The Nativity Fast - El Ayuno de Navidad

 

ENGLISH:

The Nativity Fast, Advent
November 15/28 - December 24 - January 6

The rules of abstinence prescribed by the Church to follow during the Christmas Fast are similar to those prescribed during the Apostles' Fast. It is clear that during the Fast we must abstain from meat and dairy products. Besides that, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays of the Nativity Fast consumption of fish, oil and wine is prohibited. On the other weekdays—Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays—food with vegetable oil is allowed. During the Nativity Fast, it is permitted to eat fish on Saturdays, Sundays and on Great Feast Days—for example on the Presentation of the Mother of God—patron saints’ days, and saint's days that are celebrated with a polyeleos service if these feasts fall on Tuesdays or Thursdays. If they fall on Wednesdays or Fridays, only wine and oil are allowed. During the week preceding Christmas Eve the fast become stricter; we abstain from fish even on Saturdays and Sundays.



How to spend the Time of the Fast

We must devote the days of the fast to the deeds of piety, as these days are holy. The Word of the Lord witnesses that the fast… shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts” (Zach. 8, 19). However, the days of the fast differ from holidays and working days. On feast days the Church calls us to thank God and the saints for God's great works; and during the fasts, to be reconciled with God and to take part in the life, sufferings and the death of the Saviour and the saints. Feasts make us disposed to spiritual joy and hope, and fasts, to contrition and tears. On feast days, out of spiritual joy, the Church blesses hearty meals; but during fasts it prescribes frugal ones, lenten fare. The Church rule clearly sets forth both the appointed time of meals and the quality of lenten fare. Everything is strictly calculated to weaken carnal desires, which are excited by hearty and sweet meals. It is not designed to greatly weaken our flesh, but rather to make it light, strong, and more submissive to our spiritual will, and to preserve it vigorous to fulfill the demands of the spirit.

The Church rule teaches us what we must avoid during fasts: “Those who keep the fast must strictly observe the rules on the quality of the fare, i.e., to abstain from eating some foods. These foods must not be considered foul (no so!) but only improper during the fast, and not allowed by the Church at that time. During fasts we must abstain from eating meat, cheese, butter, eggs, milk and sometimes fish, according to different fasts.”

There are five degrees of strictness during fasts:

1) complete abstinance from meals;

2) xerophagy, or eating uncooked food;

3) eating hot food without oil;

4) eating hot food with vegetable oil;

5) eating fish.

When fish is allowed you may also eat hot food with vegetable oil. Those who have a desire to keep a stricter fast than what is prescribed by the Church rule should first receive a blessing to do so from their spiritual instructors.

A bodily fast without the spiritual fast is meaningless for the soul's salvation; to the contrary, it may become spiritually harmful if a person abstaining from food is filled with feelings of his superiority. A true fast is bound up with prayer, penance, eradicating evils, forgiveness of offences, abstaining from passions and vices, entertainment and watching TV. The fast is not an object in itself but a means of restraining our carnal desires and cleansing ourselves of sins. Without prayers and penance fasting becomes only a “diet”. In keeping a bodily fast it is necessary to keep a spiritual fast: Brethren, if we keep the fast of the body, let us keep a spiritual fast to save us from unrighteousness, the Church exhorts us. The essence of fasting is expressed in one of the Church hymns: “O my soul, in abstaining from food but not from desires, in vain do you seek consolation; for if fasting does not reform you, you will incur God's wrath as being false, and make yourself like the evil demons who never eat”.

 

 

Learning to keep the fast

The basis of fasting is the struggle against sins through abstaining from food, not through physical exhaustion. Therefore all who keep the fast should take account of their strength and the degree of experience in following rules of fasting. Fasting is an ascetic labor which requires training and gradualness. It is necessary to enter the labor of fasting gradually, beginning with abstaining from dishes containing meat and milk products on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the whole year. Those who try to go from never fasting to suddenly fasting very strictly are likely to either ruin their health, or to become impatient and irritated due to hunger. Such zeal not according to reason causes them to become angry with everyone and everything; the fast becomes insufferable for them, and in the end they just give it up entirely. To make our fast endure we need to learn how to do it gradually, with great attention, step by step. Each should define how much food is sufficient for him, and then gradually decrease his daily intake of food to to the optimum amount, so that he is not weak and can do his daily work. The main rule given by the Lord is: let our hearts not to be burdened with gluttony and drinking. Those who want to keep the fast should consult an experienced priest, tell him about their spiritual and physical condition, and ask his blessing to keep the fast.

