Fasting

Fasting is abstinence from all things a body needs, including animal products and any kind of food for a limited time (Fetha Negest 15, Matthew 6:16)

The aims of fasting:

- to make the desire of the body to obey the will of the soul*

- to seek forgiveness for our guilt

- to increase the reward of the soul

The relationship between fasting and religion is strong and everlasting*

Fasting in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, fasting had a very prominent place

- when the prophets wanted to communicate with God, they did not eat food and drink water (Exodus 34:28)*

- fasting and prayer were used to prevent the anger of God (Joel 2:15).

- righteous people received what they needed and whished through fasting and praying (Ezra 8:21; Nehemiah 9:1-3; Esther 4:16-17)*

Fasting in the New Testament

Fasting has significant value in the New Testament

- our Saviour Jesus Christ made fasting the beginning of His ministry (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2)*

- He has also taught that fasting has the power of driving away evil spirits (Matthew 17:21; Mark. 9:2)

- The Apostles who were commanded to serve the church received guidance from the Holy Spirit while they were praying and fasting (Acts 13:2)*

- Priests and deacons were inspired and ordained while fasting and praying (Acts 13:3; 14:23)

- The righteous people received what they needed and whished through fasting and praying (Acts 10:30; 13:2-3)

Things to consider while fasting

Abstain from animal products and alcoholic drinks which trigger desire (lust) (Daniel 10:2-3).

Give what has been saved during fasting to the poor or the Church (Isaiah 58:6-7)*

Keep yourself from evil things- eyes from seeing, your mouth from speaking and your ear from hearing evil things (Matthew. 5:21-30; St.Yared-Digua).

Do not fast for a show

Do not fast while blaming others

Do not fast without repentance and asking forgiveness

Do not consider diet for our health as fasting

There are seven fasting periods

1. The Great Fast/Lent (ዐብይ ጾም)

2. Wednesdays and Fridays (የረቡዕ እና አርብ ጾም)

3. Nineveh (ጾመ ነነዌ)

4. Gehad (the eves of Christmas and Epiphany) (ጾመ ገኃድ)

5. The fast of the prophets or advent (ጾመ ነብያት)

6. The fast of the Apostles (ጾመ ሐዋርያት)

7. The fast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary (ጾመ ፍልሰታ ለማርያም)

1. Lent or the Great Fast

This is the fast that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights after his baptism

This Lent is called great because

- it is the Lord’s fast

- Satan’s temptations (love of money, greediness and arrogance) were overcome (Matthew 4:2)*

The Church observes this fast following the example set by Lord

All Christians, young and old must observe this Fast

The Great Fast has 8 weeks which consist of 55 days.

According to St. Yared, the Ethiopian Hymnologist who wrote hymn of our Church, each Sunday during the Great Fast is given name

1. Zewerede (ዘወረደ)

2. Kidist (ቅድስት)

3. Mikurab (ምኩራብ)

4. Metsague (መጻጉ)

5. Debre Zeit (ደብረ ዘይት)

6. Gebrhel/Good Servant (ገብርሄል)

7. Nicodemus (ኒቆዲሞስ)

8. Hoshanna/Palm Sunday (ሆሣህና)

Sundays of the Great Fast

1. Zewerede – means the one who descends from the above

– on this Sunday, the descent, incarnation and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ is preached (John 3:13).

2. Kidist – means Holy and it tells the Holiness of Sunday

3. Mikurab – the word stands for the synagogue

– It reminds us that our Lord Jesus Christ taught in the synagogue during his ministry

4. Metsague – means a person who is in poor health (infirm)

– A hymn for the healing of the sick and giving sight to the blind by the Lord is sung on this day

5. Debre Zeit – the Geez word for Mount of Olive

– on this Sunday, our Lord taught about the second coming on Mount of Olives

Sundays of the Great Fast

6. Gebrhel/Good Servant

– The story of the good servant who received five talents and made a profit of five more talents is told on this day (Matthew 25:14-30).

7. Nicodemus (ኒቆዲሞስ)

– A hymn commemorating the coming of Nicodemus to our Lord during the night is sung

8. Palm Sunday

– It is a commemorative day on which our Lord entered the temple in triumph and during which the people sung “Hosanna in the highest”.

Sundays of the Great Fast

Questions

1. Why do we fast OR what are the objectives of fasting?

2. How many fasting periods are there in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church? Please mention one of them.

3. What makes the Lent or Great Fast different/special?

The week from the eve of Palm Sunday to Easter is known as Passion Week.

In this week, varieties of food are not eaten

Adoration (ስግደት) is given to God

Gibrehimamat, a book composed of different passages dealing with the passion and death of our Lord the Savior Jesus Christ is read

The priests wear black vestments, and the altar is covered with black cloth

Prayer for the dead and that of intercession are not conducted to commemorate the suffering and damnation of 5500 years since Adam was alienated from his Creator.

The Passion Week (ሰሞነ ህማማት)

On this day, the Lord Jesus

- Washed his Disciples’ feet with an absolute humility

- Ate the Last Supper with them and

- Revealed the mystery of the Holy Communion

In commemoration of the above, on this day, the priests wash the feet of the parishioners before the Liturgy.

Maundy Thursday (የጸሎት ሐሙስ/ሕጽበተ ሐሙስ)

On this day, our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

Passages from the Scriptures and other religious books are read in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion

The faithful (parishioners) intensively prostrate (adorate)

Sometimes, Good Friday is called the day of prostration.

