Great lent 2025

GoodShepherd

GoodShepherd

Orthodox
Heritage
Great lent started a few days ago for us on the new calendar. I would like to start off this thread with a short message about doing the Jesus prayer, for Catechumans who are new to this ask your priest or church friends to organize you a prayer rope, ask your priest how to do the Jesus prayer with your prayer rope.

 
God bless everyone, may Christ be with you during this most holy and solemn Lent. May you all have strength during your fasts. Repeat the Jesus prayer constantly. Stock up on peanut butter and bread everyone!
 
Samseau said:
God bless everyone, may Christ be with you during this most holy and solemn Lent. May you all have strength during your fasts. Repeat the Jesus prayer constantly. Stock up on peanut butter and bread everyone!
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Let the spiritual struggle begin! Amen
 
Blessed struggles all. I think I will keep my posting to this thread during the fast, as it is likely unprofitable to discuss other matters at this time.

Some recommended Lenten reading for those who are unsure what to read during the fast:

Discourses & Sayings - Saint Dorotheos of Gaza
Way of the Ascetics - Tito Colliander

Any other suggestions welcome.
 
This will be my first go. I have done the Nativity Fast, but need the Lenten badly. I need to grow closer to Him. It's very predictable that every time my faith strengthens, the evil abounds. For the first time in my life, I can actually see and feel it. I recognize it.

I'm in the middle of my Catechumen lessons and God willing, will be baptized shortly after Great Lent and my class completion.

I've read conflicting information on shellfish. Is it permitted ANY days? Also, I'm taking pea protein as I believe since it's vegan, I'm good?

Forgive me for the silly questions, but I'm dedicated to following the guidelines for 40 days.
 
Brebelle3 said:
I've read conflicting information on shellfish. Is it permitted ANY days? Also, I'm taking pea protein as I believe since it's vegan, I'm good?
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Shellfish is okay. Anything without a vertebrae is considered fair game. Shrimp and lobsters are basically insects of the ocean. You can eat bugs. John the Baptist ate locusts (grasshoppers in original translation).

Pea protein is okay too. Avoid whey or casein proteins.
 
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I am still trying decode olive oil and wine… chips salsa and guac for dinner tonight. A lot of people in my parish take the olive oil and wine literally. Historically I know beer was drank during lent. Keep my pints?
 
KulturedKaveman said:
I am still trying decode olive oil and wine… chips salsa and guac for dinner tonight. A lot of people in my parish take the olive oil and wine literally. Historically I know beer was drank during lent. Keep my pints?
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Why are you drinking beer?

Historically clean water was less accessible so people would drink weak beer a lot more frequently.

If you are drinking to get a buzz you're not fasting.
 
Lawrence87 said:
Why are you drinking beer? Historically clean water was less accessible so people would drink weak beer a lot more frequently. If you are drinking to get a buzz you're not fasting.
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I can buy it. This, it’s what has been tripping me up. During our Lenten meals after the pre sanctified is there’s “fake butter” on the table and stuff’s cooked in “approved oils.” There’s also meat substitutes. This is the same logic as beer vs wine. A literal reading. I just poach my food during lent when it comes to home cooking.
 
KulturedKaveman said:
I am still trying decode olive oil and wine… chips salsa and guac for dinner tonight. A lot of people in my parish take the olive oil and wine literally. Historically I know beer was drank during lent. Keep my pints?
Click to expand...

In the old days wine was alcohol, and wine was used to purify water of bacteria.

Unless you drank from a moving water source, one needed to use wine to cleanse stored water to be safe to drink.

Wine, in the Antiochian Church, is abstained during the weekdays but not Saturday and Sunday. I take this to mean no alcohol except on the weekends.

As for drinking to "get a buzz," yes that should be avoided, but a single beer (or two) isn't breaking fast, unless that's enough to get you drunk.

As for olive oil, I assume that is to be taken literally, and not merely to abstain from all oils. After all, one could not eat peanuts because that has oil? Most foods have some kind of oil in it, and my bishop has always taught it was just olive oil. Other oils are okay.
 
Generally the specifics are in the fabled "ask your priest category"

I'd say fake anything is kinda against the spirit of the fast. The idea is generally to eat less (one time a day if you can) and to eat simple. Not going for mega tasty food, but choosing stuff like rice and potatoes. But obviously some people have to make allowances due to health concerns or having a heavy manual job.

