peterfarrington
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I don't think it is meant to be easy. I am sure many of us are finding it hard. But what the Church asks of us, generally speaking, is quite clear. When we struggle we should speak with our FOC. He will provide advice tailored to your situation.
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I don't think it can be considered a Roman Catholic text. The original basis was written by a Catholica great many centuries ago but it was then edited by St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, and then in more recent times by St Theophan the Recluse. S…
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Read the book slowly. A short chapter at a time and make sure you learn the lessons.
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I have to say that I have no trouble concentrating. Indeed eating less allows for greater concentration. You should speak to your FOC though because without giving up eating food we are not fasting and therefore we do not receive the benefit of the…
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It depends entirely on the of instructions and in discussion with your spiritual father.
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You are free to do what ever you want. If you want to get the benefit of fasting then you should speak to your spiritual father.
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It's freely available on the internet. http://tasbeha.org/content/hh_books/fasting/index.html and http://archangelmichaeloc.org/new/books/the_spirituality_of_fasting.pdf God bless Father Peter
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user00, don't worry, I was addressing TITL. She likes to be told off!
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I would not normally speak about my own life, but for the sake of those hear who might benefit, and to convict myself of my own weakness. I am a poor example of a Christian and easily attend to my own animal needs before caring for my spiritual wel…
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Mikhail, I would also suggest that you plan ahead a little so that you have a small salad or falafel sandwich, or pitta bread to break your fast with, or a box of chopped fruit or something. But so that you don't just eat anything, you are eating h…
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The focus of our fasting should not be food but should be prayer. Let me post some of His Holiness' words. (Although it is hard to choose any from the book as they should all be studied).. Fasting acquires its perfection in toleration to hunger. …
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I would suggest that you fast according to the rule of the Church and trust God to give you all the strength and attention you need. I have to work every day, and I am doing some programming now. I have not found my attention affected by fasting. …
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If we eat breakfast then we are not fasting. During the fast, for most of us, it is important to fast. If you do not want to fast then that is a matter for you to discuss with your spiritual father, but you should not try to use Scripture to sugge…
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Each of us should follow the instructions of our spiritual fathers, But generally speaking most Orthodox people should not be eating breakfast during the Fast. Only those with a medical condition, the very young and the very old, and the pregnant.…
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Dear marian6, Thank you for reminding us of this. Yes, it is good to pray the Psalms because they do often begin with an all to human sense of despair, and take us on a journey of discovering God's goodness. These are also very useful and beautif…
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That sounds a good selection of foods, but when do you fast?
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I think you know that I am quite strict as well, and although there is a place for the mature to read a variety of books, with the guidance of the spiritual father, generally I do not believe that younger people should read things without advice. T…
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The Syrians use a variant of the Liturgy of St James, and my own diocese of the British Orthodox Church in the Coptic Orthodox Church uses Greek St James as our usual liturgy. Father Peter
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TITL, STOP SHIFTING THE THREAD TO YOURSELF!!!!!! Regards Father Peter
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I am waiting to make a mess of Lent, but as far as the practicalities go I have discovered that the allergy labelling rules now in force in the UK make choosing food very easy. All the food in the supermarket now says.. Contains: Milk, Eggs etc etc…
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Sometimes it takes a long time to stop breaking vases. You have the blessed advantage over me of having been brought up in Orthodoxy, and it is in Orthodoxy that we are taught how to stop breaking vases. Let me encourage you to read the book Unse…
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I haven't got time to dig out my studies, but I have researched this subject quite a bit and the Fathers came to take an increasingly hopeful view of the state of various groups in God's mercy. Certainly the case of catechumens who died before bapti…
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That's why we have the Agpeya. And I think your analogy is OK as far as any analogies go. We do need to stop breaking vases and then we can draw the simplest pictures and then we can proceed to draw more and more complex and beautiful designs until…
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What beautiful analogies from both of you.
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Unworthy1, I was not addressing you with my Moderatorial comment, but I did not want others to derail the topic. I think that the account of St Pachomius illustrates what I tried to describe. Those who are catechumens are not beyond the hope of sal…
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If you insist on an answer then I will say that there are three persectives to the question. (In brief) [Moderator: I will not allow this thread to be derailed into criticism of Protestantism and will delete all such messages without notice]. One…
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lightening, You wonder if perhaps you have not read the Scriptures carefully enough. They say.. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is GRACE which saves us. Of course i…
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It all depends on the instructions that your FOC gives you to help you make the most of the Fast. Just as we are instructed to end our fast at different times of the day, and just as our health circumstances are taken into account - all of this is …
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The Fathers advise us not to be concerned with this question, but to ask whether WE are being saved. God's will and God's mercy are not mechanical. He wills that all men be saved. The Word became incarnate because God so loved the world. Yet man is…
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Dear Abu Muqawama, Yes, I think that you appreciate the Orthodox view. It seems to me that everything must be judged and considered in relation to God, and the Kingdom. Therefore when we are speaking of 'true life' and 'true death' we are describin…