Homily for the Tenth Sunday of Matthew - Prayer and Fasting (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

 Homily for the Tenth Sunday of Matthew

Prayer and Fasting

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The miracle we heard today refers to the healing of a demon possessed young man, who when possessed by demons fell into fire and water, had tendencies of self-destruction. Christ cast out the demons and the young man became well. To a related question from the disciples, Christ answered: "This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21). Christ cast out the demon with the power of His divinity, the disciples could cast it out with the power of Christ, however, after they pray and fast.

Reflection on the Tenth Sunday of Matthew (St. Theophan the Recluse)

Tenth Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 17:14-23

By St. Theophan the Recluse 

 

"This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." If this kind goes out by the prayer and fasting of another person, then it is even less able to enter one who fasts and prays. What protection! Although there are a slew of demons and all the air is packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is protected by prayer and fasting. 

 

Saint Paraskevi and the Blasphemer

Michael, a resident of Smyrna before the Population Exchange of 1922, one day went to plow his field with oxen. In a moment the plowshare* got stuck somewhere, the oxen did not advance and he himself could not get the plowshare out of the ground. After he was tired and indignant, he began to blaspheme Christ and the Saints.

He immediately lost his sight for about a quarter of an hour. Then, repentant and compunctionate, he begged Saint Paraskevi to give him his sight and promised never to blaspheme again. He also made a vow. As long as he lived, on Friday he would not eat or drink anything. And immediately, miraculously, his sight came back, he easily took out the plowshare and continued plowing, thanking God and Saint Paraskevi.

Saint Iakovos of Evia's Holy Thursday Fast During His Illness

"His ascetic struggles were great. Even in the period when he was ill. He had a pacemaker in his heart, he had done various surgeries, he was taking many drugs, which put a lot of strain on his stomach. When on Great Thursday, Fr. Kyrillos, because Elder Iakovos was in a terrible condition, put a little oil in his food, he became upset and said: "I am not a Turk to eat oil on Great Thursday."

Second Homily on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 

By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

"This kind is driven out only by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21).

Now the Gospel reading tells us about how Jesus Christ healed one demoniac who could not be healed by the disciples. When Jesus Christ with His disciples descended from the mountain, after His Transfiguration on it, and came to the people, then a man approached Him and, kneeling before Him, said: "Lord! Have mercy on my son; he rages in the new moon and suffers greatly, for he often throws himself first into fire, then into water. I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him."

Despite the War, Many of the Greek Soldiers in 1940 Kept the Fasts of the Church

 

The Greco-Italian War took place between the kingdoms of Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. According to the eye-witness testimony of Archimandrite Haralambos Vasilopoulos, who wrote the book The Miracle of the Greeks of 1940, many soldiers who fought in the Pindus mountains continued to keep the fasts of the Church despite all the hardships they faced.

Homily on the Monday of the First Week of Great Lent (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

We have come to the holy fast. Thanks be to the Lord God that He gives us time to repent of our sins. I consider it useful to say now to you, pious listeners, a few words about what we should mainly do during the days of the holy fast.

What to do now? Now, according to the rules of the Church, we abstain from food and drink. Yes, it is necessary, and it is necessary not only to abstain, that is, to eat and drink less, but it is necessary to eat and drink only what the Holy Church does not forbid. However, this is not the strength of the fast. In what is it then? Now, more than at other times, we pray to God, listen to the word of God. Yes, it is necessary, more necessary than abstinence itself. As often as possible, one should pray and listen to the word of God. While doing these things, owe should fall asleep, and with these things we should also wake up from sleep.

The Historical Reason There Is No Fasting Allowed the First Week of the Triodion

In the Orthodox Church, there is no fasting allowed in the first week of the Triodion, that is, during the week following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, and this includes Wednesday and Friday. There is a historical reason why this week of no fasting came to exist.

Aṙaǰaworac' is a period of strict fasting practiced in the Armenian Apostolic Church, which according to legend was established by Saint Gregory the Illuminator. It is a fast that only exists in the Armenian Church. It happens three weeks before Great Lent, or ten weeks before Easter, coinciding with the first week of the Triodion in the Orthodox Church. In ancient times it was allowed to eat only salt and bread, though today it is not as strict. On those days it is not allowed to hold a Liturgy. It lasts from Monday to Friday.

Saint Germanos of Constantinople as a Model for our Lives

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Saint Germanos was born in Constantinople in 640 AD. His father was the patrician Justinian, a man worthy of mention and famous for his virtue, who during the reign of Emperor Heraclius administered much public authority. His colleagues, but also others who knew him, admired him for his learning and especially for his piety and virtue. However, this caused him to be envied by the grandson of Heraclius, Constantine Pogonatos, who killed him, saying that Justinian thought of revolting against his empire. "For envy does not know where there is profit," and thus the Saint was orphaned at the age of twenty.

