👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾#Fasting of the #Prophets (#Tsome #Nebiyat)
(Part 1)
Dear faithful followers of the Orthodox teachings on the John's Repentance page, we greet you with the peace of God. Based on the topic above, we present to you this lesson so that you may read, learn, and be strengthened in spiritual understanding.
✍🏾The Fast of the Prophets is one of the seven great fasts of the Church. It is observed every year from Hidar 15 until the eve of the Feast of the Nativity.
Duration and Purpose
The fast lasts 44 days before the Nativity. During this period, the faithful remember the fulfillment of the prophecies of the holy prophets and the completion of the 5500 years of human suffering before the coming of the Savior.
What the Prophets Foretold
When God the Father decreed the salvation of the world, the prophets spoke through the Holy Spirit concerning:
His taking on human flesh
His exile into Egypt
His baptism in the Jordan
His enlightening of the darkened world through His divine teaching
His sufferings for the salvation of mankind
His crucifixion and death
His resurrection
His ascension
His glorious second coming
Prophets from every generation proclaimed these mysteries under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The Prophets’ Longing and Fasting
Desiring to see the fulfillment of God’s promise, the prophets prayed earnestly and fasted with strong determination. They counted the days, weeks, months, and years, waiting for the moment when God would become man for the salvation of the world. In their prayers they cried, “Stretch out Your strength; stretch out Your hand!” longing for the salvation to come.
Because the prophecies and prayers of the prophets were fulfilled through the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, this fast is called “Tsome Nebiyat – the Fast of the Prophets.”
✍🏾Other Names of the Fast of the Prophets
Because this holy season carries many spiritual meanings, the Fast of the Prophets is known by several traditional names in the Church:
1. Adam’s Fast
Since the promise of salvation that God gave to Adam was fulfilled through the birth of Christ, this fast is also called Adam’s Fast.
2. The Preaching Fast
During this season the Church proclaims extensively the mystery of God becoming man. Because the gospel of the Incarnation is widely preached, it is called the Preaching Fast.
3. The Nativity Fast
The fast concludes on the Feast of the Nativity, when we celebrate the birth of the Savior. For this reason, it is also known as the Nativity Fast.
4. The Apostles’ Fast
The holy apostles said, “If we fast during the feast of the Resurrection, what shall we do during the feast of the Nativity?”
In remembrance of the prophets who fasted before the coming of Christ, the apostles also kept this fast. Therefore, it is called the Apostles’ Fast.
5. Philip’s Fast
The Apostle Saint Philip preached the Gospel throughout Afrakya, performing miracles and bringing many to the faith. He was martyred by those who rejected his teaching.
When his disciples prepared to bury him, they fasted and prayed for a week, asking God to return the apostle’s body to them. On the third day, God granted their request, and the disciples buried him with honor.
After receiving his body, they continued fasting until the Nativity. Because of this memory, the fast is called Philip’s Fast.
6. Mary’s Fast
After the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Holy Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God through the Holy Spirit, she humbled herself and fasted, saying, “What shall I do, for I have conceived God whom heaven and earth cannot contain?”
For this reason, the fast is also known as Mary’s Fast.
✍🏾The Fast of the Prophets and the Period of Teaching
During this fast:
The prophets fasted and prayed.
The apostles fasted and received blessings.
The Church Fathers established the tradition that we, the faithful, should also observe this fast so that we may receive blessings like them.
Continues 👇🏾