How to fast before communion. Can everyone be observed? Need to fast
What is the post? Why do he need and how to comply with it? You will learn about this by reading this article.
The goal of the Orthodox post
What is the post? What is it needed for? The goal for a Christian is the destruction of detrimental spiritual manifestations and bringing virtue into their lives. This believers achieve sincere and attentive prayer, as well as more often cause a visit to the temple to participate in worship.
How to fast? What should I refuse? During the post, Orthodox Christians voluntarily refrain from the use of meat, dairy dishes, desserts. They also try to avoid all sorts of pleasures and entertainment. But the Orthodox Christian, first of all, should take care not about the stomach, but about his mental state. The post is incorrect to perceive as a diet.
Often, many people, observing the post, become irritable, waiting for his early ending, forgetting about the soul. If a person actually began to think about his soul, he would definitely be happy to rejoice. After all, his whole essence is directed to the healing of the soul.
Thus, for a true Christian, the time of fasting is the best, at this time he becomes closer to God.
What is more important: Foreign post or spiritual post?
What is the post? What is it needed for? More importantly, the post is physical or spiritual? For a Christian, it is very important to understand that only abstinence from food does not mean nothing without a spiritual post. Rather, on the contrary, as was indicated above, it can harm. At the same time, harm can be concluded not only in irritability, but also that the fasting can penetrate the feeling of its superiority and excessive piousness. But the value of the post is precisely in the destruction of sins.
What is the post? What is it needed for? The post is a medicine. Not always sweet, but effective. He helps to break away from pleasures, to get together with thoughts and think about his spiritual health.
If the fasting person, using only at the same time, instead of repentance and prayer, the help of neighbor, the fulfillment of good deeds is constantly experiencing sinful feelings, then the post will not be true, will not be spiritual.
It should be understood that when a person fastens, he is not starving. None in any service of the Great Post is not mentioned about him in the usual understanding of people, that is, in non-consumption of meat and delicious food. The church calls to fast bodily and fast spiritually.
So, the post will only then have a true meaning when it is combined with spiritual work on himself. An ordinary person living in the rhythm of the modern world will not be affected by the influence of the highest strength. The post softens the people's ownness, and then it becomes more accessible to the impact of the highest world.
What makes the post think about how to behave correctly?
How to fast? Many people, fasting, believe that it will be a big sin if they eat, even in powerlessness, anywhere, but they are neither droplets that they neglect and blame the neighbors, such as friends, they are offended or lick. This is a real hypocrisy towards God. This is an uncondition of faith and humility!
It is absolutely obvious that repentance and prayers during the post should always be accompanied by reflections on his own sinful life and, of course, should go close to the abstinement from a variety of fun and entertainment: walking on dancing, in theaters, to friends. It is necessary to try to avoid reading books of frivolous character, listening to joyful musical compositions, watching television programs for the purpose of entertainment. If all these classes are manant of Christian, he will have an effort on himself, in order to deliver all his soul from this, at least at first time. That is the essence of the post.
Thus, you need to fast and the soul, and the body, with joy. You must learn to unite the post outdoor with the inner post. You need to study your soul and correct your flavors. When people brush their body through abstinence, they must clean and soul with repentance and prayer, and then they will be able to gain virtue and humility, love and respect for the neighbor. This is exactly what will be a true post, pleasing to God, therefore, the soul of man.
When you can eat fish?
When in the post eating fish? According to the general rules, this product is allowed on large holidays dropping out at the time of fasting.
To the great post dedicated to the Resurrection of the Lord, you can use fish for the festivities of the Annunciation, Palm Resurrection (Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem), Saturday to Lazarev.
When in the post eating fish yet? Also, this product can be eaten in those Orthodox holidays that fell out for the post. After all, for example, every year a great post falls at different times.
In the Assumption post dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, the fish is allowed on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The Christmas post is dedicated to the birth of the Lord of our Jesus Christ, he is not as strict as a great post, you can eat every Saturday and Sunday.
In Petrov, the post dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the fish can be used on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
However, as mentioned above, the post is not a diet. If a person, a Christian, by the glimpse of his, you need to eat fish, then with the blessing of the priest to light the post you can use fish on any day. After all, the main thing is the healing of the soul, and not that in the stomach. The post in food helps to hold and the post is spiritual, because, having fought fat, delicious food, it is so necessary to lie down, sleep, spend time on idleness, I do not want to read prayers, and even more so to go to the temple. And food can be prepared such that will be losing and tasty.
How to keep the post of Orthodox Christian?
In fact, this question absolutely does not have a clear answer. Every person must fast on his strength and opportunities. Someone may, roughly speaking, hold out the entire post on bread and water, staying in constant prayer, often visiting the temple, annilate on the sacraments, and for someone a refusal to watch TV - already post. You do not need to immediately take on the unbearable, the card must be approached gradually, with the mind.
The general rules suggest a refusal of meat, sweets, fish (except for several days), in each post there are days of drying, when it is impossible to eat cooked and hot food.
But this is the so-called food aspect and not at all the main, as mentioned above. The main thing is spiritual post.
During the post, a person cleans himself from sinful mud, he tries to get closer to Christ. At this time, it is necessary to subtract more prayers, read spiritual literature, more often attend the temple, besides, during the posts, special services always come, each of which can be observed only once a year, in this church post. This is a miracle of wonders, everyone should feel it himself.
About the sacraments during the post
Required during the post you need to join church sacraments: confession and communion.
Confession is repentance in their sins, where the priest acts as an intermediary between God and Christian. The entire cargo of sins leaves the believer there. And only after that, he can begin the great sacrament of communion - to taste the flesh and blood of Christ. God himself enters the soul of man through these sacraments, cleaning and curable it.
And on the basis of the essence and meaning of the Orthodox post, it is clear why it is at that time the sacraments are so useful.
Thus, the post is not only a restriction of yourself in food, it is a huge spiritual work, and for each person she is its own.
Separately about the great post
Before Easter, Christians observe the longest, great post. This is an integral part of the Great Christian Holiday. Observe the post you need to clean your body and soul to the Great Holiday, the Resurrection of the Lord.
The post lasts six weeks, the seventh is a passionate semitian, it requires even more strict abstinence. This period is the most strict and solemn at the same time. Preparation for it begins three weeks before it starts.
