Home

Fasting in the Syriac Orthodox Church Of Antioch

Fasting in the Syriac Orthodox Church Of Antioch
Fasting is abstinence from eating food for a certain time of the day, after which a fasting person eats a light meal. It is a divine virtue by which the spiritual eye of the souls is enlightened to witness her Creator spiritually. It will get rid of fattened foods, which dim its eyes and insight and divert all her thoughts toward foods. Drinks, entertainment, and other earthly actions. It is not satisfied with foods and drinks but adds evil acts that do not concur with those called "children of God and brothers to the Lord Jesus Christ". Bar Hebreaus said: If many of the fattened food dim the eye of the soul and make her unable to see anything spiritually, abstinence will enlighten the brain and will draw nice images in his mind.

Therefore, every Christian should abstain from fat foods the whole period imposed by the church because the Lord said: "Whoever accepts you, accepts Me." (Mathew 10:40) "And whoever hears from you, hears from Me". (Luke 10:16). So whoever hears from the church, hears the Lord of the church and her only head Jesus Christ. It is for his benefit by saving his soul because, by fasting, it is purified and will remember that extra eating caused her to be kicked out of paradise and that by fasting and satisfaction will re-enter it.

So, why the dirty soul does not come up to spiritual purification to be cleansed and to bring back its beauty that was lost by not keeping the commandment, why humans do not wake up and take care of the salvation of their souls?

Fasting is of three kinds as divided by Bar Hebreaus. Fasting is of three types:
Common, Special, and More special".

COMMON: imposed by the church on all her children who should obey and listen to her words as listening to the words of the Lord because He said to church shepherds: "Whoever hears from you, hears from Me and whoever rejects you, rejects Me and the One who sent me." (Luke 10:16). The Lord designated the church to judge and threatened boycott and exile to whoever does not hear her words but will become like the pagan and tax collector saying: "And if he does not listen to the church, let him be like the pagan and the tax collector." (Mathew 18:17) So why then parishioners do not support the church's views as inspired by the Holy Spirit. If a person fasts or not it does not matter to God, but if he fasts, he will be fulfilling his duty as ordered by the church and thus becoming one of its loyal members. If he doesn’t, he denies God and church commandment. God does not benefit from those fasting, but they will get all the benefits.

SPECIAL: It is imposed by a person on himself and will do it any time he wants. It could be approaching a serious situation as in the Book of Acts: " As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, " Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away." (Acts 13: 2-3). It also mentioned that Barnabas and Paul "elected for them priests in every church. They prayed and fasted and rendered them to he Lord whom they believed in" (Acts 4:23) Or to subjugate the soul as said by David the prophet: "But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer would return to my own heart." (Psalm 35:13), and to subdue the body as St. Paul said: "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1Cor 9:27), or asking God for guidance for a certain action as Ezra did when he said: "Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions." (Ezra 8:21), or asking for God's mercies and blessings to save us from spiritual death as done by the people of Nineveh (Jonah 5:3) or to escape persecution as did the Israelites upon the orders of Esther (Esther 4: 3&16) or excessive sadness and depression asking God for help as did Nehemiah saying: " So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of Heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4) or because of excess worries as David did when he and his men were stunned by the news of Saul and Jonathan being killed. (2 Samuel 1:11-12)

MORE SPECIAL: It is when fasting is imposed by oneself on himself as done by monks and faithful believers as done by Anna a widow of about Eighty-Four years who would not depart from the temple, but served God with fasts and prayers night and day." (Luke 2:36-37)

Fasting is proven in the holy books formerly and recently. Joel the prophet said: "Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord, your God and cry out to the Lord." (Joel 1:14). He also said: " Now, therefore says the Lord, turn to Me with all your heart with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning" (Joel 2:12). Zechariah the prophet said: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, the fast of the tenth. Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace" (Zechariah 8:19). The Lord Jesus said: "When you fast do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting." (Mathew 6:16) He also said: "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Mathew 9:15).The Holy Bible is full of proofs of fasting obligation. All God's men, ancient and recent fasted. Moses fasted forty days and was written about him that "he was with the Lord Forty days and Forty nights he did not eat bread or drink water," and about the children of Israel that "that is all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept, They sat day until evening, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord." (Judges 20:26). Elijah, the prophet, also fasted Forty days and forty nights. The Lord Jesus also fasted Forty days and Forty nights (Mathew 4:2). Also St. Paul "when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul warned them." Acts 27:9). It is sure that fasting was ordered in the Old Testament, as mentioned in the book of Leviticus where it is written: "This shall be a statute forever for you; in the Seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls." Lev. 16:29). The Israelites throughout generations performed fasting as an everlasting obligation. Since God recommended fasting, the apostles also carried it out. St Paul said: "Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." 1Cor. 7:5). He also said: "But in all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in fasting." (2Cor. 6:4-5).