The same goes for the whole beer isn't wine therefore I can have 6 beers logic. There's not really any reason why you should be having beer.

One small, plain meal a day is the standard the Holy Fathers set. Most of us can't do that but we should strive towards it
 
Samseau said:
In the old days wine was alcohol, and wine was used to purify water of bacteria.

Unless you drank from a moving water source, one needed to use wine to cleanse stored water to be safe to drink.

Wine, in the Antiochian Church, is abstained during the weekdays but not Saturday and Sunday. I take this to mean no alcohol except on the weekends.

As for drinking to "get a buzz," yes that should be avoided, but a single beer (or two) isn't breaking fast, unless that's enough to get you drunk.

As for olive oil, I assume that is to be taken literally, and not merely to abstain from all oils. After all, one could not eat peanuts because that has oil? Most foods have some kind of oil in it, and my bishop has always taught it was just olive oil. Other oils are okay.
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Yeah, after the Canon of st Andrew of Crete went out to grab chips and guac (lent friendly) and had some beer with it.
 
Lawrence87 said:
Generally the specifics are in the fabled "ask your priest category"

I'd say fake anything is kinda against the spirit of the fast. The idea is generally to eat less (one time a day if you can) and to eat simple. Not going for mega tasty food, but choosing stuff like rice and potatoes. But obviously some people have to make allowances due to health concerns or having a heavy manual job.

The same goes for the whole beer isn't wine therefore I can have 6 beers logic. There's not really any reason why you should be having beer.

One small, plain meal a day is the standard the Holy Fathers set. Most of us can't do that but we should strive towards it
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I am repeating what I have learned from my Bishop. The info is Orthodox. Btw he won't even touch beer, at any point of the year. Only alcohol he drinks comes from the communion wine.
 
Samseau said:
I am repeating what I have learned from my Bishop. The info is Orthodox. Btw he won't even touch beer, at any point of the year. Only alcohol he drinks comes from the communion wine.
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As I said I was giving my viewpoint and as always one should consult one's priest in these things.

I personally can't really see a reason why anyone would need to have a beer or two during the fasting. If you are planning to get a buzz from it then I'd say its definitely against the Lenten spirit. If you aren't planning to get drunk then why not just have water or a soda?

Of course if you have a blessing to drink beer then drink beer. But I am still a little baffled why someone would even seek a blessing for it. But that's me
 
OrthoSerb said:
There's no difference between the calendars with respect to Lent brother (given we all celebrate Easter on the same date). Tomorrow is Foregiveness / Cheesfare Sunday for us all and then Lent begins on Monday. In any case, I wish you and everyone else a profitable Lenten fast!
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Yes, sorry I made a mistake with the start of lent announcement I was too early forgive me🙏🏻I find out at church this past Sunday
 
KulturedKaveman said:
I am still trying decode olive oil and wine… chips salsa and guac for dinner tonight. A lot of people in my parish take the olive oil and wine literally. Historically I know beer was drank during lent. Keep my pints?
Click to expand...
We not supposed to have oil though, a little beer on the weekend should be ok as we are permitted wine and oil on some days, if people had some beer in the old days it was probably homemade beer and keep in mind there was no safe tap water to drink, we have to many luxuries now
 
Samseau said:
In the old days wine was alcohol, and wine was used to purify water of bacteria.

Unless you drank from a moving water source, one needed to use wine to cleanse stored water to be safe to drink.

Wine, in the Antiochian Church, is abstained during the weekdays but not Saturday and Sunday. I take this to mean no alcohol except on the weekends.

As for drinking to "get a buzz," yes that should be avoided, but a single beer (or two) isn't breaking fast, unless that's enough to get you drunk.

As for olive oil, I assume that is to be taken literally, and not merely to abstain from all oils. After all, one could not eat peanuts because that has oil? Most foods have some kind of oil in it, and my bishop has always taught it was just olive oil. Other oils are okay.
Click to expand...
Some peanut butters dont contain oil just check the ingredients, I usually dont consume any oils it doesnt say olive oil just oil but on weekends we can have oil, I have a peanut butter at home that doesnt have any added oil, I dont even eat biscuits as they have oil in the ingredients?

I rubbed some coconut oil on my skin today and I think I will be doing that everyday during the fast
 
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