The main goal of the Great Post, like any other, is repentance, refusal from the usual, branched, fumes and affairs.
During the post, it is necessary to remember that it is not necessary to God, but the person himself. The Christian is not God's favor, he does, he treats the soul. As mentioned above, the Great Post consists of 2 parts: the series is a period of repentance, and passionate saddimians - a period of purification.
After all, the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of the Two-Perfume offers parishioners to subtract farewell not in vain weekly on Saturdays during the all-night vigil in the temples sing: "repentance of the holes of the door, vitality."
Just for repentance of Christians and is given the time of the four. If a person does not have the goal of repentance, do not start and the post is a vain spending of time.
Separately about passionate semidice
Passionate saddemic in a different way in the people is called a passionate week. This is a preceding Easter week, this is a special time for Orthodox.
"Passion" translated from Church Slavic denotes "Tests and suffering." This week received this week because it recalls the last days that Jesus Christ on Earth, his suffering, betrayal, pain crucifix, burial and resurrection.
During the passionate week of post, Christians observe the most strict abstinence, especially in spiritual terms. The number of services in the temples increases, each of which bears its special, deep meaning.
Every day a passionate saddemic on services in the temples is special, the priests read individual chapters from the Gospel, who tell Christians about the events that occurred in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. Every day, in the passionate week, Christians recall what happened then.
The most special days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Maundy Thursday
On Thursday, the Orthodox remembers the Last Supper, when the Savior was last gathered his disciples, passed them, gave instructions. He then said that someone from his disciples betray him, and each of them denied it, including Judas.
Great Friday
On Friday, the betrayal was accomplished, and on the same day Christ crucified. In all Orthodox churches, the dummy (coffin) is taken out. The removal takes place after two hours of the day, per hour of death of the Savior, crucified on the cross.
On this day, worship carries a special, tragic meaning, it is narrating on the flour and suffering that Christ ruled on the cross.
Great Saturday
On the Great Saturday, the Orthodox Church recalls the burial of the Savior and the descent of him to hell to save the genus of the human and the resurrection of the dead.
On the night of Saturday, on Sunday, Christians rejoice and celebrate a great holiday - the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the bright Easter came. The post ended. You can also taste existence.
About prayers during the Great Post
During the great post, prayer needs to pay a little more attention and time than it turns out during the usual time.
It is also desirable as much time as possible to devote to worships that will be visited during the post. If it is difficult to track the words that the priest reads, you can take a book with you to the temple with the texts of prayers.
It stands with special care and diligence to carry out prayer rules, both morning and evening.
In the morning you can wake up early, and in the evening it is early to finish your affairs in order to start reading the prayers, adding some more, at your discretion.
During the post, it is necessary to subside daily to the prayer of Rev. Ephraim Sirin. On the way to work, studying or on business with the help of headphones, you can listen to the Psalter or read in transport, if it is convenient.
Prayers read in the great post helps to completely clean the soul and body, deserve forgiveness and get a blessing.
Incomplete temptations that are so collapsed on a person during a great post, it is also helpful to confuse prayer: on anger, rage, sadness, envy, laziness, sinful thoughts to themselves should be answered short
In the monasteries regarding the post of issues, there are no questions, but people living in the world are often in bewilderment: how to fast when colleagues or homemade will not be fast when you need to work full time and a lot of time to get to work when the diseases and weakness, fatigue and stress?
Optina elders post considered very important and gave many instructions on post and abstinence.
Why we will postiment
Rev. Amvrosius wrote about the need to comply with posts:
In addition, there is an indication in the Gospel and that we must abide by Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, the Lord was devoted to the crucifix, and on Friday was crucified. "
The elder explained why we refrain in the post from rapid food:
"Food is not a fierce bad. It does not defile, and the human body is covered. And the Holy Apostle Paul says: "If the external person is smoldering, then the internal is updated from day to day" (2 Cor. 4: 16). The external person he called the body, and the inner soul. "
Rev. Wronsonophone reminded that if we please the flesh, then the needs of it grow incredibly quickly and suppress every spiritual movement of the soul:
"Proverb is valid:" The more you eat, the more I want. " If we are just quenching hunger and thirst and do it or become praying, the food will not tear us from our classes. This I myself experienced on myself.
If we please the flesh, then its needs grow incredibly quickly, so they suppress all spiritual movement of the soul. "
Does not harm the post of health?
An old man of Ambrose instructed:
"Of course, another thing is, if someone violates the post of illness and physical salinity. And healthy from the post is healthier and kinder and moreover, there are more durable, although it seems in appearance and torsch. When posting and abstaining and flesh is not so rebellious, and sleep is not so overcoming, and empty thoughts are less climbing, and you are readily reading more and more. "
Rev. Wronsonophone also explained to his Chadam that the post would not only harm health, but, on the contrary, retains it:
"And the commandments of the Lord are not black. Orthodox church is not a stepmother, and Momashenka is kind, loving. She prescribes us, for example, to observe a moderate post, and he does not harm health at all, but, on the contrary, retains it.
And good doctors, even unbelievers, now argue that it is harmful to meat constantly: in times of vegetable food - that is, in other words, they prescribe a post. Now in Moscow and other large cities, vegetarian canteens are emerging so that the stomach rested from meat. On the contrary, all sorts of diseases occur due to the constant consumption of meat food. "
Do you need to post the patient?
There are cases of such bodily weakness when the post is not harmful, but, on the contrary, it is useful. The old man of Wassonophius led an example from his pastoral practice when the patient did not observe posts, fearing the deterioration of health and even death. But when he began to fast on the council of the elder, not only did not die, but fully recovered:
"Two spouses came to me from a merchant family leading a pious life. He is a healthy person, but the wife constantly riff and never observed posts. I tell her:
- Start fasting, and everything will pass.
She answers:
- And what if I die from the post? This experience is scary.
- You will not die - I answer, - and please.
And indeed, the Lord helped her. She began to keep posts installed by the Church and are now completely healthy, as they say - "blood with milk". "
Patient Chad, who does not want to break the post, Amest Ambrose responded:
"Your letter received. If the conscience does not agree to consist you in the post in the post, although on illness, it should not be despised or rape your conscience. Spear food cannot heal you from the disease, and therefore after you will be embarrassed what they did contrary to good suggestions of your conscience. Better from lean to choose a nutritious and responding to your stomach.
