The Byzantine Catholic Apostles’ Fast
The Apostles' Fast is a significant period in the Byzantine liturgical calendar, serving as a transition from the joy of Pascha to a time of reflection and simpler living.
Chapter: The Apostles' Fast
The pascal season of feasting is followed with a period of simpler eating called the fast of the holy apostles. It lasts from the Monday after All Saints until June 28. During the fast, strict abstinence (no meat, fish, animal products, wine or oil) is prescribed for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Lesser abstinence, which allows for wine and oil, is prescribed for Tuesdays and Thursdays.
June is the tenth month of the liturgical year in the Byzantine Rite. The liturgical year begins in September, and follows the services of Christmas and Theophany, which leads into the new year. Then comes the Great Fast and the Paschal season, which ends on the Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints.
The Sunday of All Saints (which can fall between May 17 and June 20) marks the transition back to "ordinary time", or the time after Pentecost.
The feasting of the Paschal season is followed with a period of simpler eating, known as the "fast of the holy apostles", or the Apostles' Fast or the Fast of Saints Peter and Paul. This penitential season lasts from the Monday after All Saints until June 28, the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. During this fast, the Typikon, the guidebook for the liturgy, prescribes strict abstinence (no meat, fish, animal products, wine or oil) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and lesser abstinence (which allows wine and oil) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Certain days during the fast are Days of Alleluia: when penitential hymns are sung in place of the usual ones, and the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated (unless it is a Saturday or Sunday). These days are:
May 19, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and
June 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15, 16, 20, 22
The Apostles' Fast is a penitential season in the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church in the United States, but strict or lesser abstinence is voluntary. Still, all Byzantine Catholics should spend at least some of this time in fast, simple living and eating, and regular devotion to prayer and works of charity.
So, what is the Apostles' Fast? It is a penitential season which follows the feasting of the pascal season. It lasts from the Monday after All Saints until June 28. During the fast it is optional for the faithful to practice strict abstinence on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and lesser abstinence on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Voluntarily practicing full or partial abstinence can bring us closer to God during this time, so trying it could be beneficial for you. Talk to a deacon or priest at your parish if you have further questions or concerns.
And that was the Apostles' Fast in a nutshell. Until next time, may God grant you many blessed years.
Quiz
1. Please read the question carefully.
2. Think of an answer.
3. Click to check the answer.
When does the Apostles' Fast begin and end according to the provided text?
The Apostles' Fast begins on the Monday after All Saints and lasts until June 28th.
Describe the strict abstinence prescribed during the Apostles' Fast on specific days.
Strict abstinence during the Apostles' Fast means refraining from meat, fish, animal products, wine, and oil on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. However, it is optional and not required.
What is allowed during the lesser abstinence observed on Tuesdays and Thursdays?
Lesser abstinence, observed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, permits the consumption of wine and oil.
In the Byzantine Rite, when does the liturgical year begin, and what major events precede the Paschal season?
The Byzantine liturgical year begins in September and includes the services of Christmas and Theophany before leading into the Great Fast and the Paschal season.
What event in the liturgical calendar immediately precedes the beginning of the Apostles' Fast?
The Sunday of All Saints immediately precedes the beginning of the Apostles' Fast.
Is strict or lesser abstinence mandatory for Byzantine Catholics in the United States during the Apostles' Fast?
In the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church in the United States, strict or lesser abstinence during the Apostles' Fast is voluntary and not required.
