The Catalog of Good Deeds: Lent and Fasting

Showing posts with label Lent and Fasting. Show all posts

What is important for us to bear in mind during the fast? The fast, by definition, is a time of abstinence. Therefore, let us strive to abstain from everything that is unprofitable for our souls:

1. Television. It seems to me that television is first on the list of unprofitable things. Television shows compel viewers to squander a part of their lives “for someone else.” There was a case of a mother who refused to emigrate to be with her children because the country to which they had invited her had stopped showing “Santa Barbara.” When it comes time to say that television viewing should be limited during the fast, you will hear that people are ready to give up watching the news and to fast very strictly with regard to food, but they cannot give up watching television shows.

It is precisely this harmful obsession – one that teaches us to live an imaginary life and to sympathize with vice and passion, as dictated by directors and screenwriters – that we need to give up, at least during the fast. I also advise watching fewer movies: nearly everything said about television can be applied to the average film. The news is also unlikely to bring a calm and prayerful disposition to someone who is fasting. Therefore, if you have not yet disconnected the antenna from your television, now is the time to do so.

2. Unlimited cell phone service. Unless your work requires you to have unlimited phone service, it would be better to give it up during the fast. Unlimited communication is very unprofitable during the time the Church has allocated for prayer and spiritual reading; it greatly weakens the soul. Let us also be careful with our land line phones.

3. The Internet. The best thing is to draw up a precise list of websites that you can visit during the fast. Everything not related to work or obedience should be strictly regulated. Even a familiar website that is completely innocuous at regular times might provide information that is unprofitable during the fast. Therefore, before you follow a link, give some thought to what the consequences will be for your soul that is fasting.

4. Personal communication. It goes without saying that someone fasting should not put his abstinence on display. Nonetheless, it is very important for the sake of spiritual benefit to limit communication. This should be done carefully, so as not to offend anyone by our refusal. Sometimes it is necessary for the sake of a neighbor to neglect our silence. Sometimes our engagement can save a neighbor’s soul, or even his life. However, gossip, tittle-tattling, and empty chatter can cause harm not only to the person who is fasting, but also to those around him. Let us be careful with our words, those double-edged swords capable of both healing and destroying.

5. Excessive rest. Just as immoderate labor is bad for one’s health, and even for one’s soul, so too is excessive rest permissible only for the ill. By resting excessively during a fasting period we deprive ourselves of the benefits of spiritual struggle.

6. Other amusements. Here it is extremely important to determine for oneself what is and is not acceptable during this time, when the soul is like a bee gathering honey. Just as a bee labors during flowering season, so should someone who is fasting not be distracted by anything that interferes with the primary purpose of the fast. This applies to music, games, the celebration of various anniversaries, and much else. Nevertheless, all things in moderation: your guests will be puzzled if a celebration turns into an edifying conversation over dry cabbage.

7. Travel. One can welcome going on pilgrimage, but even this needs to be done within limits. It is better yet to spend the fast in the quiet of one’s own home if possible. One cannot always postpone a vacation to a holiday spot, but in that case one needs to remember that one has already broken the fast to some extent. Therefore, in such cases it is important to decide on one’s priorities. After all, children sometimes need a break from the city. Moreover, vacation schedules do not always depend on us.

8. Food. Someone who is fasting should know what he is capable of abstaining from during the fast, so that he will not undermine his health. Meat, of course, should be permitted only to those with a serious illness; as for everyone else, their fasting should be within reason. A steelworker should not give up milk, just as a student should not give up fish. The many church calendars that include the monastic rules of fasting are not, generally speaking, suitable for the laity. It is more important to give up foods that feed the passions than those that feed the body: for example, sweets and gourmet foods are more harmful to the soul than a glass of milk is to someone who engages in a great deal of physical labor. Abstinence from food is nothing more than a mean towards maintaining soul and body in a disciplined state – it is not an end in itself. This is extremely important. Therefore, if you are invited to be someone’s guest, there is no point traumatizing your hosts with your display of abstinence. It would be better to increase the strictness of your fasting later, so that the fast might be profitable to your soul and body without alienating non-church-goers from Orthodoxy.

9. Alcohol. It should be borne in mind that any amount of alcohol consumed during the fast should be considered to some degree non-fasting, since any alcoholic drink weakens the soul to a greater or lesser extent, rendering it incapable of the labors of the fast. Wine is permissible only on feast days, and even then strictly in moderation.

