Great lent 2025

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

How can peanuts not contain their natural peanut oil? It comes that way out of the ground. I can put regular, unsalted peanuts in a jar, shake the jar, and oil starts to come out of the peanuts and smear all over the jar.

No olive oil simply means no olive oil. Avoiding all food oils is basically impossible, I can't think of a single food without oil. Even most grains have oils built in.


Wheat germ oil is extracted from the germ of the wheat kernel, which makes up 2-3% by weight of whole grain wheat.

Trying to avoid all oils is physically impossible, I think even bugs have oils in them.

BTW There are good reasons why olive oil is singled out. It's the highest quality oil and it takes decades to produce. It was luxury in Christ's time and it still is.
 
Also, I encourage everyone here to go to as many Wednesday and Friday services as possible during Great Lent.

Pre-sanctified liturgies are beautiful and will greatly combine with regular fasting to purify the soul. Double communion each week is a true blessing. Akathist's on Fridays are some of the best reading services of the Bible held all year. You can study while you pray.
 
And who do you think the Priests consult?

I'm not sure what your point is. I stated that I was giving my opinion and and one should ask their priest and if their bishop says drink beer then its up to them.

My priest specifically forbids beer, and even if he didn't, I would still hold the view that drinking alcohol is incongruous with fasting.

But I'll reiterate if your priest or Bishop blessed you to have beer then you don't have to listen to me. But also you shouldn't follow me or anyone else on a forum, or mine or anyone else's priest or Bishop. You should follow your own.
 
How can peanuts not contain their natural peanut oil? It comes that way out of the ground. I can put regular, unsalted peanuts in a jar, shake the jar, and oil starts to come out of the peanuts and smear all over the jar.

No olive oil simply means no olive oil. Avoiding all food oils is basically impossible, I can't think of a single food without oil. Even most grains have oils built in.




Trying to avoid all oils is physically impossible, I think even bugs have oils in them.

BTW There are good reasons why olive oil is singled out. It's the highest quality oil and it takes decades to produce. It was luxury in Christ's time and it still is.
Food that contain natural oil are fine, avocados also have natural oil in them, Im talking about some foods that have added oil in them, there are certain peanut butters here that in the ingredients they add oil to it and other peanut butters are 100% peanuts and nothing else, there are even raisons that if you check the label they have added oil.
 
I've been keeping the dietary fast, but I am struggling to reduce my internet and music use. I'm so used to having background music when I read and write... I'm using more wholesome music like Lenten hymns, classical, relaxing lofi, but I feel weak that I can't just embrace the silence. In my car, I'm trying to not have music on and if it's not silent, I'll listen to an Orthodox podcast. Been using Father Josiah's Patristic Nectar app. I hope by next week I'll do better.

Trying to keep to Orthodox videos online or websites like Ortho Christian, but my monkey mind stupidly wanders onto twitter, news sites, etc. I hate being a internet junkie. Sometimes I tell myself I'm too tired to focus on reading, but I don't know if that's just a demonic trick. I'll talk to my priest about it soon, but if any of you have tips I'd be willing to hear it. This last year has been a challenge, though a blessed one, but I feel like my willpower is weaker than it was the last Lent or two. If nothing else, I hope God helps me to stay humble through this struggle.
 
I've been keeping the dietary fast, but I am struggling to reduce my internet and music use. I'm so used to having background music when I read and write... I'm using more wholesome music like Lenten hymns, classical, relaxing lofi, but I feel weak that I can't just embrace the silence. In my car, I'm trying to not have music on and if it's not silent, I'll listen to an Orthodox podcast. Been using Father Josiah's Patristic Nectar app. I hope by next week I'll do better.

Trying to keep to Orthodox videos online or websites like Ortho Christian, but my monkey mind stupidly wanders onto twitter, news sites, etc. I hate being a internet junkie. Sometimes I tell myself I'm too tired to focus on reading, but I don't know if that's just a demonic trick. I'll talk to my priest about it soon, but if any of you have tips I'd be willing to hear it. This last year has been a challenge, though a blessed one, but I feel like my willpower is weaker than it was the last Lent or two. If nothing else, I hope God helps me to stay humble through this struggle.

