The Holy Hieromartyr Methodius, Bishop of Patara.
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Romans 5:17-6:2; Matthew 9:14-17.
Read Matthew 9:14-17
| Fasting and feasting are important themes in the life of a Christian. It is the general practice that before celebrating a great Feast of the Church a period of fasting precedes the celebration. We are now approaching the Feast day of Saints Peter & Paul and to prepare ourselves for this Feast, the Church has prescribed a period of fasting in preparation. By depriving ourselves from certain foods for a period of time, we often discover that when we are permitted to resume eating these foods, there is an added joyfulness that accompanies us and helps us to better appreciate these foods and the Feast day itself. On the spiritual side of things, by depriving ourselves from things like meat and dairy products, we become better equipped to deprive ourselves of habits that are sinful and more difficult to overcome. This is often referred to as avoiding the occasions of sin. By removing the thing from our life that causes us to commit a particular sin, the temptation to commit that sin will become less likely to occur. Let us pray for the grace of courage so that we may become braver at battling with those passions that fight against us. |