10. Marital relations. Regardless of the wide-ranging discussions that have taken place in recent years regarding this question, I am certain that marital relations during the fast cannot but affect the quality of fasting. But in order to engage in such strictness of fasting, when spouses are abstinent for the entire fast – BY MUTUAL CONSENT and without harming their marriage – one has to acquire spiritual maturity. Therefore, in the given case it is important to act reasonably and prudently. The most important thing to remember is that, although you might be able to cook for one in a single pot, in the case of marital relations – and especially in bed – the question must be considered mutually. It is better to violate the fast than to inflict pain on one’s “second half” by refusing them.

By Archpriest Andrei Efanov

Source: http://www.pravmir.com/the-fast-10-beneficial-and-10-harmful-things/

On November 28th we begin the Nativity Fast.

We fast before the Great Feast of the Nativity in order to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Our Lord’s birth. As in the case of Great Lent, the Nativity Fast is one of preparation, during which we focus on the coming of the Savior by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

By fasting, we “shift our focus” from ourselves to others, spending less time worrying about what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and so on in order to use our time in increased prayer and caring for the poor. We learn through fasting that we can gain control over things which we sometimes allow to control us—and for many people, food is a controlling factor. We live in the only society in which an entire TV network is devoted to food! While fasting from food, however, we are also challenged to abstain from sin, from gossip, from jealousy, from anger, and from those other things which, while well within our control, we all too often allow to control us.

Just as we would refrain from eating a lot before going to an expensive restaurant for dinner—if we “ruin our appetite” we will enjoy the restaurant less—so too we fast before the Nativity in order to more fully feast and celebrate on the Nativity itself.

During the Nativity Fast, we are called upon to refrain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil. There are exceptions to this rule; please consult your Church calendar. At the same time, we are challenged, within the given framework, to fast to the best of our ability, and to do so consistently. If we must modify the extent to which we fast within this framework, it is of course possible, but in every instance our fasting should be consistent and regular, for Christ does not present fasting as an option, but as a “must.” In Matthew Christ says, “WHEN you fast, do not be like the hypocrites,” not “IF you fast” or “IF YOU CHOOSE to fast.” It is simply part of the Orthodox Christian life!

Finally, however, it is important to remember that we do not fast in order to loose weight or to feel better physically (although these are very nice side-effects of our fasting). We fast for our own spiritual benefit, and for the sake of our inner life. If we decide not to participate in the fast, we are the ones that will miss out on the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. In the fast we empty ourselves, so that God’s grace will have a space in our hearts to heal and form us. Let us not reject this great gift and opportunity!

By Fr. Andreas Blom

Source: http://www.stgabrielashland.org/why-do-we-fast-before-nativity/

There is a remarkable story in the book Everyday Saints related to fasting. Russian monks came to the Caucasus during the Chechen War to hear confessions of the local Orthodox flock and to give them communion. The organizers of the trip decided to arrange a thank-you meal for the priests. They cooked a fabulous meal with smoking hot heaps of roasted lamb meat and other delicious dishes. When the monks learned about the “surprise”, they were shocked. First, monks don’t eat meat at all. Secondly, it happened during the Great Lent, or more precisely, during the stringent days of the Holy Week. What could they do? The author writes that the monks immediately realized that their refusal would be a horrendous insult for the hosts. So they ate meat and drank wine, and that meal was the most joyful feast of love in their lives.

This story is totally fine both spiritually and from the point of view of common sense. The physical side of fasting can be disregarded even by monks if adherence to it can hurt anybody’s feelings. There are quite a few cases like those in the lives of the saints. We also face similar situation in our lives. However, the principle of “not hurting” our neighbor is often misused. That’s what I would like to delve into.

***

Sometimes I happen to hear that if a person is surrounded by people who don’t fast, he should give up fasting. The main argument in favor of this position is that you mustn’t make a show of your fasting. Indeed, our Lord teaches, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

The prohibition to show off your fasting does not by any means imply that you should be bashful of the physical side of the fast and observe it only when no one can see you. Jesus says that it is wrong to appear fasting but He does not call us to stop fasting arbitrarily every time we meet an unbeliever. “Not showing off” and “concealing” are two different things. You mustn’t show off but it’s also wrong to “masquerade” as someone who doesn’t fast. Otherwise, it will appear as if we are lying. It sounds like, In fact, I don’t eat meat during the fast but I’ll pretend that I do when I meet my non-Christian colleagues. Why? It’s unclear.