The Fragrant Paschal Egg of Saint Iakovos Tsalikes

Saint Iakovos Tsalikes (+ 1991) narrated the following story from his childhood:

When it was Great Lent we fasted strictly. Despite all the hard work, we waited for the Annunciation and Palm Sunday to come, so we could eat some fried salted cod, which seemed tasty to us like brittle, or a few fresh sardines, the only fish that was available to our village from the sea and then only rarely. My mother, in order to test me if I was fasting with my heart, sometimes said to me during lent:

Second Homily on the Sunday of Orthodoxy (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

I have heard some of you ask, "Was fasting instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ or was it designated by the Church?" I was very upset when I heard this. Why was I upset? Because this question shows that you despise the canons of the Church. In this way you become like the heretics who, out of pride, turned away from the Orthodox Church and despise its canons.

Of course fasting was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord Himself fasted for forty days in the wilderness before the preaching of salvation began. To the disciples of John the Forerunner, who asked Him, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?" the Lord replied as follows: "“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 (Μatt. 9:14-15).

First Homily on Fasting (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 By St. Luke, 

Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on February 23, 1947)

Great Lent is beginning and I want to speak to you about fasting. You will say: "Why is he talking to us about fasting, since we have been hungry for a long time, and we are going through an ongoing Great Lent?" So what, don't I need to talk about it? Indeed, it is needed very much!

The fast, which you have fasted until now, is a punishment from God, but the fast that begins tomorrow is a holy fast, established by the Holy Church, which is not a punishment from God, but a blessing of God, the mercy of God.

The fast which you have been fasting for a long time, will not give you any kind of reward, because the reward from God is only for good intention. If you fasted out of necessity, because you are unable to eat better, this is not your good intention.

"By Fasting, Vigil and Prayer One Obtains Heavenly Gifts" (A Homily of St. Anthimos of Chios)

By St. Anthimos of Chios

(Addressed to Nuns on April 16, 1946)

It is said: "By fasting, vigil and prayer one obtains heavenly gifts" ("νηστεία, αγρυπνία, προσευχή ουράνια χαρίσματα λαβών"). How beautiful, how comforting are these words spoken by our Holy Fathers, in order to fulfill us! They first of all mention fasting, the mother of virtues, to urge us to make the effort; and then vigil and then prayer.

We will also grab hold of fasting, sisters, so the commotions will cease; that the foolish disturbances and the fuss of the belly will cease. The days of fasting have come; the good fast. When someone wants to ask God for anything, they must fast in order for it to be given. Fasting is so fulfilling, so effective. It soothes the nerves, calms the passions, stores patience within the heart, cleanses the mind, weakens frustrations and scandals; for where fasting takes place, it calms every frustration and disturbance. It banishes arguments, does away with babbling, and one becomes more devout, calm, silent, and less moved to speak words. This is because the cutting off of food does not give the tongue the disposition to speak, and even good words are spoken with difficulty. One only engages day and night in entreaty before God, because after fasting will come vigil and then prayer.

Clean Week - The First Week of Great Lent (Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos)

 By Archimandrite Epiphanios Theodoropoulos

Holy and Great Lent begins on the day after Cheesefare Sunday. This period is a period of strict fasting, prolonged sacred Services and of general spiritual meditation. During this period not even marriages take place nor any other joyful events. The fasting of Great Lent is most ancient. The divine Chrysostom says that the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod "in assembling together established forty days of fasting, prayer, listening to sacred sermons, worship gatherings, so that during these days we would all with diligence be cleansed, and through prayer and almsgiving and fasting and vigils and tears and confession and by all other means, so that with a clean conscience, as much as it is possible for us," we can celebrate the holy days of the Passion and the Resurrection of the Lord, approaching the Holy Mysteries, which the Lord delivered to us precisely for these days. We fast therefore, says the same Holy Father, "not for Easter nor for the Cross, but for our own sins."

Cheesefare Sunday (Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos)

By Archimandrite Epiphanios Theodoropoulos

 

Cheesefare Sunday received it's name because on it, like the previous week, we do not eat meat, but only dairy products, such as milk, cheese, etc., as well as eggs and fish.

Many find this rule of the Church to be "unreasonable", saying: "How is milk of a lamb allowed but not the meat of the lamb, since milk is produced by the lamb? How are eggs allowed and not chicken, since the first are produced by the second?"

Of course these people would have a point, if we maintained that the meat of the lamb or fowl was tainted and for this reason we do not eat it. Then we should not eat what is produced by them, since these also would be tainted. But through our Church no food is tainted. This is what is taught by the Apostle Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy (4:3-5). Rather the Church simply divides food into greater or lesser consumption towards self-restraint and, at certain times, allows the one and forbids the other.

Saint John the Faster of the Kiev Caves

 

Venerable John the Faster presumably lived in the thirteenth century in the Near Caves of the Kiev Caves Lavra. He is called "the Faster" because this was the discipline that distinguished him and helped him approach God. In one troparion it says that John "was illumined by fasting, consuming the word of God more than food." Nothing else is known of him. His incorrupt relics rest in the Near Caves.

