{"id":2139,"date":"2016-06-29T10:39:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T10:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.smallpage.online\/2016\/06\/29\/the-importance-of-fasting-and-its\/"},"modified":"2019-09-17T11:20:59","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T11:20:59","slug":"the-importance-of-fasting-and-its","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/the-importance-of-fasting-and-its","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Fasting and Its Observance Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"featured_img aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/tumblr_m03p52JHTQ1qkynm4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"370\" border=\"0\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;\" align=\"center\"><em>\u00a0(From the Official Documents of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church)<\/em><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">1.\u00a0 Fasting is a divine commandment (Gen 2:16-17). According to Basil the Great, fasting is as old as humanity itself; it was prescribed in paradise (On Fasting, 1, 3. PG 31, 168A). It is a great spiritual endeavor and the foremost expression of the Orthodox ascetic ideal. The Orthodox Church, in strict conformity with the apostolic precepts, the synodal canons, and the patristic tradition as a whole, has always proclaimed the great significance of fasting for our spiritual life and salvation. The annual liturgical cycle reflects the entire patristic teaching on fasting, the teaching on constant and unceasing watchfulness of the human person, and our participation in spiritual struggles. Accordingly, the Triodion praises fasting as grace that is full of light, as an invincible weapon, the beginning of spiritual struggles, the perfect path of virtues, the nourishment for the soul, the source of all wisdom, life imperishable, an imitation of the angelic life, the mother of all good things and virtues.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">2.\u00a0 As an ancient institution, fasting was mentioned already in the Old Testament (Deut 9:18; Is 58:4-10; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5-7) and affirmed in the New Testament. The Lord Himself fasted for forty days before commencing His public ministry (Lk 4:1-2) and provided instructions on how to practice fasting (Mt 6:16-18). Fasting is generally prescribed in the New Testament as a means of abstinence, repentance, and spiritual edification (Mk 1:6; Acts 13:2; 14:23; Rom 14:21). Since the apostolic times, the Church has proclaimed the profound importance of fasting and established Wednesday and Friday as days of fasting (Didache 8, 1), as well as the fast before Pascha (Irenaeus of Lyons, as cited in Eusebius,\u00a0Church History 5, 24. PG 20 497B-508AB). In ecclesiastical practice that has existed for centuries, there has always been diversity with regard not only to the length of the fast before Easter (Dionysius of Alexandria,\u00a0Letter to Basilides, PG 10, 1277), but also the number and content of other periods of fasting which became customary under the influence of various factors, primarily, of the liturgical and monastic traditions, with a view to proper preparation for the great feasts. Thus, the indissoluble link between fasting and worship indicates the extent and purpose of fasting and reveals its spiritual nature. For this reason, all the faithful are invited to respond accordingly, each to the best of his or her strength and ability, while not allowing such liberty to diminish this holy institution:\u00a0\u201cSee that no one make thee to err from this path of doctrine\u2026 If thou art able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect; but if thou art not able, what thou art able, that do. But concerning meat, bear that which thou art able to do\u201d(Didache\u00a06, 1-3).<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">3.\u00a0 As a spiritual endeavor, the true fast is inseparable from unceasing prayer and genuine repentance. Repentance without fasting is fruitless (Basil the Great, On Fasting 1, 3. PG 31, 168A), as fasting without merciful deeds is dead, especially nowadays when the unequal and unjust distribution of goods deprives entire nations of their daily bread. \u201cWhile fasting physically, brethren, let us also fast spiritually. Let us loose every knot of iniquity; let us tear up every unrighteous bond; let us distribute bread to the hungry, and welcome into our homes those who have no roof over their heads\u2026\u201d (Sticheron at Vespers on Wednesday of the First Week of Lent; cf. Is 58:6-7). Fasting cannot be reduced to simple and formal abstinence from certain foods. \u201cSo let us not be selfish as we begin the abstinence from foods that is the noble fast. Let us fast in an acceptable manner, one that is pleasing to God. A true fast is one that is set against evil, it is self-control of the tongue. It is the checking of anger, separation from things like lusts, evil-speaking, lies, and false oaths. Self-denial from these things is a true fast, so fasting from these negative things is good\u201d\u00a0(Basil the Great,\u00a0On Fasting, 2, 7. PG 31, 196D). Abstinence from certain foods during the fast and temperance, not only with regard to what to eat but also how much to eat, constitutes a visible aspect of this spiritual endeavor.\u00a0\u201cIn the literal sense, fasting is abstinence from food, but food makes us neither more nor less righteous. However, in the spiritual sense, it is clear that, as life comes from food for each of us and the lack of food is a symbol of death, so it is necessary that we fast from worldly things, in order that we might die to the world and after this, having partaken of the divine nourishment, live in God\u201d\u00a0(Clement of Alexandria,\u00a0From the Prophetic Eclogae. PG 9, 704D-705A). Therefore, the true fast affects the entire life in Christ of the faithful and is crowned by their participation in divine worship, particularly in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">4.\u00a0 The forty-day fast of the Lord exemplifies fasting for the faithful, initiating their participation in the obedience in the Lord, that through it\u00a0\u201cwe might recover by its observance that which we have lost by not observing it\u201d (Gregory the Theologian,\u00a0Homily 45, On Holy Pascha, 28. PG 36, 661C). The Christocentric understanding of the spiritual dimension of fasting \u2013 in particular the fast of Great Lent \u2013 is a general rule in the entire patristic tradition and is characteristically epitomized by St Gregory Palamas:\u00a0\u201cWhen you fast like this you not only suffer with Christ and are dead with Him, but you are also risen with Him and reign with Him forever and ever. If through such a fast you have been planted together in the likeness of His death, you shall also share in His resurrection and inherit life in Him\u201d\u00a0(Homily 13, On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, PG 151, 161AB).