FASTING

Fasting, united with prayer and charity, is a spiritual medicine given by Christ to His Church. It is not merely a discipline of the body, but a path of healing for the soul, a way of humility, repentance, and love. Our Lord Himself fasted in the wilderness for forty days (Matthew 4:2), teaching us that fasting is a weapon against temptation and a means of drawing near to God. The Prophets fasted, the Apostles fasted, and all the Saints have shown us by their lives that fasting is an inseparable part of the Christian life.

St. Basil the Great teaches: “Fasting is the beginning of repentance, the fair ornament of the soul, the friend of chastity, the companion of sobriety.” And St. John Chrysostom reminds us that fasting without love and mercy is in vain: “Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works: if you see a poor man, take pity on him; if you see a friend enjoying honor, do not envy him. Let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, the ear, the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our bodies.”

The Church gives us appointed times of fasting not as burdens, but as holy opportunities—times when we open ourselves to God’s grace and to the needs of others. By abstaining from certain foods, we learn freedom from passions, compassion for the hungry, and communion with Christ who hungered for our sake.

WHEN WE MUST FAST

• Every Wednesday and Friday, in remembrance of Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion, unless a great Feast overrides the fast.

• Great Lent: from Clean Monday until Holy Saturday. During Clean Week and Holy Week, oil is not permitted. On the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and on Palm Sunday, fish is allowed.

• Nativity Fast (15 November–24 December): Fish is permitted except on Wednesdays and Fridays, but from 17–24 December it is stricter.

• Dormition Fast (1–14 August): Strict fast, except on 6 August (Transfiguration), when fish is allowed.

• Apostles’ Fast: From the Monday after All Saints’ Sunday until 28 June. Fish is permitted except on Wednesdays and Fridays.

• Strict Fast Days: The Eve of Theophany (5 January), the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (29 August), and the Exaltation of the Cross (14 September). On these, oil is not permitted unless they fall on Saturday or Sunday.

WHEN WE DO NOT FAST

• The Twelve Days of Christmas (25 December–4 January).

• Bright Week (Easter to Thomas Sunday).

• Pentecost Week (Pentecost to All Saints’ Sunday).

• The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee (fast-free).

• Cheesefare Week (meat abstained, but dairy permitted).

• On certain Feasts of the Theotokos and St. John the Baptist, if they fall on a Wednesday or Friday, fish is permitted (except 29 August, which remains strict).

• No strict fast is observed on Saturdays and Sundays, except Holy Saturday.

THE SPIRIT OF FASTING

Fasting is not legalism but love. It is not simply abstaining from foods, but abstaining from sin. The hymns of the Church remind us: “Let us fast an acceptable fast, not only from food, but from every evil, so that we may keep the Feast in purity.” True fasting restores the image of God in us, teaching us to forgive, to reconcile, and to live in hope of the Resurrection.

A PASTORAL NOTE

Fasting is a holy gift, but it is not to be practiced in pride or without discernment. The Church calls each Christian to keep the fasts according to their strength, health, and circumstances, always in consultation with their spiritual father. In places of mission and in new Orthodox communities, the exact observance may vary as the faithful grow in understanding and in the life of the Church. What is essential is the spirit of fasting—humility, self-control, prayer, and love of neighbour—which brings us into deeper communion with Christ.