It happens that some patients use in fast food as a medicine and after bringing repentance in this that the saint church rules violated on the disease. But every need to look and act in their conscience and consciousness and in appearance with the mood of his spirit so that it is no longer upset by embarrassment and bobbies. "
However, there are different diseases and weakness from different people, and with some one can limit ourselves, and with others it is better not to violate the prescriptions of doctors. Incility of one or another food should not be an end in itself. The post is designed for people healthy, for the patients, the disease itself is the disease itself. Pregnant women, sick people, little children are usually released from the post.
So, in connection with the upcoming post, the Amest Ambrose gave instructions to the hostess of the house burdened with numerous troubles with children and no good health:
"The upcoming post, try to spend the judgmentally, thinking with bodily forces. You should remember that you are a household house surrounded by children; Besides, the unhealthy is tied to you.
All this shows that you need to more care about mental virtues; Regarding the use of food and other bodily exploits, you should stand ahead of all the good reasoning with humility…
The Holy Distrowner cites the words: "not comprehended, nor BDEH, nor the land of the rest; But humble, and the lord's rescas. " Imagine to dismiss your Lord with humility, and Silen He to arrange all for good. "
Rev. warned:
"Weave and soreness of corporal wise, and wisely to cope with it. Not without the cause of Saint Isaac Sirin, the first of the great postnings, wrote: "If we bring the powerful body of his strength, it comes embarrassment to embarrassment."
Therefore, in order to not be useless to embarrass, it is better to bring off the physical sensitations of bodily as it should be. "
Anatoly Anatoly (Zrotsalov) wrote:
"Fish to eat, by gentlemen, you can. Only please do not be angry yes, no thoughts do not hold. "
How to be if a lean food is not eaten?
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"Write what is scary to stay without milk. But Silen Lord is a powerless nature to file. It would be nice to eat perch and jershi ... "
The elder's eaten itself used very little. Surprising this, once asked him, was it difficult for him to achieve such an abstinence or is it already from nature to him? He responded with such words:
"If a person does not agree, then at least he was all the dream of Egypt and drank all the water, his whisp will say everything: Alch!"
Rev. Amvrosi said as always briefly, but aptive:
"Embroaty mouth - pork trough."
How to combine post and social life (when invited on anniversaries, banquets and the like)?
It also requires reasoning. There are such banquets and holidays, where our presence is absolutely optional, and you can safely refuse this festival without breaking the post. There are a feast, where you can imperceptibly for others to eat something lean, not exceeded with your post over others.
In cases of disorders of the post "For guests", the St. Joseph taught:
"If when for guests you break the abstinence, it is not necessary to confuse, and buy yourself for it and bring repentance."
He instructed:
"The post is twofold: external and internal. The first is abstaining from rapid food, the second is the abstinence of all our senses, especially vision, from everything unclean and bad. He and the other post is inextricably linked with each other. Some people pay all attention only to the external post, without understanding the inner.
For example, such a person comes somewhere into society, the conversations are beginning, in which they are completely and nearby - the condemnation of the neighbor. He takes an active participation in them and abducts a lot from the honor of the near. But the time of dinner comes. The guest is offered for free food: a cake, a piece of piglery, etc. He resolutely refuses.
- Well, attempt, "the owners persuade," after all, it is not what enters the mouth, defiles a person, but what's from the mouth!
"No, I about this strict," he says, absolutely unwilling, that, condemning the near, he has already broken and even completely destroyed the post. "
Post on the road
There are other situations when we cannot fully follow the post, for example while traveling. When we travel, we live in special conditions that do not depend on us.
Although if the journey is short-lived and there is an opportunity to eat lean food, then you should refrain from the rapid one.
You can remember the instructions of the elder Warsonofy:
"Young maiden, Sophia Konstantinovna, who came to Nilusam in Optio desert, the Starta complained about the confession, which, living in a stranger house, she deprived of the opportunity to observe posts. "Well, why do you now be seduced by sausage in the way on a couple of days?" She asked her old man. S.K. horrified: how could this know the elder? "
If the post seems unnecessary, excess
Sometimes people deny the meaning of the post, say that they agree with all commandments, but they do not want to observe the post, they cannot, they consider unnecessary, excess. The old man of Wormonophones said that these are the enemies of thoughts: the enemy is so tuned, because his post is hate:
"We will learn the power of the post and its meaning of at least the fact that he somehow is particularly hated by the enemy. Come to me to the Council and to confession - I advise you to comply with holy posts. Everybody agrees, and how things will affect the post - I do not want, I can't and so on. The enemy is so exciting: I do not want him to keep the holy posts ... "
About abstinence and three degrees of satiety
It also needs to be remembered that both lean foods can be happy to such an extent that it will be an overwhelming. For people of different buildings and having different physical exertions, the amount of food will also be different. Rev. Nikon reminded:
"For the body of one person, one pound of bread is enough, for the body of another person it is necessary four pounds of bread: it will not be saturated with a smaller amount of bread. Therefore, Saint John Zlatoust says that the postnik is not the one who consumes a small amount of food, but one who uses food is less than what is required for its body. This is the abstinence. "
On the abstinence and three degrees of the satiety of the Rev. Amvrosi wrote like this:
"You write about food that it is difficult for you to get used to the little to eat, so that after lunch still be hungry. The holy fathers set themselves about three degrees: abstinence - so that after taking food to be somewhat hungry, please - in order not to be used, neither hungry, and satiety - so that there is an opportunity, not without some burden.
From these three degrees, everyone can choose any, by its forces and in its dispensation, is a healthy and patient. "
If violated post by inattention
It happens that a person eats free drinks on a couple of inattention, scattered, forgetfulness. How to treat such an oversight?
Rev. Joseph gives an example of a person who ate twig into a permanent pie twin day, and first ate, forgetting about a lean day, and then I already remembered, I still dared, arguing that I was sinned:
"In the second letter, you described the case that was with you in St. Petersburg: one half of the rapid pie was buried on Wednesday by oblivion, and the other half was buried, already pesting. The first sin is apologirl, and the other is not apologie for. It looks like the way if someone had fled to the abyss, but among the road would come to his senses and still continued to run, despising the danger threatening him. "
If you violated the post on the lack of will
Sometimes a person tries to keep the post, but does not withstand, the lack of will of the will violates and flows from it into despondency. So Rev. Joseph advised:
"When you can't refrain, then at least to humble and root themselves and not condemn others."
