This new prescription was renewed in 1644 by the Synod of Hrash (chapter 9, canon 4). However, this fast is not mentioned in the Maronite synods which regulated fasting rules since 1598, pope Paul V himself does not mention it among the customs abolished by mar Youssef III al-Rizzi, nor does Fr. Indeed, the Apostolic Canon 66 forbids fasting on Saturdays and Sundays, except on Saturday of the Light (the day preceding Easter), when fasting is required. This being said, this fast is nonetheless specifically mentioned in numerous Maronite manuscripts, such as a calendar to calculate the dates, up until the Lebanese Synod (1736), with specific prayers and readings. Unlike the other Saturday’s of Lent, we are told to fast on this day. 2011 Lent as follows: We give permission to eat dairy products throughout this period. Observing only the natural fast, without abstinence. It commemorates the three days spent by the prophet Jonah inside the belly of the fish and the fast and repentance of the Ninevites thereafter. A Maronite Perspective, In the midst of the Fast the Scriptures have gathered together, Here are to be found garments for those invited to the, Open up then, my brethren and take from it with. The Liturgy will be celebrated and ashes will be distributed at 7 PM. Lenten Observances 2019 The Most Reverend Bishops Gregory J. Mansour and A. Elias Zaidan have issued the following Lenten guidelines for the Maronites of the United States + All Maronites who are physically capable are to abstain from meat on Ash Monday (4 March 2019) and all Fridays of Lent… The Maronite Synods don’t mention fasting before communion, perhaps because it was too obvious to be mentioned. Abstaining from eating meat remains obligatory on Fridays, throughout the year, except: As such together with our Maronite Eparchy under the guidance of our Bishop and in solidarity with all the Catholic Churches, we urge to sign the attached petition prepared by the Archdiocese if Sydney, so that the government can ease restrictions on our churches as soon as possible from 10 to 50 in line with other community services. These are two distinct periods, but since they follow one another, they are often considered altogether as the Great Fast, or Lent. ... 5- Lent Season: 12 Feb 2018 ----- 25 March 2018. It always ends on 29 June. Le Synode libanais de 1736. It is striking that the epithet Our Lord gave to Ss James and John was an Aramaic one: Boanerges, which literally means “sons of rage” (being a Greek attempt to render bene regesh). The Eastern fasting disciplines are very rigorous, and the Syro-Maronite discipline is no exception. by Fr. We celebrate Ash Monday instead of Ash Wednesday as it begins after the Sunday of the Wedding at Cana. Matthew 4:1-2, And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. You abstain from wine, but stubbornly hold on to insolence. Hence, through fasting, we don’t only pray for the remission of sins, we act on it by controlling the vehicle of our sins. Click here for the full text of St John Chrysostom’s beautiful homily on fasting. Therefore, whoever limits the fast to the deprivation of food, he is the one who, in reality, abhors and ridicules the fast. Hence, a typical fast will likely be overwhelming for one who is undergoing their first fast. Through fasting, we must work on ourselves so as to abandon sinful comportment, including lies, swearing, hypocrisy, lust, anger, hatred, egoism, and greed. It allows us to prepare ourselves spiritually for the feast. The forty days of Lent are in imitation of Christ's time in the desert. Last Sunday I received a call that one of our old parishioners, Peter S. Zogby, had died. The traditional Maronite Lenten fast are very similar to the Byzantines fast, where no meat or diary would be consumed during the week, and you could eat meat and diary products on Saturdays and Sundays, and certain feast days during Great Lent. St John Chrysostom is not discouraging fasting from food, but he insists that fasting from food must be accompanied with fasting from sin. Fasting and abstaining from eating meat remain obligatory on Ash Monday and Good Friday. This fast precedes the feast of Sts. However, there is great benefit in following and reinvigorating the ancient customs and following these fasts beyond just the obligations. The third Sunday of the Resurrection: Luke 24:13-35, The Birth of John the Baptist Gospel Reading, The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple Gospel Reading, Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord Gospel Reading, Praises to John the Baptist Gospel Reading, The 3 Weeks of the Commemoration of the Deceased, Novena to the Holy Spirit for Son or Daughter, Saint Rafqa Novena for the Sick and Suffering, The difference between Roman Catholic and Maronite Church liturgical colours, St Shmouni and her Seven Sons - Martyrs - 1 August, What to expect the first time you attend a Maronite Church, Accompanying the Elderly and Dying – Death with Dignity. It gives us the opportunity to prepare ourselves and refocus on the things that matter leading up to the feast. This indicates that the language they were speaking among themselves was Aramaic. In other words, when we offer alms (works of mercy, money given