Fast exceptions

[jas3]

Is there a standard set of days with fasting exceptions on the calendar? I noticed a difference between my church calendar (physical, sold in our parish bookstore) and the calendar app I use. If the schedule isn't standard across jurisdictions, at what level is it standardized (by calendar, by jurisdiction, by diocese)?

Also, on days with fasting exceptions, is it generally better not to make use of them if you don't need to, or should they be viewed more in the sense that the Church (at whatever level these exceptions are set) knows better than we do when we need a break?

 

[gzt]

Things are formally governed at the diocesan level but generally should be the same at the jurisdictional level. I'm not sure what kind of variations across the typikon you're thinking of. Almost everything is going to be the same across everybody with the only variation being Old Calendar vs New Calendar.

As for "exceptions", they are not "exceptions", they are saying what the rule is for the day. The fast free week after Pentecost, for instance, is not an accommodation for the weak to ignore if you don't need it, it is a festal period.

 

[Not David]

Is there a standard set of days with fasting exceptions on the calendar? I noticed a difference between my church calendar (physical, sold in our parish bookstore) and the calendar app I use. If the schedule isn't standard across jurisdictions, at what level is it standardized (by calendar, by jurisdiction, by diocese)?

Also, on days with fasting exceptions, is it generally better not to make use of them if you don't need to, or should they be viewed more in the sense that the Church (at whatever level these exceptions are set) knows better than we do when we need a break?

It's jurisdictional. For example, Antiochians are fast-free until the Feast of the Ascension.

 

[jas3]

I'm not sure what kind of variations across the typikon you're thinking of.

It probably has to do with jurisdiction. For example, my parish calendar has this week's Sunday, Tuesday, and Saturday as days where fish, wine, and oil are allowed. But I have an app called "Orthodox Calendar" that has wine and oil allowed every day of the week, and fish allowed every day except Wednesday and Friday.

The app does have a disclaimer that "fast exception information is based on general guidelines and might differ from church to church," but until now there seemed to be complete agreement between what I saw on that calendar and what was on my parish's calendar.

The fast free week after Pentecost, for instance, is not an accommodation for the weak to ignore if you don't need it, it is a festal period.

I wasn't referring to feasts, just to days where fish, wine, dairy, and oil are allowed.

 

[ArmyMatt]

in all honesty, the only exceptions I have ever heard are for the elderly, sick, injured, women who are pregnant or nursing, for travel if it can’t be helped, etc.

 

[The Liturgist]

in all honesty, the only exceptions I have ever heard are for the elderly, sick, injured, women who are pregnant or nursing, for travel if it can’t be helped, etc.

Shortly after I became Orthodox, I was fasting normally, but was then diagnosed with a congenital disease and started experiencing periods where I could not eat even if I wanted to and other periods where if I did not eat, my condition would deteriorate as the windows were short lived, and the IBS I had suffered since I was 12 started becoming much worse. Once I was afraid to partake of the Eucharist because I was nauseated, but miraculously it healed me.

At any rate when this became known to my parish priest, who was Syrian, he prohibited me from fasting, and since then I’ve not been allowed to fast conventionally due to ill health, since I am frequently unable to eat.

There is an OCA priest whose name I forget, who has a nice blot, but who suffers severe hypoglycemia who eats a full breakfast on the orders of his bishop before celebrating the divine liturgy.

But there are other ways of fasting for those of us who have malfunctioning digestive systems (and some of us are in continual pain, the patient bearing of which is itself an ascetic exercise). Basically, increased alms giving, increased prayer, and so on.

 

[The Liturgist]

in all honesty, the only exceptions I have ever heard are for the elderly, sick, injured, women who are pregnant or nursing, for travel if it can’t be helped, etc.

By the way I think @jas3 is talking about different rules on fastimg between jurisdictions and also how fasting is reduced for example on Saturdays, Sundays and feast days.

I was taught that one should, if in doubt, talk to their authorized confessor.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Shortly after I became Orthodox, I was fasting normally, but was then diagnosed with a congenital disease and started experiencing periods where I could not eat even if I wanted to and other periods where if I did not eat, my condition would deteriorate as the windows were short lived, and the IBS I had suffered since I was 12 started becoming much worse. Once I was afraid to partake of the Eucharist because I was nauseated, but miraculously it healed me.