It is also unclear how we will hurt our neighbor if we eat Lenten foods or abstain from non-Lenten dishes. With the sole exception of the case when our refusal to eat something will actually offend a certain person, why can’t we simply say that we are Orthodox and that we fast together with the entire Church? If the person you deal with is a normal sane person, they will respect your decision. It is wrong to break church commandments, even if they apply to a less important side of fasting, i.e., physical abstinence.

The Lord lays out the same principle with regard to alms-giving and prayer. Sure, you mustn’t show off your charity and prayer. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make the sign of the cross when you pass by a church or that you shouldn’t give a coin to a beggar even if someone else can see you, does it? The Lord can see our intentions. Likewise, showing off and boasting about your fasting achievements is one thing, while obedience to the Church not only at home but also elsewhere is another thing. Naturally, we have to examine any given situation wisely in the spirit of Gospel-driven love.

***

The visibility and matter-of-factness of our fasting is our mission and apostolate in the today’s world. Many people regard mockery of the Church and Her rules as the norm nowadays. Our testimony of staying loyal to the regulations of the Church can be a living sermon and apology of Christianity. Of course, it is significantly less convenient than hiding the fact of our fasting from the unbelievers and pretending to be a person who does not fast. Perhaps, we choose the more convenient model because we are afraid of defending our faith and don’t know how to talk about it?

If we aren’t Christians in name only, then our choice of a Lenten meal might prompt a conversation about spiritual issues. Even if it doesn’t yield any tangible result, at least the person you talked with will know that their colleague believes in God and honors church fasts. If they have any questions related to the Church and spiritual living in the future, they will contact us again.

***

We often forget about the sin of people pleasing when we talk about fasting. However, the Scripture tells us that God hath scattered the bones of those who please people (Ps. 53:5), and, We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29). Don’t we cross the red line that divides our desire to be at peace with our neighbor and the sin of pleasing people, if we choose “not to fast openly”?

“The desire to maintain friendly relations with our neighbors sometimes turns to us its ugly side, i.e., the sin of people pleasing. As a matter of fact, the issue isn’t about friendly ties and the like. The issue is our own halfheartedness and reliance on someone else’s opinion. It is during the Great Lent that this passion manifests itself most vividly,” Nun Eugenia (Senchukova) writes.

Interestingly enough, a Jew or a Muslim wouldn’t even care what other people think about his fasting. You won’t be able to talk an Orthodox Jew or a Muslim into breaking the fast that millions of his brothers observe at the moment. They will never think that their fasting can hurt anyone. Granted, we Christians have a slightly different attitude to the fast but even in the Gospel, there is not a hint at fasting privately and stopping the fast when we’re in a public place. Apostle James warns us, “[K]now ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

***

The proponents of giving up the fast to foreclose any discontentment of an unbelieving neighbor also put forth the danger of vainglory. There is an even trickier passion, though: being proud of not fasting. A publican who is proud that he isn’t a Pharisee… Have you thought about the danger of this kind of vainglory?

Generally, conceit and pride mingle with all virtues. St. John Climacus wrote, “Vainglory sticks to everything: I’m proud of myself when I fast but I am proud of my wisdom when I stop fasting to conceal my asceticism from other people; I am conquered by vanity when I wear fancy clothes but I am equally proud of myself when I wear bad clothes; when I open my mouth to talk, I am seized by pride, when I keep silent, I am proud, too. Whichever way you throw this trident, its sharp point will always look up.”

It doesn’t mean, however, that we should stop exercising our virtues. No, we should continue doing good but be extremely attentive to our inner disposition and repent of any symptoms of vainglory.

***

The Orthodox understanding of fast incorporates numerous components. For instance, it is meaningless to fast without prayer. Fasting is also void without alms-giving. It is no accident that the Sermon on the Mount lists three main Christian virtues: charity, prayer, and fast. They go hand in hand. Of course, we must remember the words of Prophet Isaiah, “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?” (Is. 58:5-7). We’ve got to remember all that. However, an attempt to take physical fasting away from this scheme is like causing a wall to collapse by taking a cornerstone out of it.

