Nativity Fast: Orthodox Christians begin the 40-day fast for Christ’s birth

November 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15: Christmas preparations may not be in full swing everywhere, but Orthodox Christians are beginning the Nativity Fast.

Observed annually from November 15 until December 24, Orthodox Christians are encouraged to regard this fast as a joyous period. By placing emphasis on the spiritual, adherents are encouraged to release worldly desires and dependence on material possessions.  The most successful fasting includes prayer and almsgiving, and is performed by those who are physically able. Observant families give up meat, dairy, fish, wine and oil—all in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. (Occasional permissions are granted for wine, oil and fish throughout the fasting period. The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has guidelines for the fast.)

NATIVITY FAST: FEAST DAYS AND PARAMONY

Throughout the Nativity Fast, several key figures are highlighted with feast days—in particular, the prophets who Eastern Christians believe laid the groundwork for the Incarnation: Obadiah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Daniel and the Three Holy Youths. Sundays leading up to Nativity also bring attention to ancestors of the Church and righteous men and women who pleased God.

The Forefeast of the Nativity begins December 20, with the chanting of Nativity hymns every day until the Eve of the Nativity—or, Paramony. On Paramony—called Christmas Eve in the Western Christian Church—no solid food is partaken until the first star is seen in the evening sky. (Wikipedia has details.) The fast is joyously broken, and while many head to a traditional All-Night Vigil, others attend the Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of Christ on Christmas morning.

On December 25, the Feast of the Nativity, fasting is forbidden; a fast-free period, or Afterfeast, lasts through January 4.

IN THE NEWS:
POPE FRANCIS REVIVES EAST-WEST HOPES

Pope Francis is set to receive Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 25 for a meeting that many hope will lead to a smoothing over of relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church. Putin reached out, as well, to Francis’s two predecessors as pontiff.

Reuters is the main wire service covering the news, reporting in part:

“Russian-Vatican relations have been fraught since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, with Moscow accusing the Roman Catholic Church of trying to poach believers from the Russian Orthodox Church, a charge the Vatican denies. But Putin is the first Kremlin leader since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to publicly profess religious faith—to the Orthodox church—and has several times advocated ending the long feud between the two major Christian churches.”

And: “There have been signs of a general warming between the western and eastern branches of Christianity. On March 20, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew became the first worldwide spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians to attend a papal inaugural Mass since the Great Schism split western and eastern Christianity in 1054.”

Note: Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar will begin the Nativity Fast on the Gregorian November 28.

Ecclesiastical Year: Eastern Orthodox Christians begin new year

September 01, 2013 by Leave a Comment

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: As children around the world begin a new school year—millions of Eastern Christians also are starting a new year today—the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Year. (Those following the Julian Calendar will begin their new year in a few days.)

The year-long cycle of feasts, fasts and holidays describes in detail the lives of central figures in the Church, along with significant events. According to Orthodox teaching, this is not a nostalgic memory of a distant past. Church leaders describe their liturgical year as “living” and a “work in progress” to serve the Church and the world. (Read more in an article from the Orthodox Church in America.) Each generation adds its own events, martyrs and witnesses to the calendar; the Church year dictates appropriate times to fast, to be joyous and to mourn.

Two types of feasts punctuate the Eastern Orthodox Liturgical Calendar: fixed feasts and moveable feasts. While fixed feasts remain on a set date each year, moveable feasts change in accordance with the date of Pascha (Easter). (Wikipedia has details.) Most Eastern Christians consider Pascha the “center” of the entire year, from which the rest flows.

Ancient roots brought the Orthodox calendar to start in September, with Constantine spearheading the movement in the fourth century. The Eastern practice of beginning on September 1 differs with the Western practice—followed in Catholic and Protestant churches—of declaring the beginning of Advent as the start of the Christian year. This year, for Western Christians, Advent and the liturgical year begins on Sunday, December 1.

WORLDWIDE CONCERN FOR COPTIC CHRISTIANS

As a new year begins for Eastern Christians, many will be thinking of the devastated Christian community in Egypt. Here is some recent coverage of these tragic events:

The New York Times has been reporting on the destruction of dozens of churches and widespread attacks on individuals. This August 21 report by Times correspondent Kareem Fahim provides a good overview.

The violence deeply concerns many Americans with close ties to these communities. The Columbus Dispatch’s JoAnne Viviano reported on  Egyptian Christians living in Ohio, concerned for loved ones in Egypt.