<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">5.\u00a0 According to the Orthodox Tradition, the\u00a0\u201cmeasure of spiritual perfection is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ\u201d (Eph 4:13), and all who want to attain this should strive and grow accordingly. For this very reason, ascesis and spiritual struggle, like the refinement of the perfect, are endless in this life. Everyone is called to strive, to the best of his or her abilities, to reach the lofty Orthodox standard, which is the goal of deification by grace. Indeed, while they should do all things that they were commanded, they should nonetheless never vaunt themselves, but confess that\u00a0\u201cthey are unprofitable servants and have only done that which was their duty to do\u201d (Lk 17:10). According to the Orthodox understanding of the spiritual life, all people are obligated to maintain the good struggle of the fast; however, in a spirit of self-reproach and humble recognition of their condition, they must rely upon God\u2019s mercy for their shortcomings, inasmuch as the Orthodox spiritual life is unattainable without the spiritual struggle of the fast.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">6.\u00a0 Like a nurturing mother, the Orthodox Church has defined what is beneficial for people\u2019s salvation and established the holy periods of fasting as God-given protection in the believers\u2019 new life in Christ against every snare of the enemy. Following the example of the Holy Fathers, the Church preserves today, as she did in the past, the holy apostolic precepts, synodal canons, and sacred traditions, always advancing the holy fasts as the perfect ascetic path for the faithful leading to spiritual perfection and salvation, while proclaiming the necessity to observe all the fasts throughout the year, namely, the fasts of Great Lent, Wednesdays and Fridays, testified in the sacred canons, as well as the fasts of the Nativity, the Holy Apostles, and the Dormition of the Theotokos; there are also the single-day fasts on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, on the eve of the Epiphany, and on the day commemorating the Beheading of John the Baptist, in addition to the fasts established for pastoral reasons or observed at the desire of the faithful.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">7.\u00a0 The Church, however, has also established, with pastoral discernment, boundaries of philanthropic dispensation (oikonomia) concerning the rules of fasting. In this regard, the Church has considered physical infirmity, extreme necessity, and difficult times where she has ordained the application of the principle of ecclesiastical\u00a0oikonomia, through the responsible discernment and pastoral care of the body of bishops in the local Churches.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">8.\u00a0 It is a fact that many faithful today do not observe all the prescriptions of fasting, whether due to faint-heartedness or their living conditions, whatever these may be. However, all these instances where the sacred prescriptions of fasting are loosened, either in general or in particular instances, should be treated by the Church with pastoral care,\u00a0\u201cfor God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live\u201d (Ezek 33:11), without, however, ignoring the value of the fast. Therefore, with regard to those who find it difficult to observe the prevailing guidelines for fasting, whether for personal reasons (illness, military service, conditions of work, etc.) or general reasons (particular existing conditions in certain regions with regard to climate, as well as socioeconomic circumstances, i.e., inability to find lenten foods), it is left to the discretion of the local Orthodox Churches to determine how to exercise philanthropic oikonomia and empathy, relieving in these special cases the \u201cburden\u201d of the holy fast. All this should take place within the aforementioned context and with the objective of not diminishing the importance of the sacred institution of fasting. The Church should extend her philanthropic dispensation with prudence, undoubtedly to a greater extent when it comes to those fasts, on which the ecclesiastical tradition and practice have not always been uniform.\u00a0\u201cIt is good to fast, but may the one who fasts not blame the one who does not fast. In such matters you must neither legislate, nor use force, nor compel the flock entrusted to you; instead, you must use persuasion, gentleness and a word seasoned with salt\u201d(John of Damascus,\u00a0On the Holy Fasts, Homily 3, PG 95, 68 B).<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">9.\u00a0 Fasting for three or more days prior to Holy Communion is left to the discretion of the piety of the faithful, according to the words of Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite:\u00a0\u201c\u2026 fasting before partaking of Communion is not decreed by the divine Canons. Nevertheless, those who are able to fast even a whole week before it, are doing the right thing\u201d (Commentary of the 13th canon of Sixth Ecumenical Council,\u00a0Pedalion \u2013 English translation 307). However, the totality of the Church\u2019s faithful must observe the holy fasts and the abstinence from food from midnight for frequent participation in Holy Communion, which is the most profound expression of the essence of the Church. The faithful should become accustomed to fasting as an expression of repentance, as the fulfillment of a spiritual pledge, to achieve a particular spiritual end in times of temptation, in conjunction with supplications to God, for adults approaching the sacrament of baptism, prior to ordination, in cases where penance is imposed, as well as during pilgrimages and other similar instances.