Fasting Conditions:
Fasting has an important, necessary, and unavoidable conditions. If conditions are met, then the abstainer would have met his goal, and his fasting will be acceptable.
1- The Lord Jesus said: "When you fast do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting." (Mathew 6:16), meaning: You must not boast about your fasting since you fast for your own spiritual benefit, why then you boast? Take the example of the rich man who was proud of his fasting, but he went home unjustified while the tax collector was. I truly say to you: Such fast is in vain, and all your labor is futile because you showed the world that you are fasting, people praised you; thus you got your worldly withering award. The Lord said: "They have their reward ' (Mathew 6:16), meaning that people already praised them. Such fasting is not acceptable to the Lord who said: "But you when you fast anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Mathew 6:17-18)
2- Faster should not abstain from food only but from evil deeds also. The church Malphono said: "Look all you fasters on how you meet the holy fast. Anyone who does not mix lies and denials with his fast will enjoy the kingdom of heaven with the spirituals". He also said: "All you fasters, your souls and tongues should also abstain from all wicked deeds and let it be a reconciliation with God and forgiveness of sins." St. Jacob of Saroug said: "Let us defeat all wicked thoughts and bodily instincts and dire words, with fasting."
3- Any fasting person should constantly pray. Prayers, while fasting, are like the soul to the body. Fasting will be in vain if continuous prayers do not accompany it. Malphono Mor Balay said: "Let us please the Lord Jesus with fasting and prayer." He also said: "Fasting and prayers are like a robust fortress for those who are afflicted. Prayers and fasting are a strong weapon which the devil cannot defeat." Therefore, faster should always pray with true repentance in order to be victorious with the righteous who conquered the world with their fasting and prayers.
4- If the fasting person is rich, he should donate to the poor. He should feed the hungry, and clothe the naked, as God said: "Is this not the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke ? is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh."(Isaiah 58:6-7) St. Jacob of Saroug said: "When you fast give alms to beggars because how wonderful it is when your fast goes together with charity deeds." St. Ephraim said: "fast the Forty days fast and give your bread to the hungry." Beware and sit next to your hungry brothers and give water to the thirsty, " then your light will shine like morning, your health will gain, the glory of God will strengthen you, then when you implore God He will answer you, and on the last day will say to you: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry, and you gave Me food, I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger, and you took Me in, I was naked, and you clothed Me, I was sick, and you visited Me, I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed, or thirsty and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when we did see You sick or in prison, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly I say to you since you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Mathew 25:34-40)

The number of Church Fasts:
Other than Wednesdays and Fridays fasting, our Syriac Orthodox Church observes Five Fasts.
1 - The Great Lent or the Fortieth days fast:
the church applies this fast following our Lord, who fasted and blessed these days by abstaining from food and drink Forty days and forty nights. The goal is to do likewise and defeat Satan as the Lord defeated him. This Great Lent was applied since the days of the apostles, as mentioned in the Book of Acts of the apostles, "When much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul warned them." (Acts 27:9) It was also mentioned in the apostles' letter delivered by Clements, Peter's messenger, in which they urged the faithful to observe the Great Lent. It stated in the first: "Let the Forty days fast be honored by you and starts on the Second Monday of weeks, ending on Friday before Passover. Afterward, you make sure to complete the holy Passover week and fast it." In the second: "Whoever does not observe the Great Lent, Wednesdays, and Fridays, should be dropped if he is a priest unless his behavior is due to sickness or apparent weakness, and if he is a laity, he should be cut out.

We conclude that fasting is an apostolic delivery to us, and the church practiced it throughout her roles. The attestations of church father are many like Latakia Synod decided the following: "The Fifty days lent should be obligatory. Otherwise, all of the Forty days fast will be despised. But the Forty days fast would be kept as a whole." St. Ephraim said: "Fast the Forty days lent and give your bread to the hungry." St. Augustine said: "Fasting some days is a cure or better, but not fasting is a sin." We were forbidden to eat fish during fast until our Patriarch Mor Ignatius Elias the III. (may the Holy Trinity bless his soul) gave decree and permitted it to the faithful.

