Post-feast of the Transfiguration; Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Lawrence (249-51)
Dormition Fast. Abstinence from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read
2 Corinthians 7:10-16; Mark 2:18-22
In this time before Our Lord Jesus Christ’s second coming, in this era of the Church, we are called to fast. Fridays and Wednesdays are regular days of fasting and abstinence from meat and dairy products and then we have particular times of fasting that precede great feasts such as that of the Nativity of Our Lord, of Pascha, of the Holy and Glorious Apostles Peter and Paul, and of the Dormition of the Theotokos -the season of fasting in which we are at present. Most of us have been reminded about how fasting is not the end in itself, but rather it is an aid to growth in discipline, in askesis, especially in our spiritual lives of prayer. Most of us recognize that the Church gives us these seasons of fasting and repentance so that we may be reminded of our reliance on God for everything as He is the very author of our life. And, most of us struggle with fasting, finding it hard to fulfill especially in our culture of instant gratification and insatiate appetites. When we fast we must fast with others, with the rest of the Church, with our fellow Christians in community, particularly when we live in such a secular culture. We should find occasions to join one another in ways of marking the fast through smaller meals free from dairy and meat, through drinking less alcohol. At our parish we frequently come together after liturgies to mark the fast and so find solidarity in it; it is a wonderful time of fellowship. Then when we come together to joyously mark the Nativity or Pascha we can do so as a community that has drawn together in expectancy of Christ’s coming or through a small experience of His Passion.
In our personal prayer life, we should consider our fasting in light of the second coming of Christ. When Our Lord returns, as today’s Gospel alludes, there will be no need of fasting as no one fasts when the Bridegroom is present. During times of fasting and abstinence let us set our minds and hearts firmly on the desire for Christ to come again. Let our discipline be oriented joyfully to this desire, asking Our Lord to purify us through our discipline that we might be worthy of acclaiming Him when He comes again. Let our desire be for Christ, whose Body and Blood so nourish us as we expectantly wait. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!