Certainly, physical abstinence is merely a means to an end. It provides a background that facilitates the acquisition of spiritual virtues. And yet, this practice is essential for any kind of spiritual struggle. That is why the list of passions compiled by the Holy Fathers mentions physical transgressions, namely gluttony and fornication, first. How do we fight these passions if we don’t follow the fasting rules prescribed by the Church, albeit abridged for lay folks?

“There is no repentance without fasting,” St. John Chrysostom used to say. He meant the simplest form of fasting, that is, abstaining from food. If we continue to adapt our lifestyle to that of the unbelievers, what will remain of our fasts? Jesus Christ fasted when necessary. The apostles fasted after the Ascension, too. We won’t find any saint (apart from some martyrs) who didn’t observe Church fasts. Do we expect to get saved by using a different approach?

***

I’m easily triggered by all kinds of legalism and hypocrisy, and I’ve written a lot about these issues. Unfortunately, I feel obliged to defend the physical side of the fast in view of several articles I’ve read during the last couple of years, especially by Greek authors. It seems to me that we often go too far in our attempts to “not offend” our neighbors. I keep hearing the following words: “Don’t pretend that you’re ascetics. Remember that you’re not monks; eat everything that people offer you. Orthodoxy isn’t a food-centric religion. ‘The kingdom of God is not meat and drink’ (Romans 14:17). Don’t be like Pharisees,” etc.

Don’t even dare mention the issue of sexual abstinence during the Great Lent, for heaven’s sake! Ridiculing and sneering at people who observe fast is considered good manners even in Christian circles. “Look at that simpleton who doesn’t know that fast is mainly about not devouring people.” Some Orthodox websites openly preach that physical asceticism was invented by monks and isn’t grounded in the Gospel. Well, and of course, they talk volumes about love and stuff. You can’t argue with that because you find yourself on an uneven playing field: what are you, a legalist?

How far can we go in our desire to excuse ourselves for being lazy and pleasing our bodies? We turn our backs to the simplest pledge for God’s sake—physical abstinence—and work hard to make it a thing of the past. As Saint Anatoly of Optina pointed out, “Practice… tells us, Spill your blood and receive the Spirit. Our reason tries to find a workaround so as to get the Spirit without spilling blood.” He nailed it, didn’t he?

We should work to find the perfect balance, always remembering the rule Spill your blood and receive the Spirit. May the Lord help everyone who fasts to understand and follow the commandment expressed by the following simple words that we find in the Gospel, “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23).

By Sergei Komarov

Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds

Source: https://pravoslavie.fm/articles/postitsya-li-nahodyas-ryadom-s-neveruyushhimi/

Teaching children to fast is very basic in an Orthodox Christian upbringing, like teaching them to pray. The question of when and how strictly to have one's children begin fasting should be discussed with a spiritual father. If a family does not have a spiritual father and the family is involved in a parish where fasting is not encouraged, especially among the children, one should ask God to present the family with an opportunity to find a spiritual father who can guide the family in the True Orthodox Christian life.

Today many children have dairy and egg allergies and live their entire childhood without these foods. Many people do not eat meat at all, for philosophical reasons, and raise their children on a meat-free diet. There are cultures in the world whose diet have no or a only a very limited amount of meat and dairy, and in many cases, the people of these cultures are physically healthier than Americans. So, it's not a matter of depriving children--it's simply a different way of cooking.

A child's ability to fast during the Great Lent depends a lot on how the child eats during non-fasting times. If a child's primary foods are meat and dairy, then fasting will likely be difficult. But if a child is accustomed to eating a variety of legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, then in most cases, fasting will not be difficult. It is important to have your children eat a variety of legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables throughout the year, so that they will be accustomed to these kinds of foods and will not find fasting to be such a dramatic change in diet.

Yet, again, establishing a fasting rule for the children in a family must be done under the guidance of a spiritual father. It is possible to become overzealous for having our children keep a full fast, and a spiritual father would temper this and guide the family on the path that is best for the children's physical health and spiritual development.

It is helpful to educate yourself what constitutes a healthy, nutritious diet for fasting so that you and your children will not suffer any deficiencies. (Serving your family peanut butter and jelly for lunch and pasta for dinner for 40 days is not a healthy diet and will make your family--especially your husband--hate fasting.)

For children who keep a strict fast the morning of receiving Holy Communion, it is helpful to make sure that they are fed a substantial, nutritious meal the evening before. If you are in a parish where the Divine Liturgy is late in the morning and the children have difficulty keeping a strict fast for the entire morning, it can be helpful to serve the previous night's dinner or give the children an additional protein-filled snack (and water if they are able), before they go to bed the night before the Divine Liturgy.