Late in the afternoon, the priests pat (touch) the portioners with small olive tree branches and command them to prostrate. Patting symbolizes the whipping of our Lord.

At the end of the day, prayer of intercession (የምልጃ ጸሎት) is conducted, and the program is concluded.

The Apostles did not eat and drink until they knew the resurrection of the Lord.

Portioners who have the strength, fast from every kind food for two days (Friday and Saturday). Those who don’t have the strength, fast on Saturday only (Lk. 5:5-35; Fetha Negest Art.15 No. 578).

Good Friday (ስቅለት)

The laity and the clergy gather in the church

After the morning prayer, the clergy give sedge to the assembled people by singing “Christ made reconciliation by his crucifixion’

The portioners tie the sedge around their heads

The clergy go to the houses of the people who did not come to the Church and give them sedges as good news. They wear vestments, hold cross and ring a bell in the process.*

Using sedge as a sign of good news has a Biblical history. When the earth was covered by the water of destruction, an olive leaf brought by a dove into Noah’s Ark was used as indicator the lowering of the water.

This Sabbath is a day on which Christ passed lying in the grave

This Saturday is called “Se’ur” – unobserved Saturday because once a year it becomes a fast day. It is also called the green Saturday.

Important events on Saturday morning

This fast was observed by the Apostles after they received the Holy Spirit and before they set out to proclaim the Gospel.

Orthodox Tewahedo Christians observe this fast following the Pentecost Sunday (the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles) up until Hamle 5 (12 July).

This fast sometimes goes beyond 40 days and sometimes falls short of 30 days.

Christians observe this Fast to express their thanks for the Apostles’ endurance of persecution and to receive blessing.

The Fast of the Apostles (ጾመ ሐዋርያት)

Wednesdays and Fridays are observed as fast days, except for the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost and on days of Christmas and Epiphany

Why are these days observed as fast days?

- Wednesday is a day on which the Jewish Council discussed to crucify the Lord (John 11:46-53)

- Instruction is given that Christians should fast on this day remembering the death sentence made against Jesus Christ.

- Friday this is a blessed day on which the Lord is crucified in His flesh and the long awaiting redemption was fulfilled (John 19:17).

Because of the above reasons it is canonized that Wednesday and Friday should be observed every week in fasting and prayer.

The Fast of Wednesdays and Fridays

This is a three days fast – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Depending on the years, it falls either in January or in February.

Reason for this fast

- The people of Nineveh committed great wickedness

- God called up on prophet Jonah to warn the residents

- Jonah attempted to flee from ‘the presence of God’

- Jonah was swallowed by a whale

- Jonah prays to God inside the belly of the whale

- God commanded the whale to spit Jonah out

- God again commanded Jonah to travel to Nineveh and prophesy to the inhabitants

- The people of Nineveh fasted for three days and were saved from the wrath (extreme anger and punishment) of God (Jonah 3:5-9; Matthew 12:39)

The Fast of Nineveh (ጾመ ነነዌ)

This fast starts on Hidar 15 (November 24) and extends to Tahisas 28 (06 January)

We observe this fast following the example set by the prophets.

In their time, the prophets fasted and prayed longing for the Advent (the coming) of Christ.

In the Law of Kings Article 15, instruction is given that we should observe this fast before we celebrate Christmas.

The Fast of the Prophets (ጾመ ነብያት)

We observe this Fast:

- To celebrate the gift, we acquired following the birth of Jesus Christ

- To take part in the blessings of our forefathers, the Prophets and the Apostles

Gehad (ጾመ ገኃድ)

This is a fast observed on the eves of Christmas and Epiphany, when they fall on a Wednesday or a Friday.

On Christmas and Epiphany, the Holy Liturgy is celebrated from midnight to 3:00am.

In the morning people eat animal products even if the days are Wednesdays or Fridays.

So, if Christmas and Epiphany fall on Wednesday and Friday, Tuesday and Thursday will be observed as fast days.

As Christmas Eve is generally a fasting day anyway, this only has the effect of forbidding fasting on Christmas even if it falls on a Wednesday or Friday.

This is a two weeks fast (1 to 15 Nehassie/7-21 August).

It was observed by Apostles requesting God to reveal the body of St. Virgin Mary.

St. Virgin Mary completed her earthly life and departed on 21 Ter (30 January) in 50 A.D.

While the Apostles were taking her body for burial at Gethsemani, the Jewish priests dispersed them. Following this, the body of St. Virgin Mary was taken by the Angels to paradise and put under the Tree of Life (The Miracle of St. Mary, Sinaxarium Nehassie (August) 16 E.C).

St. John, the Apostle, was used to be taken to the paradise to burn incense over the body of St. Virgin Mary. When he told them this fact, the Apostles they went for retreat and fasted for two weeks, praying to God to reveal this mystery to them.

The Fast of Assumption of the Virgin Mary (ጾመ ፍልሰታ ለማርያም)

On the 14th day of their fast, the Angels brought our Lady’s body and gave them to bury it.

On the 3rd day, on the 16th of August E.C (22 August G.C.) her Assumption took place.

From that time onwards, our Church observes the fast of our Lady’s Assumption.

This fast is being observed by all Orthodox Christians, including Children.

Many elderly people go for retreat leaving their home, abstaining from nutritious food and subsisting only on cereals and water.

They spend all the 15 days fasting and praying to receive the blessings of St. Mary and to get answers for their outstanding issues.

The Fast of Assumption of the Virgin Mary (ጾመ ፍልሰታ ለማርያም)

In the tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, all its followers above the age of seven should observe all the seven fasts mentioned above.