Firstly I'd say failure is not sufficient reason to give up. Sometimes we have a mindset that we went against our intentions or broke the fast and thus we might as well make our new rule of fasting to include whatever it is we were trying to stop, but its much better to just get back up and keep trying.

In Way of the Ascetics it talks about training ourselves by resisting our will even in very small cases, such as not having another coffee, or even not looking at your watch when you have the impulse. In such a way we can train ourselves to say no to larger impulses.

Also we are meant to fail during Lent. If we breezed through it and it wasn't a struggle for us it would just lead us to pride. The failings and struggles emphasise the fact that we are nothing and by ourselves we can do nothing and what we do achieve is through God's grace. God permits the demons to attack us more during this time to humble us and make us rely on Him and not ourselves.
 
Firstly I'd say failure is not sufficient reason to give up. Sometimes we have a mindset that we went against our intentions or broke the fast and thus we might as well make our new rule of fasting to include whatever it is we were trying to stop, but its much better to just get back up and keep trying.

In Way of the Ascetics it talks about training ourselves by resisting our will even in very small cases, such as not having another coffee, or even not looking at your watch when you have the impulse. In such a way we can train ourselves to say no to larger impulses.

Also we are meant to fail during Lent. If we breezed through it and it wasn't a struggle for us it would just lead us to pride. The failings and struggles emphasise the fact that we are nothing and by ourselves we can do nothing and what we do achieve is through God's grace. God permits the demons to attack us more during this time to humble us and make us rely on Him and not ourselves.
Good points. Sometimes I get down on myself since, when I was new, I had a lot of enthusiasm and that gave me a lot of drive to pray and fast. Now, after being in it a few years, especially after having a challenging year (I know that's no good excuse, and probably something that the demons use for a temptation), my motivation is less. Then again, I think if I strive hard and repent, God will see that and I'll be rewarded for my efforts. Maybe before I was like the pharisee, and even if I was able to do a lot more things "right" I did it from a state of pride and self-will. I very much still have the Western mentality of- if you work hard, things will keep improving; but in the spiritual life, there are fruitful seasons and difficult seasons and "progress" is not linear or compatible with progressing in the gym, or with a career.

I'm re-reading Unseen Warfare, just started it last night. This book was helpful before and so far it's helping again, thank God. I recommend it for anyone here. It's good to read whenever, but I feel like during Lent it is especially beneficial.
 
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I need some help guys. I would imagine fish oil is prohibited, so I won't take that, but what about collagen? It is hydralized bovine collagen?

I suppose collagen made without animals products is good. Fish oil is good question, I have no idea, I would guess no, but not sure. Would have to ask around for that one.
 
Probably ask your priest. If its for health reasons then you can probably get an exception for both.
Ha, I was blessed to spend a couple hours with him today in private, so I don't want to bother him. He went through how he'd like me to fast, but requested that I do a little more right now due to some personal issues. When I got out to the car to take my supplements, I realized what I had been taking.

I'm just trying to dial everything in, maybe I'm overdoing/overthinking it, but I can go without for a bit.

Nothing in my supplement protocol HAS to be taken.

Appreciate the advice brothers.
 
Nothing in my supplement protocol HAS to be taken.
I usually take fish oil when I am not fasting but tend not to when fasting unless its a fish day, because its not essential for me.

It's up to you, your priest is there to help you with things like this so you shouldn't feel like you are bothering him, its not like you are insisting he conduct a service for you when he wants to go on vacation or anything, its a basic yes or no question. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

If it troubles your conscience I'd say its possibly good to cut it out until you have the opportunity to ask and clarify. But again its up to you.
 
I've been keeping the dietary fast, but I am struggling to reduce my internet and music use. I'm so used to having background music when I read and write... I'm using more wholesome music like Lenten hymns, classical, relaxing lofi, but I feel weak that I can't just embrace the silence. In my car, I'm trying to not have music on and if it's not silent, I'll listen to an Orthodox podcast. Been using Father Josiah's Patristic Nectar app. I hope by next week I'll do better.