That's Just What We Do

Our children are born into a family that fasts on Wednesdays, Fridays and during Church fasting periods. They get plenty to eat each day during those times. We are amazed at how many Orthodox Christian families do not make fasting part of their regular routine. We feel it's easier for children to grow up used to that aspect of the Orthodox Christian faith rather than having to learn to fast as adults. On the other hand, we are not "label readers" and discourage that in our children.

On Parish Life and Fasting

We understand that it is difficult to fast, and some of us many have special food requirements. Parish leaders and organizers: please, if it is a fast period and there is a retreat/youth function do not serve children non-fasting food. We are not judging you or others if you break the fast, but it is very difficult for us parents to keep to the fasting calendar and then have it broken in the church, of all places. Please have all Sunday School teachers/youth groups leaders and parishioners who cook for the parish know not to feed children non-fasting food during the fasts or to verbally criticize the fasts of the Church. Further, please do not call us "fanatics" for following the Church fasting rules.

Prepare Them for Difficult Days

The Elder (Geronda) Athanasios had personal experience with true physical hunger during WWII. Over 300,000 civilians died in Athens, Greece alone from starvation, tens of thousands more through reprisals by Nazis and collaborators, and the country's economy was ruined. He saw starvation with his own eyes, was himself truly hungry, and knew that it would always be possible for times of hunger to come to any people at any time.

"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (Philippians 4:12)

In other words, when I have plenty of food, I do not eat like a glutton, and when I am hungry I have learned not to blaspheme God. I have learned the lesson to have plenty, to be rich without being attracted and attached to have plenty, to be rich without being attracted and attached to these things; but I can also go hungry without doubting God and questioning what is going to happen to me--maybe God forgot me or maybe God died. No; Saint Paul says, I have everything I need and then some. I have everything I need and I abound! (cf., Philippians 4:18). Holy Saint Paul, you were in jail for three years! Two years in Caesarea and one year in Rome and what do you have?

He says, "I have everything and I abound." Saint Paul is not lying. Do you see how a person can discipline himself, how he can be conditioned? My friends, what are you going to do when you keep filling your children up with chocolate, ice cream cakes, cream cheese and fresh butter? What is going to happen in a period of hunger? We need to teach the children to fast, to learn (even with all of today's technical means) to withstand some mild suffering, so they will be able to survive some difficult days if they happen to come upon us. If they are trained in this way of the difficult days of their lives, like Saint Paul they will say, I know how to live with plenty and I know how to survive with next to nothing.

Fasting With Joy

As to fasting before Holy Communion, we do a great disservice to our children by not teaching them to joyfully fast when they are young. Whatever you do, set a good example and do not complain about fasting in front of them. They are young but they are not foolish. Teach them why we fast.

Attention Span and Snacks

Children without health problems can go the length of a Divine Liturgy without food and drink. Please don't bring cheerios, or any food or drink (or gum) to church.

Blessed Meals

Pray while cooking or preparing food for yourself and your family. Make the sign of the Cross over your food and drinks. Always pray before eating, at minimum make the sign of the Cross; and do not be embarrassed about blessing your food in public or your children will feel the same way. (Source: Orthodox Christian Parenting. Cultivating God's Creation by Zoe Press)

Source: http://saintandrewgoc.org/home/2017/10/11/how-to-teach-children-to-fast

Why did Apostle Peter feel sad after hearing the Savior ask him "Do you love me?" for the third time? Why does the Greek original text change one word, which means "love", to another one? Why does the Lord ask Apostle Peter three times? What does this story from the Gospel teach us?

Orthodox fasting seasons are periods when we focus on repentance. The Church creates conditions that are the most beneficial for our purification and improvement. The fasting season that precedes the Day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul is no exception. Both apostles set an example of repentance for us. Apostle Paul had persecuted Christians prior to his conversion. Later, when he was called upon by God to become an apostle, he considered himself to be the worst of all sinners (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15). Apostle Peter denied Jesus three times, but then he repented. Throughout his entire life, he would burst into tears every time he heard a rooster because it reminded him of his downfall.

Let's see what we can learn from Peter's repentance.

Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian who was the Lord's favorite disciple recounts how the Risen Lord Jesus Christ restores Peter into his apostolic status by asking him whether he loves him or not three times. The Holy Fathers usually explain that the Lord hereby forgives Peter's threefold denial of Christ.