Also an old man Joseph for Chad's crushing, which was not able to fast as it should, responded:
"They write that they have fed badly - well, thank the Lord and for how he helped tolerate, but remember the word of the St. John of the Dravering:" Not Fastened, but I am reconciled, and the lord's rescas! ""
On an unlimited, unreasonable post
The Rev. Amvrosi warned from an unreasonable post, when a person who had never previously overlooked, imposes an unlimited post, possibly an inflaced demon vanity:
"And then we had one example of an unreasonable post. One landower, who spent his life in Nege, wanted to observe the stern post: he told himself a heavenly seed into his entire sense and ate him with kvass, and from such a cool transition from the bald to the post, he spoiled his stomach that the doctor in the continuation of the whole year was not Could fix it.
However, there is also the patristic word that we should not be murderers of the body, but killer passions. "
Post is not a goal, but a means
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The Rev. Lion did not approve those who, leaving prudent moderation, went into excessive bodily exploits, hoping to escape as if they were alone:
"I do not refute the abstinence, it always has its own strength, but not in that of his essence and the power to eat do not eat, but be emplemented from the heart any of the Memilobia and this. Here is the true post, which is more from us, everything requires the Lord. "
Older Warzonofius also reminded:
"Of course, the post, if not accompanied by prayer and spiritual work, does not have almost no price. The post is not a goal, but a means, allowance that makes us prayer and spiritual improvement. "
Rev. Anatoly (Zrotsalov) wrote:
"There is no bread and not drinking water or something else - not there is still a post. For and demons do not eat and do not drink anything, but still evil ... "
And the elder Nikon noticed and briefly noticed:
"" The true post is evil deeds of alienation "(this is said in the same poem of the good)."
Temptation post
During the post, irritability, angiveness often wake up in us. The post should release our spiritual forces for good deeds.
Rev. Amvrosiy taught:
"Abstinence must have not only from various snars and beyties, but from passions at all: from anger and irritability, from the alarms and condemnation, from the secret and explicit perpetration, from stubbornness and inappropriate perseverance on their own and the like."
Recently, it has become quite popular to fast. From year to year, more and more people limit themselves in food for the purpose of physical recovery and spiritual cleansing. Believers, of course, know how to fast. Our article is intended for those who are going to withstand the post for the first time, we will tell you about what is the meaning of the post, for which it needs, how to fast, what can I have and what you can not eat during the post, as well as who are allowed to be allowed .
Do I need to fast?
First of all, it is worth saying that the meaning of any post, according to the Orthodox Church, is to purify the spirit and body from earthly passions, malice and hatred. Jesus Christ himself spoke in his sermons that the post should be a gust of the soul, which is looking for calm, peace and harmony. In no case cannot be observed in the postpox, in order to impress the surrounding. The post should be devoted only to God, and do it with joy and from the soul.
People have long comprehended before committing something important when they particularly needed strength and wisdom from God. Also fast should be to humble your soul before God and clean your heart, approaching him. Only God only accepts God, only such a post is pleasing to God, and only in such a post he will accept and hear sincere prayers of a person, giving him the strength to create good deeds.
The answer to the question: "Do I need to fast?" Every person gives himself. It is important that you really wanted it to be the sincere desire of your soul.
According to the Bible, the post is not even a reduction in the diet with the elimination of rapid products from it, it is a complete abstinence from food, sometimes with the abstinence from drinking, as well as with a failure of sexual relations throughout a period of time. This time, during which a person is humoring and crushes his pride before God and gives himself to his power and his mercy. According to the Bible, you follow only from love for God and only before him, without showing and hypocrisy.
The second popular question associated with post: "Is it possible not to fast with certain circumstances in life?" The Bible says that the spiritual post is most important, and even then - the body. Those. During the post, you will definitely have to live in humility and chastity, read prayers, coming, and it is possible to observe the post and not too strict. Compliance requires only the first and last 7 days of fasting. The church officially permits not to fast:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers
- travelers
- starikov
Doctors add to this list:
- patients oncological diseases
- adolescents who need a large amount of protein, vitamins and minerals
- people having problems with pressure, disease gasts, heart failure
- people engaged in severe physical labor
- people living in extreme climatic conditions
In general, according to the church rules, the degree of rigor of the post, each person establishes for himself after a conversation with his spiritual mentor: the more people feel sinful, the more strict post he must be observed, and the most important thing - the most sincere he should want to observe him!
How to fast
Now let's talk about how to fast in the post. Comes the great post, how to fast? First of all, you should think about spiritual cleansing and in connection with this to reduce TV viewing, using the Internet and listening to music. In addition, you should spend more time at home in a family circle, avoid noisy companies and other entertainment. It is great if you manage to reduce the amount of intimate proximity during the post period, it is strictly prohibited in the first and last weeks of the post. It doesn't have any point in fasting without prayer, it is also necessary to reconcile with all the closest, every Sunday to visit the church and at least once a month to confess and communion.
With a spiritual post dealt with. Now let's talk about. The most stringent days of fasting are the first four days, as well as the entire last week before Easter. At the same time, on the first Monday post (Clean Monday) and last Friday, before Easter (Good Friday), you can not drink anything at all. The rest of the day is allowed dry (fruits, nuts, seeds, salted, fresh or sauer vegetables).
During the post, it is impossible to smoke, drink alcohol (with the exception of red wine on weekends and on holidays that come for this period), meat, fish, eggs, milk and all products containing them. It is also impossible to eat vegetable oil, it is allowed only on the weekend.
It is necessary to eat no more than once a day if you stick to a strict post, and no more than two - with the inclusive post.
Food during the post is built on schedule:
- monday, Wednesday, Friday - Drying (water, bread, fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, honey, nuts)
- tuesday, Thursday - Allowed hot food without oil (tea, coffee, porridge, thermally processed vegetables)
- saturday, Sunday - You can eat 2 times a day any food, except for a rapid, plus vegetable oil
In the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and Palm Sunday, you can eat fish, and Saturday is a fish caviar in Lazarev.