Orthodox Christians begin fast in honor of Holy Mother of Jesus

August 01, 2013 by Leave a Comment

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1: Jesus’s mother Mary is a major figure for most of the world’s 2 billion Christians who are either Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, however, Eastern Christians have a more extensive and enduring tradition of fasting throughout the Christian year. In the opening 14 days of August, Orthodox Christians look ahead to the August 15 Great Feast of the Dormition (or the “falling asleep” or death) of the Theotokos. The title Theotokos refers to Jesus’s mother and is Greek for “birth-giver” or “bearer of God.”

Unlike Western Christians, observant Orthodox families spend a little over half of each year living with some form of dietary limitation, described in general as fasting. The two-week fast in early August is sometimes called the Dormition Fast and bars consumption of red meat, poultry, dairy products including eggs, fish, oil and wine.

1,025TH ANNIVERSARY
OF KIEVAN RUS

Orthodox Christian headlines have been rising in importance in the West in recent years, especially because of the growing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. The New York Times is one of the main U.S. news organizations reporting on the close ties between Russian President Vladimir Putin and some leaders within Russian Orthodoxy. The most significant controversy arose after the 2011 arrest of members from a Russian feminist punk band, following a protest in a Moscow church. Western celebrities and activists—including Paul McCartney, Madonna, Elijah Wood and peace activist Aung San Suu Kyi—are all on record as condemning the punk band’s treatment. In 2012, the New York Times reported on provocative ties between Putin and a media-savvy Russian monk. The Times’s opening paragraph explained: “the Russian Orthodox Church continues its ascent as a political force.”

That’s why the exceptional events involving Putin and the 1,025th anniversary of the Christianization of Kievan Rus have attracted journalists. Wikipedia has a lengthy article on this complex conversion story, which boils down to a celebration of the whole Russian region associating itself with Christianity.

American-sponsored Radio Free Europe reported Sunday on: Commemorations taking place in Ukraine to mark the 1,025th anniversary of the conversion to Christianity of Kievan Rus, the medieval Slavic state that laid the Orthodox foundations for modern-day Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. On July 28, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the consecration of a new bell at a church near the Ukrainian city of Sevastopol at the Vladimir Cathedral in Chersonesus Taurica, which is located on the site where, according to legend, Prince Vladimir the Great was baptized into Orthodox Christianity in 988.

Sunday of All Saints: Orthodox Christians recall Holy Spirit’s perfections

June 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

SUNDAY, JUNE 30: Orthodox Christians commemorate saints every Sunday, but today, all tiers of the righteous are elevated for the Sunday of All Saints. As designated by St. Peter of Damascus, five categories of saints exist: Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Heirarchs and Monastic Saints. St. Nicodemus later added one more category to Peter’s lineup: the Righteous. Today, the hymnology for the feast of All Saints lists these six categories, in order of their importance to the Church and how they helped it to either establish or retain true to its values.

As noted in our Orthodox Pentecost story last week, the Sunday of All Saints always falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost—owing to the belief that the descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) allows humans to rise above a fallen state and attain sainthood. (Learn more from the Orthodox Church in America or the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.) Christians view saints as the ultimate keepers of God’s Commandments; prime examples of God’s virtue on earth; as true friends of God. It’s held that all saints, no matter the rank, were perfected by the Holy Spirit.

The Paschal season comes to a close in the Orthodox Christian Church today, and more localized saints may be honored on the Sundays immediately following today’s feast. (Wikipedia has details.) Veneration is to an icon depicting Jesus Christ upon a throne in heaven, surrounded by the saints.

A BYZANTINE FEAST; A ROMANTIC GESTURE

The feast of All Saints gained immense popularity in the 9th century, during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Leo VI. Leo’s wife, Theophano, was renowned through the Empire as benefactor to the poor, a caretaker for orphans and widows, and a counselor to the grieving. After Theophano’s death, Leo declared that the Sunday after Pentecost would be dedicated to All Saints, so that his wife—one whom he regarded as among the Righteous—would be honored forevermore, whenever the Feast of All Saints was observed.

Feast of John the Baptist: East and West come together to celebrate the Forerunner of Jesus

June 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

MONDAY, JUNE 24: An unparalleled human birth is celebrated across the Eastern and Western Christian Church today, on the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Or, in Eastern churches and communities around the world, many call this the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner.

Wikipedia has more on the Nativity. And, Catholics can find all of the Bible readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist online now, thanks to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Virtually all saints are commemorated on the day of their death—the day of entrance into heaven—except for St. John the Baptist and Jesus’s mother Mary. Christians also mark Jesus’s Nativity. But these Nativity feasts are exceptional customs intended for figures the Christian church traditionally believes were born without sin.

John also holds special status because the celebration of his birth has such ancient roots. Unlike many newer Christian holidays, John’s birth has been celebrated since the early centuries of Christianity. Why? In part because his birth is detailed in the Christian Bible. His birth became a first step in foretelling the coming of Jesus.

