The severity of the weather and relaxations in fasting
Archimandrite Justin (Parvu) We are going through the wonderful fast of the joy of the Nativity of Christ, so beautiful and so suitable for the severe winter season. There is continually inclement weather around, with sharp frosts, winds, snowstorms, mercilessness and severity for the body. Apparently, this is why the Typicon provides some relaxations for us in fasting on Saturdays, Sundays, and allowing fish.
Why is there relaxation in fasting?
An explanation should be given for these relaxations. Because, my brethren, relaxations in Orthodox life are allowed for weak people. Not for those who really strive to labor hard in the process of fasting.
And again, there are many aspects of observing the fast. I can fast splendidly: eat beans, a variety of treats, take snacks with aperitifs—the culinary delicacies that came to us from time immemorial from the West.1 Well, now we cook all sorts of gastronomic contrivances... Besides, we no longer know, no longer see our ancient corn flatcake served with white Turkish pumpkin. We no longer see placinda (cheese pies) with apples, with our traditional plums and rice, when our mothers would take away the dishes at the beginning of the fasting season. There were clay bowls, which she would put into a beautiful basket and take up to the attic, bringing down dishes of worse quality from there. Wooden spoons and that’s it. Everyone did it.
The whole family should fast
Nowadays people think: “My child is still small, he can’t fast.” Yes, he cannot fast, but he is the first to play pranks!
One day a mother came to confession, and the priest told her:
“Make sure that your whole family observes the fast.”
“But how is it possible? My daughter is only fifteen, and she cannot fast!”
And who was at the discotheque on Saturday? She was walking with her daughter, and asked her, “Elena, where are you going tonight?” “I’m going to take a walk with my friend...” she answers. So she’s not too young for the disco, but too young to observe the fast?
How to fast genuinely?
And that’s how it’s done. I will give you another thing to consider: Fasting is fasting! However, it does not really matter what you eat. First of all, what matters is how you serve food during the fast. Because, for instance, you can eat non-fasting food, but eat very moderately, very abstinently and get up from the table with the thought that it would be nice to eat some more food. And this “some more food”, if you do not serve it, means fasting. If we have lunch at noon or one in the afternoon, then half an hour later (or half an hour before lunch) we eat another spoonful of food or an apple, a chestnut, a banana, and then eat a cookie—and so on all day long, then we become the same as our horses in former times, with a nosebag hanging next to the shaft. Every horse had its own nosebag: it would stand for a while, then stick its muzzle into the bag with oats, and start munching!
The risk of fasting for naught
And so our Christian is served food all the time, all day long, and he “fasts”... Know that in this case your entire fast is brought to naught! It’s gone! The table should be set at the same time daily, fasting should be observed with great rigor, and between the meals you must not eat anything! Only then will a little abstinence manifest itself. After all, what is fasting in essence? It is abstinence. Now you can eat, as we said, or you can even fast on Pascha Day, when you are told, “Take a glass of wine, take two or three dishes.” But, as the Holy Fathers teach, everything in moderation. And then you always fast. This is an attribute of a true Christian—to always be in a state of vigilance and watchfulness in all respects.
Ancient customs
Now wonderful festivities are coming, connected with our marvelous customs, with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker—this father of presents. These customs, which have been observed since ancient times for the joy of our children, are drawing closer and closer. So announce this and tell everybody in advance about the great feast! Thus the path of fasting will become wider before St. Nicholas Day.
Know that this fast is the most beautiful, the most balanced and the most moderate one. We Romanians, for example, have been under two spheres of influence—Greek and Slavic. Well, the Romanian people learned from both, and eventually developed their own customs. And it continues to be a great thing for us to visit the elderly, the pregnant wives, the children, and the sick. The priest says as he comes to every house: “Get ready for the holy days!”—for Pascha, for St. Peter’s feast, the Nativity of Christ, and the Dormition.
Fasting as rest for the soul and body
There are people who use the conditions of old age and infirmity as an excuse for relaxations in fasting, but know that this is to their detriment! Because fasting, my dear ones, is recommended for everyone, from top to bottom! In both the spiritual and the scientific worlds, from the lord to the last country bumpkin, from most highly educated to the lowest—the state of rest for soul and body is recommended to everyone.
“But I can’t fast, because I have a bad liver... My kidneys and heart hurt.”
Know that there are no diseases in fasting, and illness does not exist to harm you in fasting.
Conscience, experience and self-control during fasting
But we proceed from the idea that we are sick. Besides, we have everything at hand. And even if a bishop or a priest gives us permission to relax our fast, everyone nevertheless has his own conscience. And both the one who allows and the one who is allowed are in some danger. One says:
“I can’t! The doctor says I can’t fast. I can’t!”
All right. But if your physician is a Christian and knows the measure of things, then know that he will not tell you to eat non-fasting food, meat and fatty products during a fasting period with the disease that you have. But if he is not a Christian and has never experienced any diseases or fasting, then he will certainly say:
“You can’t fast! Eat!”
So, if our salvation were to depend on the physician, then it would be in some danger.
Therefore, act according to your conscience, not according to what your body dictates to you. For can train it and shape it as you live your whole life. If you train it in self-restraint and limits, then you can direct it wherever you want. If you give it relaxations and permissions, it will guide you and ultimately lead you into the abyss and the judgment seat of God—not the way you should be, but the way you were in your life.