At any rate when this became known to my parish priest, who was Syrian, he prohibited me from fasting, and since then I’ve not been allowed to fast conventionally due to ill health, since I am frequently unable to eat.

There is an OCA priest whose name I forget, who has a nice blot, but who suffers severe hypoglycemia who eats a full breakfast on the orders of his bishop before celebrating the divine liturgy.

But there are other ways of fasting for those of us who have malfunctioning digestive systems (and some of us are in continual pain, the patient bearing of which is itself an ascetic exercise). Basically, increased alms giving, increased prayer, and so on.

I knew a priest who was ordered to have breakfast on Sunday because he was serving well into his 90s

 

[ArmyMatt]

By the way I think @jas3 is talking about different rules on fastimg between jurisdictions and also how fasting is reduced for example on Saturdays, Sundays and feast days.

I was taught that one should, if in doubt, talk to their authorized confessor.

except those aren’t exceptions. those are the norm in a particular jurisdiction.

 

[The Liturgist]

except those aren’t exceptions. those are the norm in a particular jurisdiction.

Indeed, hence the confusion.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Indeed, hence the confusion.

ja

 

[The Liturgist]

I knew a priest who was ordered to have breakfast on Sunday because he was serving well into his 90s

Awesome.

I can’t understand why the Roman Catholics and Episcopalians have mandatory retirement ages; many of our best clergy in the Orthodox Church are just getting started at the age of 75. For example Catholicos Ilia of Georgia.

 

[The Liturgist]

Is there a standard set of days with fasting exceptions on the calendar? I noticed a difference between my church calendar (physical, sold in our parish bookstore) and the calendar app I use. If the schedule isn't standard across jurisdictions, at what level is it standardized (by calendar, by jurisdiction, by diocese)?

Also, on days with fasting exceptions, is it generally better not to make use of them if you don't need to, or should they be viewed more in the sense that the Church (at whatever level these exceptions are set) knows better than we do when we need a break?

By the way @jas3 my friend forgive the question, but you’ve been asking about this, and about canonical penalties, and multiple name days - I went through a phase after my conversion where I became kind of legalistic, and this was a confusion (and as a result of it I came dangerously close to joining a schismatic Old Believer church).

I just want to make sure you’re not worried that you aren’t doing Orthodoxy correctly. It’s a bad idea to be disturbed by books and things like fasting differences between jurisdictions; the rubrics vary between churches and in Orthodoxy the church meets the needs of its members, rather than vice versa, because the church after all is the mystical Body of Christ, and Christ loves us so much that he did literally die in order to procure our salvation and glorification, so that we could become by grace what He is by nature.

So I just wanted to check to make sure you’re not experiencing any of what I experienced, which is fairly common among neophytes.

I would recommend, instead of reading a manual of confession or worrying about fasting rules, that you focus on prayer, and if you want to read, read the liturgy, which is now completely available online, including the complete propers for all holy days, in multiple editions. I believe I sent you some material on that.

One thing you might consider doing, if your confessor gives his blessing, would be that you read the Vespers and Matins for each upcoming Sunday, and other liturgies that your parish is celebrating, or perhaps, alternately, for any interesting feasts your parish would celebrate but is unable to for lack of resources, for example, the feast of St. Panteleimon or St. Elias, which are popular but not universally celebrated. Then perhaps post an essay with your thoughts on the hymns for that liturgy here in The Ancient Way. I would do this myself but am not well enough physically. I have lately been recovering, but after the spider incident last week I’ve been feeling much less well.

 

[jas3]

I just want to make sure you’re not worried that you aren’t doing Orthodoxy correctly.

In general, no, I'm not worried about that, nor am I disturbed by anything I've asked about, just curious about minutia. I did have some scrupulosity about confession unrelated to my post on canonical penalties, but my spiritual father addressed it.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Awesome.

I can’t understand why the Roman Catholics and Episcopalians have mandatory retirement ages; many of our best clergy in the Orthodox Church are just getting started at the age of 75. For example Catholicos Ilia of Georgia.

I dunno, you’d have to ask them

 

[The Liturgist]

In general, no, I'm not worried about that, nor am I disturbed by anything I've asked about, just curious about minutia. I did have some scrupulosity about confession unrelated to my post on canonical penalties, but my spiritual father addressed it.

Good, I just wanted to check.