Care to read the entire story? You will find it only in the Gospel of Luke and, while the Catholic readings listed above contain part of the gospel story, here is the entire account which extends from Luke 1 verse 5 through 80. The passage contains some of the most beautiful and widely repeated lines in the New Testament, including Mary’s own hymn of praise.

AN ASCETIC FORETELLS THE KINGDOM

Years passed, and John became an ascetic in the desert before announcing the coming of the Kingdom, calling all people to undergo a reformation. John announced his purpose as being solely to prepare the way for a Messiah. Hundreds came to the banks of the Jordan River, including Jesus, whom John immediately recognized. John sent all of his followers to Jesus, insisting that “He (Jesus) must increase; I must decrease.” Some interpret John’s statement as indicating the cycles of the sun and, therefore, cuing its proximity to summer solstice; Augustine explained that John’s observance falls close to the summer solstice because Jesus’ falls close to the winter solstice. Both are festivals of light, and bonfires on St. John’s Eve have been a popular custom for millennia.

PAGANS & CHRISTIANS & St. John’s Fire

In many communities around the world, St. John’s Eve still is greeted with St. John’s Fire. If that reminds you of pagan customs associated with the Solstice, then you’ve got a talent for cultural anthropology. Think about the ancient origins of the St. John the Baptist Nativity holiday, and its placement on a fixed date close to the Solstice, and the resulting Christian-Pagan friction across Europe is not surprising.

In a recent Scientific American column, Maria Konnikova reports on the diverse array of customs surrounding the Solstice. Among them is St. John’s Eve and St. John’s Fire. She writes: “With the rise of Christianity and accompanying threat to pagan traditions, the summer solstice became celebrated in many parts of Europe as the day of St. John the Baptist—St. John’s Eve in Denmark, the Feast of St. John in France, the festival of St. John the Baptist in Spain, Ivan Kupala Day in Russia.”

Across the U.S., customs vary widely so check your local news media. A news report from northern Kentucky says that Episcopal churches in that region plan to combine their Monday evening liturgies for St. John’s Nativity at a central location. In California, the San Juan Bautista Mission is combining St. John’s Nativity with a fiesta to recall the early Hispanic settlers who built the mission. Of course, you will find the most lively observances in parishes named for St. John the Baptist.

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(Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion, spirituality, interfaith news and cross-cultural issues.)

Millions of Orthodox Christians enter Holy Week

April 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 AND SUNDAY, APRIL 28: Easter may be past for Western Christians, but the Eastern Orthodox Church is just heading into Holy Week with Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday. Traditionally, Lazarus Saturday is the day when hermits would temporarily leave their ascetic lifestyle behind, traveling to a local monastery for Holy Week services. Today, the Russian Church utilizes green vestments and church hangings for the weekend, symbolizing the renewal of life, while members of the Greek Church weave elaborate crosses from their Palm Sunday palms.

LAZARUS SATURDAY: FORESHADOWING RESURRECTION

Throughout the week leading up to Lazarus Saturday, hymns in the Orthodox Lenten Triodion detail the sickness and eventual death of Lazarus. According to the Gospel of John, the sisters of Lazarus write to Jesus as his sickness progresses; Jesus writes back, reassuring the sisters that the illness will not lead to death. Yet by the time Jesus arrives to see Lazarus, he has been in a tomb for four days. (Learn more from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.) As his family and friends weep, Jesus displays his full humanity by weeping with them. Then, he demands the stone be removed from the cave, and turns his face toward heaven for a conversation with his Father. Displaying his full divinity, Jesus commands, “Lazarus, come out!” and Lazarus emerges from the tomb, still wrapped in burial cloths. This traditional story is recalled in Orthodox communities worldwide. (Wikipedia has details.) For the disciples, this was a reassurance that Jesus would ultimately triumph through the coming Passion with Resurrection.

Although Lent has officially ended, most Orthodox Christians continue to fast, with permission now to add wine and oil. Russians customarily eat caviar today, while Greeks bake spice breads known as Lazarakia.

PALM SUNDAY: THE FULFILLMENT OF A PROPHECY

Now, the traditional story shifts for millions of Orthodox families: Liturgy and readings recall how, surrounded by clamoring crowds, Jesus rides into Jerusalem in triumph. After having awoken Lazarus, Jesus is seen as the one named in the prophecies of the Old Testament: the Son of David, the King who has come. The crowds lay branches before Jesus, in an act that is mimicked in churches to this day. (Read more from the Orthodox Church in America.)

The feast of Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem is one of the 12 major feasts of the Eastern Orthodox year.