Tip: During the whole post, drink more water to prevent the body's dehydration. Remember that the smells of cinnamon or carnations helps to fight hunger.
How to fast before communion
And the last in the context of posts is the post before communion. Few know how to fast before communion. Be sure to be held before the communion, you need to pass those people who do not observe posts during the year and are involved only once a year, for example, for Easter. In this case, to fast should be held during the week before the communion, and a day to the very communion should be completely abandoned from food and water.
If you keep posts during the year and fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, then you will be enough Eucharistic post, i.e. Communion on an empty stomach.
In addition to observance of post, before communion, you should read the rules, canons and prayers before the communion, which is in any prayer.
Remember that the most important thing in the post is not restrictions in food, but the cleansing of the soul. It is worth refusing not as much from food, as from the passions of earthly life, which our souls are. Then the post will be in joy.
This is how the priests and doctors answer these questions.
Of course, this does not deny doctors nor the church, the body benefits from the "Last Diet" receives a lot. During the post, the taboo is imposed on the products of animal origin (meat, milk and dairy products, animal fats, eggs, fish), on gluttony in general. Meat, useful for muscles and brain carries many slags that settle in the intestines, kidneys, a bustling bubble. The post, with his change, the diet washes slags from the body.
Fast preserves and strengthens health, without even thinking about it. Do not need special diets, do not need artificial additives and vitamins. Our long-standing ancestors supported and strengthened health with non-treatment, but prevention. And the prevention in this case was precisely posts.
In addition to the removal of slags, the post contributes to the resorption of atherosclerotic plaques on the blood vessels, as well as subcutaneous deposits. The post is also a good prevention of cardiovascular diseases - hypertension and ischemic heart disease.
However, the true post is not just adherence to restrictions. The post, first of all, is a refusal to sinful, offensive or grave actions, words and thoughts, the period, above all, spiritual cleansing and moral improvement. This period is when a person has the ability to rethink his attitude towards God, to the world, to others. Moreover, the present post, if a person adequate him, carries the cleansing spiritual and bodily.
According to representatives of medicine and clergy, the post will definitely benefit if a person complies with the post consciously, refusing not only from certain products, but also from fearful addictions, evil words and affairs, bad mood and irritability. After all, the post for believers has spiritual priorities, and, accordingly, proceeds and affects the body completely differently, as "sympathizing."
To fast ...
The post must be a conscious choice. To force themselves, it is impossible to force yourself or someone else, it will not benefit nor the soul or the body. A blessing should be taken to the post, without which believers do not grow to a serious matter. For those who comply with the entire post (and not only nutritional restrictions) of relaxation (permits are free food) are allowed to resolve the confessor.
Doctors argue that a strict post is contraindicated to people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, with a stomach ulcer, gastritis, pancreatites, cholecystitis, diabetes. Negative post may affect people who have suffered an operation or severe physical or mental injury. If you have the above or other diseases, and you still want to pass, it makes sense to consult with your doctor (he will tell you that you can not, what you can not), and then ask the blessing of the priest to relax.
The church frees from the post of patients, pregnant women, young children, as well as those who are on the way. As the priests say, the post is given to achieve spiritual perfection, so you need to fast people, because For patients, the disease itself is already a test.
Food during the post
I repeat, a man who commence the true post, the least thinks about food, many even refuse food in general for several days. And yet, even if we post me for reasons of cleansing and improving the body, in this good more than bad. How to eat during the post?
Food should be diverse: vegetables, cereals, greens, nuts. Bread (for reasons of a diet) should not be excluded - in the same Rzhan bread, all the vitamins of group V. Do not forget about vitamins A and C. There are many in the sauerkraut and, of course, Luke and garlic. Iron can be obtained by using spinach and buckwheat croup.
Required carbohydrates are available in products such as beets, rye bread, buckwheat, rice. Replace protein can nuts, soy and legumes. 200 grams of legumes contain as many protein as it is in one cup of milk or egg. But the hopes for the use of mushrooms in terms of replenishing protein reserves are not quite correct: according to scientists of the Institute of Food, the digestibility of mushrooms is extremely low. They can have a positive effect on the immune system, increasing the stability of the body, but they are not a source of protein.
However, in the Christmas post, excluding Wednesday and Friday, fish dishes are allowed. Christians belong to fish dishes more tolerant than meat. Modern nutritionists have already confirmed the correctness of this choice. Fish is easier to digest, it is higher than the content of mineral salts and useful elements than in meat. Fishing fat also contains a unique compound of omega-3, which cleans the vessels from cholesterol.
During the post, you should pay attention to shrimps or squid. In their biological value, they are much higher than meat and fish. Seafood have another healing property: they contain substances that reduce blood clotting. No purine compounds that distinguish, for example, squid meat makes it indispensable in dietary nutrition.
Often, during the post, it is harder to endure no meat, but sweet. For church canons, you can eat honey and berries. The bitter chocolate in the composition is a lean product, but, according to the clergy, it is impossible to call him a true lean dessert.
In people engaged in sports and actively increasing muscle mass, the change in food habits is stress, and the decrease in the consumption of animal protein leads to loss of muscle mass and reduce endurance. To minimize these problems, some sports doctors recommend athletes to take soy proteins and free amino acids made of vegetable raw materials, most often from the animal of young germinated wheat. It is recommended to increase the dosage of the received vitamins, especially the B. B. Group B vitamins, trace elements - chromium, vanadium, lipoic acid are also necessary. It is desirable to increase the reception of polyunsaturated fatty acids due to a decrease in animal consumption of fats.
Strict abstinence from animal food for several weeks, and in particular the sharp start and a sharp end of the post may noticeably harm the health of unprepared (that is, never after) man, creating serious problems with digestion.
People believers who comply with all posts and lean days (Wednesday and Friday, except holidays) more adapted to the change of diet. But even they, for the proper entrance to the post, for example, the meat cease over the week.
Indications of the Christian about the post can greatly discharge depending on the health of the body of the Christian. It may be fully health in a young man, not quite great in the elderly or with serious illness. Hence the instructions of the church on the observance of posts (on Wednesdays and Fridays) or during the periods of multi-day posts (Christmas, great, Petrov and Assumption) can be much varied depending on the age and physical state of human health. All instructions are fully referred to only a physically healthy person. In physical diseases or for the elderly, the instructions should be taken carefully and judicially.