This passage mentions that "Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?" (John 21:17) If you read most English translations of the Bible, you may think that the reason for the grief of the apostle who had denied Jesus was that the same question was repeated three times (with slight variations). Russian and Slavonic translations point to the same conclusion. However, if you read the Greek original, you will see this event in a quite different light. This is because there are several words for love in Greek. Here in this passage the Lord uses the word 'ἀγαπᾷς' in the first two questions(John 21:15–16), and then 'φιλεῖς' in his third question (John 21:17). To cut it short, we can say that the first of these verbs is normally used when they talk about spiritual love, whereas the second one is used to talk about love as friendly affection. That is, the Lord literally asks Peter in his last question, "Do you love me in any way?" Almost like, "Well, do you at least like me?"

This is why even in English this passage implicitly says that the reason for Peter's grief was not the fact that the Lord asked him "Lovest thou me?" three times but that he used a different verb in this case. The Greek text makes it even clearer because it is written that Peter was upset when he heard 'φιλεῖς με', not 'ἀγαπᾷς με' as in the first two cases. Bishop Cassian (Bezobrazov) addresses this fact in detail when he points out, "There can be no doubt that the three questions follow each other in a descending order." First, the Lord asks Peter, "Do you love me more than they do?" Secondly, He simply asks, "Do you love me?" Finally, Peter hears a question about the kind of love that is called φιλία, which makes him desperate.

What is the key to this descending order of the Lord's questions? There is nothing accidental in the Gospel. The answer lies in the Gospel itself. As we read in the story of Peter's denial of Jesus, his three denials were different from each other. His first denial is almost like he didn't mean it. It looks like the apostle is in the state of shock, as we say it nowadays. He wants to be alone, to hide, to remain invisible, in order to comprehend the event, to absorb it, to agree with the fact that it is real and not a nightmare, to figure out its secret meaning and the ways out that it opens, so as to be able to go on living in this new distorted reality. "I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest," he replied to the maid of the high priest (Mark 14:68). The echo of his own words "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended" (Matthew 26:33) might still have been ringing in his ears. The question of the Savior, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" (John 21:15)– "Σίμων ᾿Ιωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με πλεῖον τούτων?" — reminds him of his boastful assertion.

The second denial leaves no place for alternative interpretation. He confirms it with an oath, "And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man." (Matthew 26:72). This is why the second question of the Lord is shorter than the first one and apparently somewhat hesitant: "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" – «Σίμων ᾿Ιωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με?» (John 21:16).

During his third denial, Peter added curses to the oaths, thus completing his rejection of Jesus, "Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man" (Matthew 26:74). That is why the last question of the Son of God sounds like a verdict that made the First Apostle so upset, "Σίμων ᾿Ιωνᾶ, φιλεῖς με?" (John 21:17).

According to the Holy Fathers, one's repentance must correspond to the measure of his sins. If one returns to sinning, it proves that his repentance wasn't complete. We see in this passage how the Lord helps the fallen apostle to finally get rid of the weakness that had led him to the denial of God. The questions that the Savior asks make Peter sorry and heal his soul essentially by going over the steps of his denial.

We can add that the Lord does not ask Peter if he loves him one-on-one. He does it in public so as to make Peter respond publicly. The Holy Fathers pointed out the fact that repentance must correspond not only to the measure but also to the way of sinning. If we insult someone with words, our repentance must include verbal apology to the person whom we insulted. If we caused someone financial loss, our repentance will be incomplete if we don't make up for the losses. If we think bad of someone, we must repent in our thoughts, too (except the Sacrament of Confession, naturally). Apostle Peter denied Christ publicly, so his profession of love to the Lord had to be in the presence of other people.

Our exegesis of this passage did not touch on Peter's answers nor on the Lord's request nor on a lot of other things but I believe that even the aspects of this passage that we have mentioned may be useful for us. As far as other points that we haven't made are concerned, we'll try to justify ourselves with the words of Evangelist John himself, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21:25).

By Andrey Gorbachev

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10 Things to Abstain from during the Nativity Fast

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Shifting Our Focus: the Reason We Should Fast before the Feast of the Nativity

Should We Fast in the Presence of Unbelievers?

How Could We Teach Our Children to Fast?

Steps of Repentance, or What Made Apostle Peter Sad?

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