<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Bartholomew of Constantinople, Chairman<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Theodoros of Alexandria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Theophilos of Jerusalem<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Irinej of Serbia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020Daniel of Romania<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Chrysostomos of Cyprus<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All Albania<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Rastislav of Presov, the Czech Lands and Slovakia<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Leo of Karelia and All Finland<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Elder Metropolitan John of Pergamon<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Elder Archbishop Demetrios of America<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Augustinos of Germany<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Irenaios of Crete<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Isaiah of Denver<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Alexios of Atlanta<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Iakovos of the Princes\u2019 Islands<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Joseph of Proikonnisos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Meliton of Philadelphia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Emmanuel of France<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nikitas of the Dardanelles<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nicholas of Detroit<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Gerasimos of San Francisco<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Amphilochios of Kisamos and Selinos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Amvrosios of Korea<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Maximos of Selyvria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Amphilochios of Adrianopolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Kallistos of Diokleia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Antony of Hierapolis, Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox in the USA<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Job of Telmessos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Jean of Charioupolis, Head of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Gregory of Nyssa, Head of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox in the USA<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Patriarchate of Alexandria<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Gabriel of Leontopolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Makarios of Nairobi<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Jonah of Kampala<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Seraphim of Zimbabwe and Angola<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Alexandros of Nigeria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Theophylaktos of Tripoli<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Sergios of Good Hope<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Athanasios of Cyrene<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Alexios of Carthage<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ieronymos of Mwanza<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 George of Guinea<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nicholas of Hermopolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Dimitrios of Irinopolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Damaskinos of Johannesburg and Pretoria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Narkissos of Accra<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Emmanouel of Ptolemaidos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Gregorios of Cameroon<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nicodemos of Memphis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Meletios of Katanga<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Panteleimon of Brazzaville and Gabon<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Innokentios of Burudi and Rwanda<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Crysostomos of Mozambique<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Neofytos of Nyeri and Mount Kenya<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Benedict of Philadelphia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Aristarchos of Constantine<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Theophylaktos of Jordan<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nektarios of Anthidon<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Philoumenos of Pella<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of Serbia<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Jovan of Ohrid and Skopje<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Vasilije of Sirmium<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Lukijan of Budim<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Longin of Nova Gracanica<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Irinej of Backa<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Hrizostom of Zvornik and Tuzla<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Justin of Zica<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Pahomije of Vranje<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Jovan of Sumadija<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ignatije of Branicevo<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Fotije of Dalmatia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Athanasios of Bihac and Petrovac<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Joanikije of Niksic and Budimlje<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Grigorije of Zahumlje and Hercegovina<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Milutin of Valjevo<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Maksim in Western America<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Irinej in Australia and New Zealand<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 David of Krusevac<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Jovan of Slavonija<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Andrej in Austria and Switzerland<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Sergije of Frankfurt and in Germany<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ilarion of Timok<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of Romania<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Teofan of Iasi, Moldova and Bucovina<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Laurentiu of Sibiu and Transylvania<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Andrei of Vad, Feleac, Cluj, Alba, Crisana and Maramures<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Irineu of Craiova and Oltenia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ioan