As often both those who consider themselves Christians, you can meet disregard for the post, misunderstanding of its meaning and entity.
The post is considered by them as a matter, mandatory only for monks, dangerous or harmful to health, as a relic of an old ritual - a dead letter of the charter, with whom it's time to end, or, in any case, as something unpleasant and burdensome.
It should be noted for everyone thinking so that they do not understand the purpose of the post or the purpose of Christian life. Maybe in vain they referred themselves to Christians, as they live with their hearts together with a godless world that has a cult of their body and self-saying.
Christian first should not think about the body, but about her soul and worry about her health. And if he really began to think about her, he would have rejoiced the post in which the entire situation was aimed at healing the soul, as in the sanatorium - on the healing of the body.
The post time is the time especially important for spiritual life, this is "time favorable, it is a day of salvation" ().
If the soul of the Christian is twisted by purity, looking for mental health, it should try as best to use this useful time for the soul.
That is why among the True Bogolyubs, a mutual congratulation with the onset of post is taken.
But what is the post essentially? And there is no self-deception among those who consider it necessary to fulfill it only by the letter, but does not love him and in their hearts? And is it possible to call the post only compliance with some rules about the invuition of the rapid twin days?
Will the post will be post if, except for a certain change in food, we will not think about repentance, no abstinence, or about cleansing the heart through reinforced prayer?
It should be assumed that this will not be post, although all the rules and customs of the post will be observed. PS Warmsonophone is saying: "The post of body does not mean without a spiritual post of an internal person who consists of protecting himself from passions.
This post of internal person is pleasant to God and will reward the lack of a bodily fasting for you "(if you can't observe the last, as if I wanted).
As Sv. Isaac Syrianin: "The post is a weapon prepared by God ... If the legputor himself suffered, then how not to fast any of the obligations to comply with the law? ..
Before the post, the human genus did not know the victory and the devil had never experienced defeats ... Our Lord was leading and the firstborn of this victory ...
And how soon the Divol sees this weapon on some of the people, this opponent and the tormentor immediately comes in fear, thinking and remembering his defeat in the wilderness by the Savior, and his strength crushes ... who resides in the post, so the mind is unshakable "(word thirty).
It is quite obvious that the feat of repentance and prayers in the post should be accompanied by thoughts of his sinfulness and, of course, abstaining from all kinds of entertainment - walking in theaters, cinema and guests, easy reading, fun music, watching TV for entertainment, etc. If all this is still entails the heart of a Christian, then let him do an effort to tear his heart from this, at least in the days of the post.
Here you need to remember that on Fridays PRP. Seraphim not only fasted, but also in this day in strict silence. As writes about. : "The post is a period of spiritual effort. If we cannot give God all our lives, you will devote it to him undivided at least periods of posts - effort the prayer, multiply by mercy, tighten passion, reconcile with the enemies. "
Here the words of Warm Solomon are applied here: "Everything is your time and time of all things under the sky. ... Time to cry and time laugh; Time to complain and time to dance ... Time to silence and talk time, "etc., ().
In some cases, patients with Christians replace themselves (or on the advice of the spiritualists) abstinence in food by the post "Spiritual". Under the latter often understand more stricter attention to themselves: keeping herself from irritability, condemnation, quarrels. All this, of course, is good, but in the usual time a Christian can let yourself sin, or annoy, or condemn? It is clear that the Christian should always "sober" and be attentive, protecting himself from sin and everything that may insult the saint's spirit. If he is unable to keep himself, then it is likely that it will take place equally both on ordinary days and in the post. Hence the replacement of the post in food on a similar "spiritual" post is most often self-deception.
Therefore, in cases where the disease or by a large disadvantage in food, a Christian cannot comply with the usual standards of fasting, then let them do in this respect everything that can, for example, will refuse all the entertainment, from the Slavs and Laccues, will fast At least on Wednesday and Friday, it will try that the most delicious food is served only on holidays. If a Christian for old unpleasant or by unhealthy will not be able to abandonorrow, then at least somewhat limit it on benchmarks, for example, there is no meat - in a word, in one way or another, still joining the post.
Some refuse the post due to fear of weakening their health, while showing painful imperidity and mallera, and they always strive to completely nourish themselves for rapid food to achieve good health and to maintain the "fatness" of the body. And how often they suffer from all sorts of diseases of the stomach, intestines, kidneys, teeth ...
In addition to the manifestation of his feeling of repentance and hate to sin, the post has other parties. Post time is not random days.
Wednesday is a legend of the Savior - the highest of the moments of the fall and shame of the human soul, coming in the face of Judah to betray for 30 Srebrenniki of the Son of God.
Friday is the patience of bullying, painful suffering and the godfather death of the Redeemer of mankind. Remembering them, how can a Christian can not limit himself by abstaining?
The great post is the path of the Godhead to the Calvary Sacrifice.
The human soul has no right, does not dare if only it is a Christian, to pass indifferently past these majestic days - a significant milestone in time.
As she dares later - on the terrible court to become the best gentlemen if she is indifferent to his grief, blood and suffering in those days when the universal - earthly and heaven - recalls them.
What should be the post? Here it is impossible to give a general measure. It will depend on the health of health, from age and living conditions. But here you must certainly touch for living our villages and consultation.
Currently, the time of weakening and falling faith - we seem unattainable those charters about the post, which in the old days were strictly carried out by pious Russian families.
Here, for example, from which the great post is consisting of the church charter, the obligation of which applied to equally both in the ink and on the layman.
Therefore, the charter is supposed to be a great post: complete misunderstanding for the whole day of Monday and Tuesday of the first week and Friday passionate saddemitsa.
Only for weaker it is possible to bind food on Tuesday night the first week. In all the other days of the Great Post, except Saturday and Sunday, only drying is relied and only once a day - bread, vegetables, peas - without oil and water.
Boiled food with lean oil is relieved only on Saturday and Sunday. Wine is permitted only in the days of church memories and with long services (for example, on Thursday on the fifth week). Fish - only to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Palm Sunday.
Although this measure us seems excessively harsh, it, however, is achievable for a healthy body.