 

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ESPAÑOL: 

 

El ayuno de la Natividad, Adviento 

15/28 de noviembre - 24 de diciembre - 6 de enero 

 

Las reglas de abstinencia prescritas por la Iglesia a seguir durante el Ayuno de Navidad son similares a las prescritas durante el Ayuno de los Apóstoles. Está claro que durante el Ayuno debemos abstenernos de carne y productos lácteos. Además, los lunes, miércoles y viernes de Natividad está prohibido el consumo rápido de pescado, aceite y vino. El resto de días laborables (martes, jueves y sábados) se permiten alimentos con aceite vegetal. Durante el Ayuno de Natividad, está permitido comer pescado los sábados, domingos y las grandes fiestas (por ejemplo, en la Presentación de la Madre de Dios), días de los santos patronos y días santos que se celebran con un servicio de polieleos si estas fiestas caen los martes o jueves. Si caen en miércoles o viernes sólo se permite vino y aceite. Durante la semana anterior a Nochebuena el ayuno se vuelve más estricto; Nos abstenemos de comer pescado incluso los sábados y domingos.
 

 

Cómo aprovechar el Tiempo del Ayuno 

 

Debemos dedicar los días de ayuno a las obras de piedad, ya que estos días son santos. La Palabra del Señor da testimonio de que el ayuno… será para la casa de Judá gozo y alegría, y alegres banquetes” (Zac. 8, 19). Sin embargo, los días de ayuno difieren de los días festivos y laborables. En los días festivos la Iglesia nos llama a agradecer a Dios y a los santos por las grandes obras de Dios; y durante los ayunos, reconciliarse con Dios y participar en la vida, los sufrimientos y la muerte del Salvador y de los santos. Las fiestas nos preparan para la alegría y la esperanza espirituales, y los ayunos, para la contrición y las lágrimas. En los días de fiesta, por alegría espiritual, la Iglesia bendice las comidas copiosas; pero durante los ayunos prescribe ayunos frugales y de cuaresma. La regla de la Iglesia establece claramente tanto el horario señalado para las comidas como la calidad de la comida de cuaresma. Todo está estrictamente calculado para debilitar los deseos carnales, que se excitan con comidas copiosas y dulces. No está diseñado para debilitar mucho nuestra carne, sino más bien para hacerla liviana, fuerte y más sumisa a nuestra voluntad espiritual, y para preservarla vigorosa para cumplir con las demandas del espíritu.

 

La regla de la Iglesia nos enseña lo que debemos evitar durante los ayunos: “Quienes guardan el ayuno deben observar estrictamente las reglas sobre la calidad de la comida, es decir, abstenerse de comer algunos alimentos. Estos alimentos no deben considerarse asquerosos (¡no!), sino sólo inadecuados durante el ayuno, y no permitidos por la Iglesia en ese momento. Durante los ayunos debemos abstenernos de comer carne, queso, mantequilla, huevos, leche y a veces pescado, según los diferentes ayunos.” 

 

Hay cinco grados de rigor durante el ayuno: 

 

1) abstinencia total de comidas; 

 

2) xerofagia o comer alimentos crudos; 

 

3) comer alimentos calientes sin aceite; 

 

4) comer alimentos calientes con aceite vegetal; 

 

5) comer pescado.

 

Cuando se permite el pescado, también se pueden comer alimentos calientes con aceite vegetal. Aquellos que deseen guardar un ayuno más estricto que el prescrito por la regla de la Iglesia deben primero recibir una bendición para hacerlo de sus instructores espirituales. 