to assist the poor), prayers (the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Lectio Divina, and other prayers), and sacrifices (our daily sufferings, trials, and any fasting or penances that we offer), all of these, when offered for the Souls in Purgatory, and in union with Christ’s self-offering on the Cross, which is made present in the Mass, are valuable for assisting … During the Season of Great Lent, the Maronite Church reads from the book of Job when she recites the Divine Praises for the evenings of Lent. If you see an enemy, reconcile with him. for this treasure store is the common property of everyone, and each person, as if he were treasurer, possesses his own. Thus, despite not being mentioned in the synods, this fast was observed by our forefathers. The third Sunday of the Resurrection: Luke 24:13-35, The Birth of John the Baptist Gospel Reading, The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple Gospel Reading, Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord Gospel Reading, Praises to John the Baptist Gospel Reading, The 3 Weeks of the Commemoration of the Deceased, Novena to the Holy Spirit for Son or Daughter, Saint Rafqa Novena for the Sick and Suffering, The difference between Roman Catholic and Maronite Church liturgical colours, St Shmouni and her Seven Sons - Martyrs - 1 August, What to expect the first time you attend a Maronite Church, Accompanying the Elderly and Dying – Death with Dignity. Message your dearest Maronite friend to tell her that you’re hungry, so that, even though she’s busy fasting, meditating, working, running a household… A person who cannot fast or abstain may choose another form of penance. St James, whose feast we celebrate on 30 April, is an important saint in the Maronite tradition, not only because he was an apostle, but also because he was particularly associated with the Aramaic and Syriac current within Christianity. For this reason, a beginner should not observe all the rules at once. Are you fasting? He neither ate bread nor drank water. If the first day is in bold italic or bold the natural fast applies from midnight till 3 pm or noon, in addition to abstinence, for the whole duration of the fast, except on Saturdays and Sundays, on which only abstinence applies. This fast is the most important and the most solemn fast of the liturgical year. This fast emerged in the Syriac Churches of Mesopotamia around the 6th century, and from there it spread to the Armenians, the Copts, and the Abyssinians. However, that legalistic position does not give a complete and fruitful answer and more importantly it diverts from what it is we are trying to achieve from fasting. The Copts still begin the fast on that Monday. We also celebrate a Maronite Rite known as the “Prayer of Forgiveness”. One of the Maronite Passion prayer, sung in Aramaic (Syriac) during the lent time. It is the first Maronite Synod of which we are aware that canonically defined some fasting rules. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Also, if the feasts of the Apostles Peter and Paul and of the Assumption of the Virgin fall on Wednesday or Friday, we should break the fast in order to celebrate the feast properly. Which works? Blessed is He who has prepared for everyone every kind of. When we get hungry during the fast, it is an opportunity to refocus the mind on the purpose of the fast. That fast may have been, as is still observed in most Eastern Churches, from the beginning of the night, for nine hours. The Synod of Hrash, 1644, required that Maronites observe a strict fast from midnight till 3 pm during the Great Fast and Passion Week only, and from midnight till noon during the Nativity Fast (chapter 9, canons 3 and 4). Abstinence from meat, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, and the like, was required. The Synod of Hrash, 1644, commanded that a fast never begins on a Sunday (chapter 9, canons 4 and 5). A happy and blessed Easter to our Orthodox brothers and sisters. Abstinence restricts us from eating meat and or dairy products. In any case, keep in mind that fasting is a discipline: just like any other discipline, it’s all about training, and the route matters as much as, if not more than, the destination. The practice is performed by Roman Catholics as well as Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Christians. Why do we fast? However, if you feel called to this very rigorous way of fasting, you would not be alone. Show me your fast with your works. He continues: Fasting is the change of every part of our life, because the sacrifice of the fast is not the abstinence but the distancing from sins. Please see the Fasting Regulations further back in the bulletin. You patiently wait until evening to partake, but you spend the day in court. The Eucharist is not celebrated on this liturgical day (before midday). The guidelines released by His Beatitude and Eminence Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East are as follows: • Fasting from midnight to midday on all weekdays: no food or drink is to be consumed, with the exception of water; • Abstaining from consuming meat or dairy on the Fridays of Lent; • Abstaining from meat throughout the first and last week of Lent (Holy Week); • We do