In everyday life of the old Russian Orthodox family, you can see strict execution of lean days and posts. Even the princes and kings fasted as they will not be fast, maybe many of the monks.
So, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich a great post was dinner only three times a week - on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and on the other days I only eaten on a piece of black bread with salt, on a salty mushroom or cucumber, drinking by kvass.
Some Egyptian buildings in antiquity practiced a great post of complete forty-day abstinence from food, following this regard to the example of Moses and the Lord himself.
Surfood posts conducted two times one of the brothers of the Optio Desert - Schimonakh Vasian, who lived there in the middle of the XIX century. This sampler, by the way, as well as the PRP. Seraphim, to a large extent he had a "sick" grass. He lived up to 90 years.
37 days did not bother either food or drinking (except for one communion) Inokine Love Marto-Mariinsky monastery. It should be noted that during this post, she did not feel any weakening of the forces and, as they said about her, "her voice thundered in the chorus as if even stronger than the previous one."
She committed this post before Christmas; He ended at the end of Christmas liturgy, when she suddenly felt an insurmountable desire to eat. Unable to own themselves, she immediately went to the kitchen for eating.
It should be noted, however, that the norm described above and the norm recommended for the Great Post is not considered to be now so strictly mandatory for everyone. The church recommends as a well-known minimum, only the transition by post permanently in harmony with its instructions for each of the posts and lean days.
The execution of this norm for quite healthy people is considered mandatory. Nevertheless, she provides jealousy and diligence of every Christian: "Milicness I want, not the victims," \u200b\u200bsays the Lord (). At the same time, we need to remember that the post is not necessary to the Lord, but to us for the salvation of our soul. "When you fasten ... did you have fasted?" The Lord says the lord of the Prophet Zechariah (7, 5).
Therefore, the post is practiced in the church as a means of preparing yourself to any undertaking. Having needed in any, individual Christians, Inkocks, monasteries or churches imposed a post with enhanced prayer.
The post has, in addition, and another positive side, which angel drew attention to Erma's vision (see the book "Erma Shepherd").
Replacing the rapid food more simple and cheap, or reducing its number, a Christian can reduce the costs of itself. And this will give him the opportunity more means to turn to the affairs of mercy.
Angel gave such an instruction to Erma: "On that day, in which they will hurt, do not fall apart, except for bread and water, and the costs of the costs that you would have done on this day for the example of past days, the remaining of this day postponed and give widow , orphan or poor; So you humble your soul, and I received from you will be saturated and will pray for you to God. "
Angel also pointed out Erma and that the post is not an end in itself, but only a utility tool to purify the heart. And the post of one who seeks to this goal and does not fulfill the commandments of God - can not be pleasing to God and is fruitless.
Essentially, the attitude to the post is a test stone for the soul of Christian in its attitude to the Church of Christ, and through the last one - to Christ.
As writes about. Alexander Yelchaninov: "... In the post, a person manifests himself: some have the highest abilities of the Spirit, others are made only irritable and evil - the post opens the true essence of man."
The soul, living the live faith in Christ, cannot neglect the post. Otherwise, she will unite themselves with those who are indifferent to Christ and religion, with those who, according to the prot. :
"Everyone is eating - and in the great Thursday, when a mystery of the evening is committed and the Son of Man is indulging; And in the Great Friday, when we hear the cry of Our Lady in the coffin of a crucible son on his burial day.
For such, there is neither Christ nor the Mother of God, nor a secret evening, nor Calvary. What can they have a post? "
Turning to Christians, oh. Valentine writes: "Hold and follow the post as the great church shrine. Every time you refrain from forbidden in the days of the post, you are with all the church. You are doing in complete one-mindedness and one thing that did the whole church and all the holy worship of God from the very first days of the Summer of the Church. And it will give you the power and hardness in your spiritual life. "
The value and purpose of the post in the life of a Christian can be summarized with the following PrP. Isaac Syrianina:
"The post is the fence of all the virtue, the beginning of the struggle, the crown of the abstine, the beauty of the National, the source of chastity and prudence, the teacher of silence, the predecessor of all the good deeds ...
From the post and abstinence is born in the soul of the fruit - maintaining secrets of God. "
Inspectancy in post.
I want mercy, not the victims.
()
Show ... In the virtue of reason.
()
Everyone is good in us has a kind of line,
crossing which is unnoticed by evil.
(Prot.)
All of the above on the post refers, however, we repeat, only to healthy people. As for all virtues, and for the post also need prudence.
As writes the PRP. Cassian Roman: "The extremes, as the holy fathers say, from the other side are equally harmful - and the ultra of the post and the suggestion of the womb. We know some, who, not being defeated by the gluttony, were lowered by immeasurable post, and fell into the same passion of the curriad, because of the weakness that occurred from an excessive post.
Moreover, an unlimited abstinence is harmful to suggestion, because from the latter, due to repentance, it is possible to go to the correct operation, and from the first one cannot.
The general rule of refrain rate is that everyone in accordance with the forces, body condition and age talked so much food as needed to maintain the health of the body, and not how much the wishes requires saturation.
The monk should so reasonably work for foster, no matter how to stay in the body of a hundred years; And so curb spiritual movements - to forget the insults, cut off the sadness, not to put sorrow - how can die every day. "
It should be remembered how the AP. Paul warned those who are unreasonable (Sophisticated and coming) fastened - "It has only a kind of wisdom in self-friendly ministry, humility and body exhaustion, in some negligence of flesh saturation" ().
At the same time, the post is not a rite, but the mystery of the human soul, which the Lord tells to hide from others.
The Lord says: "When fast, do not be sad, as hypocrites, for they take on gloomy faces to seem like people standing up. True I tell you that they are already getting their reward.
And you, when you hook, your lipstick your head and your mind your face to appear not before people, but before the father of yours, which is secret, and your father, who seems secret, will reward you clearly "().
And therefore, the Christian must be hidden both their repentance - prayer and inner tears, and their post and their abstinence in food.
Here you have to be afraid of anyone identifying your difference from others and be able to hide your feat and your deprivation from them.
Here are a few examples to the life of saints and devotees.
The post will be nerazenumen and when he will put barriers to hospitably treating you; We will roighten this by the surrounding post in neglect.
