"Strict Fast"

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authiodionitist

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Hi all,

Wednesday is usually a fast for the commemoration for the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, and today is the commemoration of the beheading of the Forerunner.

So what does "Strict Fast" mean?
I work right across the street from my parish, and I just went to Liturgy, and I didn't get a chance to ask the priest. So now I'm kinda hungry and wondering if I should be pondering more intensely the Scripture "men do not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the Lord."
 

authiodionitist

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"Strict Fast" usually means you cannot eat the following:

  1. meat;
  2. animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard, drippings);
  3. fish (i.e., fish with backbones);
  4. oil (i.e., olive oil) and wine (i.e., all alcoholic drinks).
It says on the OCA calendar today that it is a "Strict fast." The rubrics you mention are just like a regular Judas or Crucifixion fast. So what is different?
 
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Protoevangel

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Like Monica said, talk to your priest. Do not begin to fast without doing so! Your priest may not have you observe a strict fast in the beginning. He is a doctor for your soul. Take exactly the medicine he prescribes. No more; no less.
 
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NyssaTheHobbit

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My parish does very little strict fasting, from what I'm told. Our priest says it's not about weakening the body; you do what you can handle. It's very much an ask-your-priest matter.
 
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choirfiend

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Strict fasting is only "prescribed" a few times a year. It denotes a total fast from food and drink. Since "prescriptions" on fasting are first a monastic endeavor, however, laypersons may often follow a different method, as instructed by their priest.
 
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Protoevangel

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choirfiend said:
Strict fasting is only "prescribed" a few times a year. It denotes a total fast from food and drink.
I don't think that's quite accurate. If that is true, then we are supposed to fast totally from all food and drink for 13 days this month.

GOARCH Calendar for April 2007
Note the
cross.gif
denotes a "strict fast".

Also, according to abbamoses.com, Fasting Rule, "Unless a fast-free period has been declared, Orthodox Christians are to keep a strict fast every Wednesday and Friday."

Also, according to the OCA, "...a strict fast is observed, in which no meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine or oil are to be eaten.

Abbamoses.com, and a few other places I've seen, seem to call this a "total fast". Although, it is certianly "strict" as well. ;)
 
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Nickolai

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I don't think that's quite accurate. If that is true, then we are supposed to fast totally from all food and drink for 13 days this month.

GOARCH Calendar for April 2007
Note the
cross.gif
denotes a "strict fast".

Also, according to abbamoses.com, Fasting Rule, "Unless a fast-free period has been declared, Orthodox Christians are to keep a strict fast every Wednesday and Friday."

Also, according to the OCA, "...a strict fast is observed, in which no meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine or oil are to be eaten.

Abbamoses.com, and a few other places I've seen, seem to call this a "total fast". Although, it is certianly "strict" as well. ;)

No Choirfiend is completly correct in this case. The "strict fast" that we are speaking of today means no food or drink. But it mainly applies to monastics. However, I have also been told that this fast specifically calls for xerophagy (dry eating), meaning not eating anything cooked, but eating only bread and water, and maybe a little bit of fruit.
 
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Protoevangel

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Nickolai said:
No Choirfiend is completly correct in this case. The "strict fast" that we are speaking of today means no food or drink. But it mainly applies to monastics. However, I have also been told that this fast specifically calls for xerophagy (dry eating), meaning not eating anything cooked, but eating only bread and water, and maybe a little bit of fruit.
Well, you are arguing with GOARCH, OCA, etc. Not me.

I could really care less either way. I fast however my Spiritual Father directs me to.
 
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choirfiend

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No, you're arguing with the terminology that an author chose to use when writing a webpage meant for simple inquiry. Holy Friday and today are the kind of "strict fast" that I described, regardless of descriptions using the word "strict" elsewhere.
 
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Oblio

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Nor are fasting 'rules' uniform between different 'traditions' (SF advice notwithstanding). My previous SF, a hieromonk advised us to strive for the monastic idea attenuated as I was working and DW was expecting. IOW fish was allowed on regular fast days, or pasta/rice with maybe a little oil on strict days. I had flavored rice with fresh tomatoes for lunch today. While fasting and keeping in prayer today is the ideal, trying to build an embedded system software suite while learning a new language to configure the system, while getting ready for a status meeting tomorrow is not conducive to the idea fast proscribed today.
 
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cassc

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Fating is one of those things to be really careful about. For anyone very new reading this, I know that it can be a paint to hear- ask your priest when you just want an answer. but the thing to understand is that there are very few Rules in Orthodoxy, most things recommendations (well someone else put it better when they said prescription) only you and your Spiritual Father can figure out how you should approach things in the healthiest way for you (both spiritually and physically) So it is actually better to no do anything at all then to go do something without guidance...
 
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Protoevangel

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No, you're arguing with the terminology that an author chose to use when writing a webpage meant for simple inquiry. Holy Friday and today are the kind of "strict fast" that I described, regardless of descriptions using the word "strict" elsewhere.
I see what you are saying now. It looked to me like you were contradicting Friul's post (#2), but somehow I missed authiodionitist's second post (#3).

Sorry 'bout that. :doh:
 
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