not fast or abstain on Saturdays and Sundays, with the exception of Easter Saturday, where fasting and abstinence are to be observed; • In 2017, the following feast days fall within the Lenten Season: St John Maroun (2 March), The Forty Martyrs (9 March), St Joseph (19 March), St Rafqa (23 March), The Annunciation (25 March). In that regard you should check with your local bishop. Fasting, especially in Lent, is a major thing in the texts of the liturgy and the lives of the faithful. In the Eastern tradition, its length is variable from year to year. Church custom - added the Maronite Patriarch - provides that with what one saves through fasting helps those brothers and sisters in need. One can obtain permission from a priest not to fast but to do something else instead (e.g. It is a celebration unique to the Syriac Churches and celebrates the … Matthew 6:16-17. The Season of Lent with its penance and mortification precedes the Season of the Resurrection with its triumph and joy. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Fasting is not meant to be a momentarily change, if it done correctly it will permanently transform us. All Maronite’s who are physically capable are to abstain from meat on Ash Monday and all Fridays of Lent. Fasting is a way to do penance for our sins and also to unite our small sacrifice with Christ’s very large sacrifice for us. In the Maronite Catholic Church, ashes are distributed on Monday, two days ahead of the Latin rite’s traditional Ash Wednesday distribution. Fasting requires that one does not consume any food nor any drink from midnight till noon. In ancient times each of the guests would be given wedding garments before the wedding. This indicates that the language they were speaking among themselves was Aramaic. Then, on your second fast, you may level up the challenge, and again on your third fast, and so on and so on. The Book of Guidance, or Kitab al-huda, is the oldest available Maronite book of canon law. For this reason, it is very important to fast not only from food, but more importantly from sins. The Maronite Tradition marks the start of the Great Fast start at the beginning of the week after Cana Sunday and not on Wednesday. If you see a friend who is becoming successful, do not be jealous of him! This allows Catholics to observe 40 days of Lent, but also celebrate two church feasts for which fasting is not required: the … In this context, the Patriarch thanked "all those who take individual or collective initiatives, those who participate in the campaigns promoted by Caritas-Lebanon, the Red Cross and other charitable organizations and associations, and also by parishes and foundations". These are “obligations”. MCDR. AS MARONITES…. Lent is a common time for fasting in many churches. It reduced fasting periods and defined the official Maronite fasts, which remain today. But don’t limit the goodness of fasting by abstaining only from foods. Fasting is a discipline that teaches us to gain control, because so often the source of our sin is a loss of control. However, fasting is forbidden between Christmas and Epiphany, and between Easter and Pentecost, since those periods are joyful times in which we celebrate respectively the Nativity and the Resurrection of the Lord. In other words, not only should the mouth fast, but the eyes and the legs and the arms and all the other parts of the body should fast as well. Abstinence refers to abstaining from all animal products: meat, dairy, eggs, fish, and shellfish. Exodus 34:28, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. You are not eating meat, are you? The fasting day may begin and end on vespers (6 pm) or at midnight. Fasting in the Maronite Church involves eating and drinking nothing at all (except water and medicine) from midnight until noon. Fasting is the perfect occasion to learn to detach ourselves from a particular sin that keeps sucking on our souls. While some churches have strict rules for fasting during Lent, others leave it as a personal choice for each believer. Daniel 10:3. Medieval times: the medieval fasting rules have been forgotten by most Maronites and are no longer binding on Maronites. Fasting is an important tradition of the Church and has scriptural basis. By controlling our physical impulses, we may approach God with a clear mind. Abstinence from fish and shellfish is no longer required in the Maronite Church, since it was abolished by patriarch mar Youssef III al-Rizzi (1597 – 1608). Through fasting and prayer, souls are made pure, bodies are made chaste, spirits are raised, passions are restrained, mercy abounds, and the Holy Spirit dwells in the soul that was created to be the temple of God. Fasting is not profitable unless it is accompanied obedience to Gods word. Rules may differ depending on the jurisdiction in which the Maronite Church is located. However, already in the 16th century, Maronites fasted approximately 30 days, even less in some regions. However, this rule is no longer enforced. Let the mouth fast from disgraceful and abusive words, because, what gain is there when, on the one hand we avoid eating chicken and fish and, on the other, we chew-up and consume our brothers? Nowhere is this theme made more explicit than in the season of Lent. Paris, Letouzey et Ané, 1962, 377 p. Kalendarium – Michaele Hersonita, Maronita Archipraesb. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window). Since Maronites originally did not have a grading of fasts, meaning that fasting days were all observed similarly, it follows that they used to fast till 3 pm on every fasting day, except on Saturdays and Sundays. Nonetheless, here are some suggestions we humbly offer you for your first fast. The best way to build a fasting plan is to discuss it with your priest: he knows you better than we do and will likely give you better advice than you’ll ever receive from us! “Fasting is medicine.” St John Chrysostom declares in his beautiful homily on fasting. In the East, this fast traditionally begins on 15 November, right after the Feast of St. Phillip, and ends 40 days later, on 24 December, on the eve of Christmas. The second part will look at the present position in relation to Maronite Fasting. A happy and blessed Easter to our Orthodox brothers and sisters. The third part will consider why we should reinvigorate the tradition of fasting and the benefits it can bring, while the fourth part will give practical advice to those who will be fasting for the first time. We take back the control of ourselves that was lost with the Fall of Adam. Since fasting is a discipline of the body, through it we learn to control our body, the very vehicle of most of our sins. Many Eastern Christians, including many Maronites, still follow these ancient rules. There is a tradition that he preached the Gospel in Antioch. It also helps us to depend on God more fully and to have compassion for the poor and the hungry. When searching the Internet for the fasting rules in the Maronite Church, one is puzzled by the contradictory answers and guidelines. This prescription was still observed by the Maronites until 1598, after which the Synod of Dai’at Mussa reduced the length of the fast so that it began on 5 December, the day following the feast of St. Barbara (canon 30), as per the Latin tradition. (Isaiah 58:6) Forgive your neighbor’s offense, and forgive his debts. Let your hearing also fast. You don’t eat meat, but you eat your brother. From time to time, the Maronite Church publishes regulations with the rules set by the patriarch. Fasting reminds us of the first sin of Adam and Eve, who ate from the forbidden tree. It requires strict fasting prior to receiving communion. We offer our fast so that our souls may be cleansed from all impurities. The Lebanese Synod, 1736, then reduced the strict fasting period by ending it at noon, and only required it for the Great Fast and Passion Week (part 1, chapter 4, canon 3). We do not fast or abstain on these feast days. Forget to check your Maronite liturgical calendar (or, possibly, forget that we’re in March and look at the wrong day.) Moreover, Eastern Churches have always had a clear understanding of fasting as a penance for the remission of sins. Fasting is the abstinence from eating and drinking from midnight till noon with the possibility of drinking water and consuming medication only. But having fasted for forty days, we gaze upon and receive the living Word from the Virgin, inscribed not on stones, but incarnate and born, and we partake of His Divine flesh.”. In the Old Testament we hear from Daniel. Then, the Passion Week fast starts on Lazarus Saturday and ends on the eve of Easter. Synod of Dai’at Mussa in 1598: this Synod reduced the length of some fasts. Allatae Sunt – On the Observance of Oriental Rites, 1755. Maronites are expected to follow the rules prescribed by the Church. It is observed by all Oriental Churches except the Byzantine Churches. What is the effect of fasting if we deprive ourselves from food but not from sins? In fasting we need to consider why we are doing something, and doing it simply to fulfill an obligation is not the most fruitful approach. The Eastern Churches interpreted this canon as forbidding strict fasting, without lifting the abstinence. Saint Basil the Great, On Fasting – Homily 1, Chapter 10. Fasting involves eating and drinking nothing at all (except water and medicine) from midnight until noon. By fasting from food we can take the opportunity each time we are hungry to fast from sinning and doing evil. Eastern Christians traditionally fast on Wednesdays and Fridays – Wednesday, to commemorate the betrayal of Christ by Judas, and Friday, to commemorate the Crucifixion of Christ. Fasting permits us to detach ourselves from our physical desires and needs to concentrate on our spiritual relationship with the Lord. It begins after Pentecost which varies in date according to the date of Easter. “Abstinence” is excluding a certain type of food and drink from our diet between midnight and midnight (that is, for 24 hours), leaving us free to consume other foods and drinks. Fasting for Great Lent | Living Maronite Fasting for Great Lent Fasting is the abstinence from eating and drinking from midnight till noon with the possibility of drinking water and consuming medication only. Feel hungry. The wedding feast is our opportunity to accept Christ the Groom’s wedding invitation where he opens up his treasury to us. 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