The Moscow Metropolitan Filaret tells such a case: somehow he came to his spiritual children just to dinner. On the debt of hospitality, he had to invite him to dinner. At the table was served soon, and the day was lean.
The species did not file Metropolitan and, not the confusion of the owners, tasted the rapid. So condescension to the glimpse of the spiritual neighbor and love, he set up higher than the observance of the post.
In general, it is impossible to treat church settings at all, and, after following the exact execution of the rules, do not make any exceptions from the last. We must remember the words of the Lord that "Saturday for a person, not a person for Saturday" ().
As Metropolitan Innocent Moscow writes: "There were examples that even the monks, like, for example, holy, consumed any food and even meat at any time.
But how much? So much to be alive only, and it did not prevent him with adequately communion of Saints secrets and, finally, did not prevent the saint ...
Of course, it is not prudent without need to break the post of fast food intake. The one who can meet the post of dissembly of food, that respect; But, most importantly, observe and do not disturb the post of mental, and then your post will be pleasant to God.
But whoever does not have the ability to disassemble food, he consume everything that God will give, but without excess; But it will certainly be strictly fasting by soul, mind and thoughts, and then your post will also be pleasant to God as the post of strict wilderness.
The purpose of the post is to relieve and pacify the body, curb the wishes and disarm passion.
Because the church, asking you about food, not so much asks about that - what do you eat food? - How much about what you use it for?
The Lord himself approved the act of Tsar David, when he had to disrupt the rule and there are "Bread of proposals that should not have either nor to him with him" ().
Therefore, given the need, you can, with a sick and weak body and old age, make relief and exceptions during the post.
Sv. Up. Paul writes to his student Timothy: "In the continuation of Pey, not one water, but they use a little wine, for the sake of your stomach and frequent of your ailments" ().
PS Wronophius Great and John say: "What is a post, if not punishing the body in order to pacify the body healthy and make it weak for passions according to the word of the apostle:" When I am disgraced, then Silen "().
And the disease is more punishment and imputed instead of post - even more appreciated. Who tolerates it with patience, thanks to God, that by patience gets the fringe of his salvation.
Instead of weakening the power of the body by post, it is already weakened by the disease.
Thank you to God that you have freed from fasting. If you and there are ten times a day, you will not be sad: you will not be convicted for what you do so not in the opposite of yourself. "
On the correctness of the standards of the PRP. Wronophius and John give such an indication: "Regarding the post, I will say: the heart of your heart, whether it is a vanity, and if it is not overhaudible, there is a second time, does not make you a weak and in the performance of it, for And if it does not harm you, your post is right. "
As Nikifor's wildlife spoke in the book of V. Svenzitsky "Citizens of the sky": "The Lord requires no hunger, and the feat. The feat is something that a person can make the largest in its forces, and the rest - by grace. Our forces are now weak, and the exploits of the big Lord do not require us.
I tried to quickly fast, and I see that I can not. I deplete - no strength pray, as it should. One day so weaken from the post, I can't read the rule. "
Here is an example of the wrong post.
EP. Herman writes: "Exhaustion is a sign of the malfunction of the post; It is also harmful as suggestion. And the great elders knocked oil soup on the first saddemice of the Great Post. Sick flesh has nothing to cut, but you need to support. "
So, any weakening of health and working capacity when posting is already talking about his incorrectness and exceeding its norm.
"I like more to be exhausted more from work than from the post," said one shepherd to his spiritual children.
It is best when the instant are guided by the instructions of experienced spiritual leaders. It should be remembered the following case from the life of the PSP. . In one of his monasteries in the hospital lay a monk, depleted by the disease. He asked to serve me to give me meat. They refused to him in this request, based on the rules of the monastery charter. The patient asked him to assign himself to the PRP. Pahomi. The reverend was amazed by the extreme exhaustion of the ink, I cried, looking at the patient, and began to root the hospital brethren for their crucial. He ordered immediately to fulfill the patient's request to strengthen his weakened body and encourage a sad soul.
Wise Mobility Pious - Arseny's Agotiation so wrote the elderly and sick brother of the Bishop in the days of the Great Post: "I'm afraid you burden yourself with heavy lean food and ask you to forget that now the post, but to eat inheritant food, nutritious and easy. The difference in days is given to us by the church, as a zero of a healthy flesh, and you are given a disease and a weakness of old age. "
However, which violates the post of illness or other gentity, still it should be remembered that some kind of minority and uncontuits may occur here.
Therefore, when the spiritual children of the elder about. Alexey Zosimovsky accounted for the prescription of the doctor to violate the post, then the old man ordered himself in these cases to pray and pray: "Lord, forgive me that I have violated the Holy Post in my opinion, and not think that it's as if so and need.
About this with an exhaustive clarity is spoken by the book of the Prophet Isaiah. Jews appeal to God: "Why do we post, and you do not see? We humble your souls, and you do not know? " The Lord's lords of the Prophet answers them: "Here on the day of the post of your post you play your will and demand hard work from others. Here you will fast for quarrels and strife and in order to beat your own hand to others: you do not stop at this time so that your voice is heard at the height. Is that the post that I chose, the day, in which a man's soul's soul, when he gets his head, like a reed, and climbs her rubbish and ashes? Do you call the post and afternoon, pleasing to the Lord? Here is the post that I chose: Allow the shackles of untrue, unit of the bonds of the Yarma, depressed let go to freedom and dissolve any yoke; We divide your hungry bread, and woven the poor enter the house; When you see Nazhogo - Dress it and you do not hide yours. Then it will open, like dawn, your light, and your healing will soon increase, and the truth will go to you, and the glory of the Lord will accompany you. Then you will call, and the Lord will hear; I creep and he will say: "Here I" "().
This wonderful place from the book of the Prophet Isaiah denounces many - both ordinary Christians and shepherds of the herd of Christ. Obtains those who think to escape, only by following the letter of the post and forgetting about the commandments of mercy, love to neighbor and serving them. Obtains those shepherders that "bind the burden heavy and uncomfortable and impose on the shoulders to people" (). These are the shepherds that require our spiritual children to strictly comply with the "Rules" of the post, without considering their old age, nor their painful state. After all, the Lord said: "I want a mercy, not the victims" ().
St. Petersburg
2005
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