Fasting should be without food or drink till noon (it used to be till 12 pm). The holy Eucharist will not be served during the fast except on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesday mid - lent Friday the 40th and Maundy Thursday. Gangara Synod decided: "If anybody fasts on Sunday, he should be excommunicated." Bar Hebreaus said: "Fasting could be allowed on Saturdays and Sundays even with a small piece of bread in order to keep the laws." The exception is the Saturday of Lights, which will be fasted, and no Eucharist will be observed. If a memorial for a saint or a martyr falls on a weekday during the Great Lent, it should be moved to the following Saturday.

The Week of Passion follows the Forty days lent. This week starts with Palm Sunday when the church remembers the victorious entry of our Lord to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and children welcomed Him as the King of Israel as mentioned by Zechariah the prophet: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your King is coming to you, He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9). The church celebrates it in memory of this great day. Monday night of the Passion Week, the church will have a procession called "Naheere" (meaning Lights) where the church remembers the parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish virgins, as mentioned in Mathew 25:1-12.

During this week, the church concludes by mentioning our Savior sufferings and grieves as her Heavenly Groom did and got tired while praying. He suffered severe and unimaginable pains on her behalf. During this week, the faithful formerly would stop working like sales and buying, etc... and offer continuous prayers and fasting with sorrow and contemplations of the Lord's sufferings by which we were spared from all pains.

During this week the church remembers the great humility shown by the Lord when He washed His disciples' feet which is memorialized by the church fathers washing the feet of few people when He said afterward: "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them". (John 13:14-17) Accordingly, the church practices this incident verbatim since the apostles' days till now because it is God's order.

On Friday the church memorializes the crucifixion and death of our Lord on our behalf. A cross, covered with a black cloth, is set in the middle of the altar surrounded by two lit candles. At Nine PM, that is when our Lord died surrounded by the two thieves, the north candle is extinguished, meaning the thief on the north who did not believe in the Lord, and moreover, he denied and insulted Him while on the cross. When the candle is extinguished, it means that he is will inherit darkness with the devils and his wicked followers. After that, the church celebrates the descent of the Lord from the cross and will be wrapped in linen and perfumes. Then a procession is made before the burial of the cross with deacons and choir reciting hymns of grief and sorrow. Early Sunday, the church celebrates the resurrection of the Lord when church fathers bring out the cross from the tomb with joyful prayers resembling the joy of the disciples when the Lord resurrected.

Now the Fortieth Day Great Lent is completed with the week of passion. It has a certain calendar calculation for it known as the book of "Taklab". Our church uses the eastern calendar for this fast and Easter and what feasts are followed afterward like Ascension and Pentecost etc…

2 - The Fast of the Apostles:
The church practice this fast thanking the Lord, who sent His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. He descended upon us as He on the apostles on the same day. So, as on the same day, the apostles fasted aster the Lord's ascension and Pentecost; likewise, the church celebrates this fast thanking the Lord with fasting and prayers.

When the Lord was asked: Why His disciples are not fasting, He answered, saying: "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Mathew 9:15) "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted" (Acts 2:13) "Now when much time had been spent and sailing was very dangerous because the Fast was already over." (Acts 27:9)

As we mentioned previously, they adhered to the Lord's sayings. (refer to Acts 27:21 & 2Cor. 6:5 & 11:27) The apostles imposed this fast according to their order to "afterward, complete the Pentecost feast and celebrate one more week then fast after resting". When Moses fasted before his words to the people with the Law obtained from God, and the Lord's fast after His baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Him before He started His preaching to the people, likewise the apostles fasted when the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of Pentecost and started their mission of salvation, we do the same. This fast starts from June 16 to June 29 when we remember St. Peter and St. Paul. It is called "the apostles' fast" because they practiced it first and imposed it on the church.

3 - Fast of the Virgin Mary:
Some said that the Virgin Mary fasted this fast and that as taken up by the church and imposed it (Hebrews 6:12-13). Others said that apostles’ fasted it and imposed it after the death of the Virgin in honor of her memorial that was blessed by all generations (Luke 2:48). We do not care whether the Virgin fasted it and imposed it on the faithful or not, or if the apostles fasted it and imposed it in the church after the Virgin's departure. But we have to know that all old churches approve of it till now. One the church's fathers said: " This fast was put in preparation for the transfiguration and the Virgin's feasts, and the church sought that a fast should come before these two feasts for first, our enlightenment, and second our pleading.

No one should assume that we practice this fast as a worship to the Virgin. We fast it in worship to God and to purify our souls while looking upward towards heaven. This fast start on the first of August and ends on the 15th of August on the day we celebrate the departure of the blessed Virgin. It is called "The Virgin's Feast" because it ends with her departure to heaven.