Trying to keep to Orthodox videos online or websites like Ortho Christian, but my monkey mind stupidly wanders onto twitter, news sites, etc. I hate being a internet junkie. Sometimes I tell myself I'm too tired to focus on reading, but I don't know if that's just a demonic trick. I'll talk to my priest about it soon, but if any of you have tips I'd be willing to hear it. This last year has been a challenge, though a blessed one, but I feel like my willpower is weaker than it was the last Lent or two. If nothing else, I hope God helps me to stay humble through this struggle.
Those are struggles I have too the constant distractions around us, phones, internet etc its good to cut back on social media and secular music during this time but its not really the official requirments of the fast, the fast is from certain foods.

I think a way to cut back on social media during this time would be to delete the apps off your phone, there is also apparently something you can do on your phone that removes all the app icons off your screen so you can physically see them when your phone is open, apparently its less of a temptation, due to the nature of my work and many others I still use social media but have cut back quite a bit now.
 
I need some help guys. I would imagine fish oil is prohibited, so I won't take that, but what about collagen? It is hydralized bovine collagen?
I have fish oil in my fridge but havent taken it during the fast because it comes from fish so Im assuming we cant? To me its like lard or tallow its made from the fat of animals but its "oil" so I would stay away from it but ask your priest directly.

When I was fasting as a Catechuman I actually suffered a lot and lost so much weight, firstly because I wasnt used to it, secondly I didnt have the app on my phone that tells us what we can or cant eat so that first year nobody told me that on weekend we could have oil so O didnt even have any oil, I also rejected a lot of food that hospitable people gave me and my lent diet wasnt high quality food so It really affected me physically.

After 1 year of following the wednesday, friday and Sunday morning fast it started developing fasting fitness, now I follow the entire years calendar fast and eat and drink right and still train and Iv noticed my body has become used to it and I dont lose as much weight as before which is great so hang in there the catechuman phase is hard, it was for me.
 
Here is an Orthodox book I saw being advertised about fasting and being an athlete, looks good will try and get it in time for the nativity fast for the end of the year, too late for me now.

 
Here is an Orthodox book I saw being advertised about fasting and being an athlete, looks good will try and get it in time for the nativity fast for the end of the year, too late for me now.

I don't have a strong opinion on this, but I do have an opinion, as I've always thought bodybuilding and posing were on the vanity spectrum. Don't you guys find this sort of stuff odd? By the way, I'm not saying myself and others don't have that, and of course women are most prone to it (that's why I think people call bodybuilders/PE takers/the like "gay"), but if you aren't actively promoting, selling, taking pictures, etc it does seem different.

I'm sure I would like Seraphim, of course, and I do like the general way Fr. Moses has presented himself.

Also we are meant to fail during Lent. If we breezed through it and it wasn't a struggle for us it would just lead us to pride. The failings and struggles emphasise the fact that we are nothing and by ourselves we can do nothing and what we do achieve is through God's grace. God permits the demons to attack us more during this time to humble us and make us rely on Him and not ourselves.
Yes, good points. I think it shows us also that the "law" shows you that no one can keep the law, so it has an interesting and paradoxically purpose. Orthodoxy again representing paradoxy, as is life.
 
I don't have a strong opinion on this, but I do have an opinion, as I've always thought bodybuilding and posing were on the vanity spectrum. Don't you guys find this sort of stuff odd? By the way, I'm not saying myself and others don't have that, and of course women are most prone to it (that's why I think people call bodybuilders/PE takers/the like "gay"), but if you aren't actively promoting, selling, taking pictures, etc it does seem different.

I'm sure I would like Seraphim, of course, and I do like the general way Fr. Moses has presented himself.
It does seem quite odd. Also because he's charging $45 for a 51 page cookbook. And he's posting pictures of half-naked women on his site.

I don't want to judge the guy, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but I don't think this hyper-focus on bodily image is healthy and he shouldn't be promoting that.

We also need to distinguish between bodybuilding, which has physical aesthetics as its primary goal, and powerlifting, which focuses on athletic performance. Fr. Moses does the latter and I see no problem there.
 
We also need to distinguish between bodybuilding, which has physical aesthetics as its primary goal, and powerlifting, which focuses on athletic performance. Fr. Moses does the latter and I see no problem there.
I agree with this. I saw the site and the pics in passing. I only mentioned Fr. Moses because of his foreword addition.
 
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