 

 

A Reflection on the Christmas Fast of 2020

 

 

 Tomorrow starts
the Christmas fast....
But now you will tell me
"But my Father since this year
they will not let us attend liturgy
for Christmas
the way things are going... what meaning does it have?
Do we not fast to Commune???
What kind of fasting will this be???"
I honestly have no answer
to this problem....
All I know is that
Fasting is a virtue
(I prefer it to "command"),
it is the fragrant flower of Grace
whose root reaches
back to the Garden of Paradise
(think, it was the first command
given by God to man)....
Fasting of course
does not have to do
only with abstaining from some food
otherwise we would be talking about a diet
(or vegan diet),
it does not have to do
only with physical effort
otherwise we would be talking about exercise
(in the sporting sense),
it does not have to do
with denial, hatred
for matter, desires,
otherwise we would talk about all this differently
(the falsehoods taught by the Oriental religions....)
Fasting hides within
two precious roses
freedom of choice and
the dynamics of self-sacrifice....
It has a transitional,
a Transfigurational (in the Theological sense)
perspective of the body and soul....
But like all virtues so is it
not an end in itself
but the medium
to "thin out" of our existence the passions,
to be freer to "run" close to Christ....
Of course there are people near to us
for whom fasting is their disease....
To them only "respect"
and "no comments"....
So fast if you can
but do not judge him
who fails,
please do not let it dry up
along with the fat of your body
the mercy and the compassion of your heart as well....
If you cannot fast
at the same time do not take advantage of it,
do not launch your own theologies
("If you help someone
you do not need to fast"),
it's not cool,
it's a weakness....
Fasting is not just about
the contents of our stomach
but mainly the content of our heart,
and I think about it every time
the thought comes to me
when it's 10 minutes till 12:
"Come eat, you still have time ..."
or when it's 10 minutes past 12:
"Come on, the day has changed now,
you can eat...."
That is why we need His help
(in this fight as well)....
The ones we read about in the saying of the elders
with the people of God
who ate little and prayed a lot
they are not fiction,
they were like you, like me,
they were people with passions, mistakes and weaknesses
but at the same time
with an insatiable hunger,
with an unquenchable thirst
for the love it offers richly
the presence of God in their lives....
They tasted this Love
and they testify to us that with Her
man (his existence)
alone is satisfied, feels full....
However,
given the situation we are experiencing,
I hope it does not count
from our God
as a shame
that we are fasting from Christ (Holy Communion)
which has been imposed on the faithful....
May we have a blessed Lent!
May God scatter His
Light,
Grace and
Joy
on the cobbled streets of our soul and life!!!

FATHER IOANNIS PAPADIMITRIOU

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.  

The Christmas Fast

 

 

By Metropolitan Symeon of New Smyrna

1. The second longest period of fasting after Great Lent is the Christmas fast, known in the language of our Orthodox people as the Forty-day fast. It also includes forty days, but it does not have the strictness of the fasting of Great Lent. It starts on November 15th and ends on December 24th.

2. The feast of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ is the second great Despotic feast of the Christian festal calendar. Until the middle of the fourth century, the Church of the East celebrated the birth and baptism of Christ under the name Epiphany on the same day, January 6th. Christmas as a separate feast, celebrated on December 25, was introduced to the East by the West around the end of the fourth century.

Saint Pimen the Faster of the Kiev Caves (+ 1141)

St. Pimen the Faster of the Kiev Caves (Feast Day - August 7)

Venerable Pimen, Faster of the Kiev Caves Lavra, labored in the Far Caves. His abstinence was such that he ate food only once a week, and only in the most necessary quantity. His outward fasting corresponded to an inward abstention from any actions, thoughts or feelings that were displeasing to God. He was also noted for being a hard worker, constantly carrying out his monastic obedience. Never was he weakened from fasting: whether he was grinding in a millstone, or carrying firewood on him. And through the night he stood in vigilant prayer. Because of this, he was richly blessed by God and filled with His grace. Saint Pimen was also abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra from 1132 to 1141.

Homily on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent (St. John of Kronstadt)

By St. John of Kronstadt

Today, beloved brothers and sisters, was read the Gospel passage from the Evangelist Mark on how a father asked Jesus Christ to heal his son, a deaf and dumb child who was possessed, by casting out the evil spirit who was the reason the child was deaf and dumb. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ said the Lord to the impure one, ‘I command you, come out of him and enter him no more.’ Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose (Mark 9:25–27). But see how evil was the spirit who tormented the child. His father told the Lord how wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid (Mark 9:18). This happened also at the time when the father brought his son to the Saviour. And when the Lord asked the father, as if he did not already know, even though, as God, He knows all, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him,’ and he asked the Lord to have compassion on him and his son, and to help them, if He can do anything. Jesus told him: ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ And the unfortunate father of little faith cried out with tears ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ (Mark 9:21–24).