4 - Christmas Fast:
The prophet Moses accepted the word of God "Law" and isolated himself in the mountain and fasted forty days in which he did not eat or drink till not only his face was shined like the sun, but also his mind and spirit and ready to accept God's words, likewise the church practice this fast before accepting the Lord Jesus Christ God's word.

If Moses accepted God's word written on a stone tablet and fasted, how much more should the faithful fast it in order to purify their body and soul to accept the Incarnated God's words? Yes indeed, they should fast it to show that they are submissive to the word of God who came for their salvation and that they become worthy to hear the announcement of the angel, saying: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 22:10-11) and to sing with the angels the hymn of joy and say: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men." (Luke 2:14). Therefore, the church is subject to the Babe from the Virgin Mary who "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5).

Some said that this fast was formerly was imposed upon the clergy only and afterward, it was imposed on all faithful for its fame and plenty of benefits, to become ready to welcome the birth of the Lord in flesh. It used to be for Forty days, but the church decreased and imposed it for 25 days from the first of December till the 25th of December when the church celebrates the birth of Jesus in the flesh.

This fast is very ole. Its history goes back to the era of the apostles or the first generation of the church. Our church uses it since those days, according to the testament of other churches. The fathers of the church arranged hymns, songs, and articles recited them during this lent known as "announcements" like St. Ephraim and St. Jacob and others,

5 - Nineveh's Fast:
The history of Nineveh's Fast goes back to the first era of the church as shown through St. Ephrem's hymns, which was fasted for six days during the times of "tribulations and wrath". Afterward, it was fixed for three days, according to the Eastern Churches.

Therefore, Nineveh's Fast is an old tradition and the Armenian church followed our church in this tradition. They fast six days up till now. They call it "The Fast of Sirop Sarkis". Likewise, the Coptic Church also followed our church at the time of Anba Abram the Syriac" who was number 62 in the Coptic Church hierarchy.

Our church practices this fast in accordance with the people of Nineveh who were sinning greatly and were warned by God through Jonah and they repented. We fast it also for repentance and pleading for the mercy of God because we are humans who sin always. As the people of Nineveh were saved by their repentance and fast and spared their city from destruction, we also fast it for three days asking for mercy and forgiveness.
This fast is similar to the Great Lent. It fasts till noontime, and afterward, the faithful take a very light meal. Some might fast the whole three days without food or drink.

6 - Wednesdays & Fridays Fast:
The Israelites used to fast two days a week, as shown through the words of the Pharisee, who said: "I fast twice a week" (Luke 18:12). These two days were on Mondays and Thursdays. Bar Salibi explained this verse: "The Pharisee's fast was on Mondays and Thursdays. They eat for two days and fast the third day. Some changed it to Wednesdays and Fridays." The church decided it to be on Wednesdays and Fridays because on Wednesday was the plot to arrest and kill Jesus. This is proven by the Lord's words to His disciples: "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." (Mathew 26:2). That same day Judas the traitor concurred with the head of priests to deliver Him. And we fast on Fridays because the Lord of Glory was crucified on Friday when the whole creation was grieved upon Him. That is why our church fast in memorial of the crucifixion of our Lord and Redeemer who saved her by His death on the cross.

These two days have fasted during the apostles' era. It is clear when they say: "We order you to fast every Wednesday and Friday" (Didascalia 8) They also said: "Any bishop or priest or deacon who does not fast the Fortieth Day Fast plus Wednesdays and Fridays should be removed. If he is a laity, he should be excommunicated. (k69). The church fasted these two days throughout her history, as proven by the testimony of our church fathers. St. Ignatius, the Illuminator, said: "Honor the feasts and do not despise the fasts and do not neglect the Wednesdays and Fridays fast." (Message 5) St. Victor of Antioch said: "The old Christians were used to fast on Wednesdays."(Mark 14) St. Athanasius said: "Do not ignore the Lord's Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays unless you have a health reason excluding 50 days from Passover till Pentecost." St. Peter of Alexandria said: "No one accuses us of neglecting Wednesdays and Fridays fast because we perform it. On Wednesday for the plot to kill Jesus and on Fridays for His crucifixion." (K15).

Fat foods are not allowed during these two days from sunrise to sunset. This fast could be skipped if it falls on a Holy Feast. Other feasts do not break it as the apostles decided: "If this fast falls during the Martyrs Feast, let them pray and take Communion and do not break the fast till Nine o'clock." (Didascalia 38)