The fast begins today 1st of August and ends on the 15th of August, who else is doing the fast?
May God be with you
May God be with you
Dormition of the Theotokos fast 2024
- Thread starter GoodShepherd
- Start date
Thank you for reminding everyone! I'll be doing this one.
For those who don't know, the Dormition fast has a fish feast on the 6th:
For those who don't know, the Dormition fast has a fish feast on the 6th:
This is following the western/new/Gregorian calendar. For those following the eastern/old/Julian calendar the Dormition Fast is from 14-28 August.
A man named John was the leader of a band of a hundred robbers. But he had a reverence for the Mother of God. Each morning and evening, he read an Akathist to Her. In His wish to save the robber for his veneration of the Theotokos, the all-righteous God sent him a sainted elder. He walked straight into their hands as the robbers waited in an ambush. The robbers captured him, and the ascetic said to them.
"Take me to your leader. I have something to say to all of you for your benefit."
The robbers brought the elder before their leader John, and the elder asked, again:
"Gather all your men. I have something to say to all of you."
John called his men.
"Are they all here?" - asked the elder.
"There is one more - the cook, but he is useless."
"Have him come, too."
The cook came. For some reason, he could not look the elder in the eye. Then the elder said:
"In the Name of our Lord and God Jesus Christ Who died on the Cross, I command you to tell me who you are, who sent you and why?
The cook replied:
“I am a liar and will always remain one. But you invoked the name of Christ, and so I cannot tell you a lie now. I am a demon. My father, the Devil, sent me here to serve these robbers, put food on their tables and cook for their gang leader. He told me to wait until he stops reading the Akathist, and push him immediately into hell. I have been here for fourteen years, but he has not skipped the Akathist once."
Then the elder said:
"I now command you in the name of the Holy Trinity to vanish so you will no longer be a temptation to Christians."
No sooner had he said that than the demon disappeared in smoke. The elder brought the robbers to their senses. Some became monks, others married.
All pleased the Lord with their good works and were saved.
- Saint Cosmas of Aetolia, Equal-to-the-Apostles
"Take me to your leader. I have something to say to all of you for your benefit."
The robbers brought the elder before their leader John, and the elder asked, again:
"Gather all your men. I have something to say to all of you."
John called his men.
"Are they all here?" - asked the elder.
"There is one more - the cook, but he is useless."
"Have him come, too."
The cook came. For some reason, he could not look the elder in the eye. Then the elder said:
"In the Name of our Lord and God Jesus Christ Who died on the Cross, I command you to tell me who you are, who sent you and why?
The cook replied:
“I am a liar and will always remain one. But you invoked the name of Christ, and so I cannot tell you a lie now. I am a demon. My father, the Devil, sent me here to serve these robbers, put food on their tables and cook for their gang leader. He told me to wait until he stops reading the Akathist, and push him immediately into hell. I have been here for fourteen years, but he has not skipped the Akathist once."
Then the elder said:
"I now command you in the name of the Holy Trinity to vanish so you will no longer be a temptation to Christians."
No sooner had he said that than the demon disappeared in smoke. The elder brought the robbers to their senses. Some became monks, others married.
All pleased the Lord with their good works and were saved.
- Saint Cosmas of Aetolia, Equal-to-the-Apostles
The fast started today for those of us on the Julian calendar.
This is the most "excited" I've been for a fast in over a year. Definitely the most determined I've been to take one seriously, in a while. I've had an exceptionally hard time with my spiritual life this year, and I think a lot of it is that I've been very mentally distracted and all over the place, having trouble focusing on God or on spiritual things. I'm hoping that this fast helps me get reoriented spiritually.
The first few years, it felt like Dormition always fell during some family vacation or other thing going on, so I never had much mental bandwidth for it. But this year my in-laws who live with us are gone for an extended period, family life feels like it's drowning me, and I need spiritual help more than I have in a long time. In other words, it's a great chance to remember the Mother of God and how I need her help.
This is the most "excited" I've been for a fast in over a year. Definitely the most determined I've been to take one seriously, in a while. I've had an exceptionally hard time with my spiritual life this year, and I think a lot of it is that I've been very mentally distracted and all over the place, having trouble focusing on God or on spiritual things. I'm hoping that this fast helps me get reoriented spiritually.
The first few years, it felt like Dormition always fell during some family vacation or other thing going on, so I never had much mental bandwidth for it. But this year my in-laws who live with us are gone for an extended period, family life feels like it's drowning me, and I need spiritual help more than I have in a long time. In other words, it's a great chance to remember the Mother of God and how I need her help.
It is a pity that the entire church doesnt all share the same calendar, I personally think the old one makes more sense but Im with the Greeks so I must respect that and follow it.
Regarding the fast its just ended today for us on the gregorian calendar I broke my fast today, its not such a heavy fast only 15 days, around the 6th day you get to have fish oil and wine for that day, mine went well, great lent is the one you really feel.
I wish you the best with your spiritual struggles and may you hold this fast out all the way, the family difficulties are seasonal like summer and winter they come and go may God be with you, vai com Deus
Blessed Feast Day to All! May the most holy mother of God pray for us, and all of us for one another.
We shall commemorate and venerate her forever, as is proper and right.
Amen.
We shall commemorate and venerate her forever, as is proper and right.
Amen.
I often find this fast difficult. It seems like it falls at a time of year when everyone plans events, BBQs and so forth. This year I find some difficult family stuff coming to a head. Your prayers, brothers.
Holy Mother of God save us
Holy Mother of God save us
I guess it depends where in the world you live, here in South Africa there is nothing happening in August, its the last month of winter, its a windy month and we all just waiting for spring to arrive, its not a holiday month either, the Easter and Christmas months for me are during the holidays, many holidays during easter and Christmas and the weather is nice and people usually go on holidays, I find it interesting that August is so festive in USA what do you guys usually do?
I guess it depends where in the world you live, here in South Africa there is nothing happening in August, its the last month of winter, its a windy month and we all just waiting for spring to arrive, its not a holiday month either, the Easter and Christmas months for me are during the holidays, many holidays during easter and Christmas and the weather is nice and people usually go on holidays, I find it interesting that August is so festive in USA what do you guys usually do?
Generally speaking, if you're offered food during a fast then it should be considered a gift from God and you should take the offer graciously.
That is true, although it can still be tough to navigate the desire to keep the fast, in addition to not wanting to offend people with it. I find myself frustrated at times with it.
I should add the difficult family stuff is unrelated to situations that involve breaking the fast.
Oh boy, Iv have turned down a lot of food, I dont like telling people that Im fasting but when we are invited to a family lunch and someone pour you a glass of wine and dishes meat on your plate I have had to politely speak up and say Im fasting which I hate doing, but maybe what you saying here makes more sense just keep quite and thank God inwardly for the food and not offend the host?
Yes, correct, there are a lot of scriptural reasons why not to turn down food on a fasting day, and a lot of saints who say the same thing. I learned this from my Bishop.
I used to make the same mistake, thinking I needed to keep fast no matter what, but turns out it's not true. The idea behind a fast is to mimic John or Jesus in the desert; you take what comes before you as provided by the Lord. So you don't seek out good foods and engage in self-denial, but if something appears before you then you take the gift from God graciously. If it is a good Neighbor who gives you the food, just remember that God created your Neighbors and they serve God whether they know it or not.
Imagine if the man who was helped by the Good Samaritan said, "Can't take your help, I'm fasting."?
It makes sense, Im think what good will it do if I tell people Im fasting and then reject their food, it kind of makes me looks prideful, but if I keep quite and eat their food and they find out later then I think its better for them the unbeliever, nice imput