 

Un ayuno corporal sin el ayuno espiritual no tiene sentido para la salvación del alma; por el contrario, puede volverse espiritualmente dañino si una persona que se abstiene de comer se llena de sentimientos de superioridad. Un verdadero ayuno está ligado a la oración, la penitencia, la erradicación de los males, el perdón de las ofensas, la abstención de pasiones y vicios, el entretenimiento y la televisión. El ayuno no es un objeto en sí mismo sino un medio para restringir nuestros deseos carnales y limpiarnos de pecados. Sin oraciones y penitencia, el ayuno se convierte sólo en una “dieta”. Al guardar un ayuno corporal es necesario guardar un ayuno espiritual: Hermanos, si guardamos el ayuno del cuerpo, guardemos un ayuno espiritual para salvarnos de la injusticia, nos exhorta la Iglesia. La esencia del ayuno se expresa en uno de los himnos de la Iglesia: “Oh alma mía, al abstenerte del alimento pero no de los deseos, en vano buscas consuelo; porque si el ayuno no os reforma, incurriréis en la ira de Dios por ser falsos, y os haréis como los demonios malvados que nunca comen.”

 

 

 

Aprendiendo a mantener el Ayuno 

 

La base del ayuno es la lucha contra los pecados mediante la abstinencia de alimentos, no mediante el agotamiento físico. Por lo tanto, todos los que guardan el ayuno deben tener en cuenta su fuerza y ​​el grado de experiencia en el cumplimiento de las reglas del ayuno. El ayuno es una labor ascética que requiere entrenamiento y gradualidad. Es necesario iniciar la labor del ayuno gradualmente, comenzando por abstenerse de platos que contengan carne y productos lácteos los miércoles y viernes durante todo el año. Aquellos que intentan pasar de no ayunar nunca a ayunar repentinamente de forma muy estricta, probablemente arruinarán su salud o se impacientarán e irritarán debido al hambre. Tal celo no conforme a la razón les hace enfadarse con todos y con todo; el ayuno se vuelve insoportable para ellos y al final lo abandonan por completo. Para que nuestro ayuno dure debemos aprender a hacerlo de forma gradual, con mucha atención, paso a paso. Cada uno debe definir cuánta comida es suficiente para él y luego disminuir gradualmente su ingesta diaria de alimentos hasta la cantidad óptima, para que no se debilite y pueda realizar su trabajo diario. La regla principal dada por el Señor es: que nuestro corazón no se cargue con la glotonería y la bebida. Aquellos que quieran guardar el ayuno deben consultar a un sacerdote experimentado, informarle sobre su condición física y espiritual y pedirle su bendición para guardar el ayuno.

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Against The Heresy of Ecumenism: The Holy Zeal of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Archbishop Averky)

 

 

An examination of an important part of the holy personality of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, his great love and zeal for Christ and His Church. 

Archbishop Averky was a righteous shepherd of the 20th century who served as Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. He was spiritual son of the great 20th century theologian and holy hierarch, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava, Russia, and therefore a living link in America to the Faith of Pre-Revolutionary Russia. Archbishop Averky was so esteemed that before his repose, St. John Maximovitch told Fr. Seraphim Rose that if he had any theological questions to ask Archbishop Averky. The honorable Archbishop reposed in 1976 and his relics lie in a small chapel for veneration at Holy Trinity Monastery. 

 

 The Holy Zeal of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Video)

 

Archbishop Averky writes: 

By citing such a picturesque example, we do not in the least wish to say that every one of us can or should follow this example literally: for this one must be himself just as great a holy hierarch as St. Nicholas. But this should absolutely convince us that we do not dare to remain indifferent or be unconcerned about the manifestations of evil in the world, especially when the matter is one of God’s glory, of our Holy Faith and Church. Here we must show ourselves to be completely uncompromising, and we do not dare enter into any sort of cunning compromises or any reconciliation, even purely outward, or into any kind whatever of agreement with evil. To our personal enemies, according to Christ’s commandment, we must forgive everything, but with the enemies of God we cannot have peace! Friendship with the enemies of God makes us ourselves the enemies of God: this is a betrayal and treason towards God, under whatever well-seeming pretexts it might be done, and here no kind of cunning or skillful self-justification can help us! 

Only holy zeal for God, for Christ, without any admixture of any kind of slyness or ambiguous cunning politics, must guide us in all deeds and actions. 

Be zealous, therefore, and repent! (Apoc. 3:19). 

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