourselves wholesome and pure is fundamental to a Christian or a spiritual life. As the eye is the "lamp of the body," so the mind (Gk. nous) is the spiritual eye of the soul: it illuminates the whole inner man. The heart of true discipleship lies in disentangling ourselves from the chains of earthly things, attaching ourselves to God, the True "treasure." We have need for certain material things, but we use them according to God’s will and purposes. We must never allow ourselves to become enslaved by material and perishable things that add nothing to our relationship with our Lord and/or to our salvation.

Our Holy Orthodox Church has designated certain seasons throughout the ecclesiastical year to strengthen our commitment, adoration, and devotion to our God and Savior Jesus Christ. One of these sacred seasons is the Apostles’ Fast. The Fast (also known as the Saints Peter and Paul Fast) is a sacred period of prayer and fasting that begins on the Monday after All Saints ( Gk. Hagion Panton) [the Second Monday after Pentecost) and concludes on June 29th, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. It is one of the Four Major Fasting periods in the Orthodox Church.

The fast is a time of gratitude and remembrance, honoring the Holy Apostles’ sacrifices and their missionary work. It is also a period of preparation for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, where Orthodox Christians reflect on their divine teachings and great examples. While not as austere as Holy and Great Lent, the Holy Apostles’ FAst involves abstaining from certain foods, including red meat, poultry, meat products, eggs, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. Fish, oil, and wine are often allowed on most days except Wednesdays and Fridays. The fasting rules are similar to those observed during the Holy Nativity FAst (preceding Christmas). The fast is seen as an emulation of the Apostles’ own practices of prayer, fasting,and missionary work. It is a time for every Orthodox Christian to reflect on the innumerable sacrifices and contributions of the Holy Apostles, seeking to embody their unwavering faith and commitment to Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our Holy Orthodox Church does not demand that the faithful starve themselves when they fast but simply abstain from certain foods and generally eat less and seek spiritual nourishment instead. Jesus fasted to overcome temptation, giving us an example of our own power and our limitations. The hunger of His flesh does not control Him; rather, He controls His flesh. When Jesus was tempted by the devil "He answered and said, "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD" [Matthew 4:4).

By rejecting the first temptation, Jesus rejects a kingdom based on materialism, earthly well-being, the "bread which perishes." He teaches us not to love ease and comfort, to accept willingly the struggle necessary to purify us from evil. While Adam and Eve disregarded the Divine word given them, subordinating their souls to the passions of the body, the New Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ, conquers all temptations, that He might give our nature POWER TO CONQUER THE Adversary.

Historically after the Divine Ascension, the Holy Apostles had been told by the Lord Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations. But He also had told them to first wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, and so they spent time in prayer until the promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. After this, the Holy Tradition of the Church tells us that the Holy Apostles, as part of their preparation to spread the Holy Gospel message began a fast with prayer to ask God to strengthen their resolve and to be with them in their missionary challenge.

Therefore, we, as Orthodox Christians offer prayers of thanksgiving to Our Almighty God for giving us the Holy Apostles who became our teachers and examples of our Christian Faith. We are all inspired indeed by their endurance, martyrdom, and sacrifice. It is also a true reminder that we are the spiritual descendants of the Holy Apostles, and are called to continue their divine mission.

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +΅

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George