of Timisoara and Banat<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Iosif in Western and Southern Europe<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Serafim in Germany and Central Europe<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nifon of Targoviste<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Irineu of Alba Iulia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ioachim of Roman and Bacau<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Casian of Lower Danube<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Timotei of Arad<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nicolae in America<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Sofronie of Oradea<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nicodim of Strehaia and Severin<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Visarion of Tulcea<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Petroniu of Salaj<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Siluan in Hungary<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Siluan in Italy<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Timotei in Spain and Portugal<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Macarie in Northern Europe<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Emilian Lovisteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Ramnic<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ioan Casian of Vicina, Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of Cyprus<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Georgios of Paphos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Chrysostomos of Kition<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Chrysostomos of Kyrenia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Athanasios of Limassol<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Neophytos of Morphou<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Vasileios of Constantia and Ammochostos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nikiphoros of Kykkos and Tillyria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Barnabas of Tremithousa and Lefkara<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Christophoros of Karpasion<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nektarios of Arsinoe<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nikolaos of Amathus<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Epiphanios of Ledra<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Leontios of Chytron<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Porphyrios of Neapolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Gregory of Mesaoria<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of Greece<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Prokopios of Philippi, Neapolis and Thassos<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Chrysostomos of Peristerion<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Germanos of Eleia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Alexandros of Mantineia and Kynouria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ignatios of Arta<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Damaskinos of Didymoteixon, Orestias and Soufli<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Alexios of Nikaia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Aghios Vlasios<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Eusebios of Samos and Ikaria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Seraphim of Kastoria<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ignatios of Demetrias and Almyros<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nicodemos of Kassandreia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ephraim of Hydra, Spetses and Aegina<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Theologos of Serres and Nigrita<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Makarios of Sidirokastron<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Anthimos of Alexandroupolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Barnabas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Chrysostomos of Messenia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnon and Petroupoli<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Ioannis of Lagkada, Litis and Rentinis<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Gabriel of New Ionia and Philadelphia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Chrysostomos of Nikopolis and Preveza<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Theoklitos of Ierissos, Mount Athos and Ardameri<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of Poland<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Simon of Lodz and Poznan<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Abel of Lublin and Chelm<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Jacob of Bialystok and Gdansk<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 George of Siemiatycze<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Paisios of Gorlice<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of Albania<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Joan of Koritsa<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Demetrios of Argyrokastron<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nikolla of Apollonia and Fier<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Andon of Elbasan<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Nathaniel of Amantia<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Asti of Bylis<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Delegation of the Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Michal of Prague<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u2020 Isaiah of Sumperk<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0(From the Official Documents of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church) \u00a0 1.\u00a0 Fasting is a divine commandment (Gen 2:16-17). According&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-2139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-life-issues","tag-orthodox-wisdom"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/56cf45601e0000230070ec0e.jpg","views":{"total":106,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1768405183},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paPyw9-yv","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2139"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25754,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139\/revisions\/25754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}