According to the charter of the Orthodox Church, there are only four fasts lasting a long period of time. Of these, two are strict - Great Lent and Assumption. The other two are less strict (during their implementation it is allowed to eat fish), these are the Christmas and Petrov fasts. Today we will talk about the last of them.
Harmony of soul and body
Church fasting means an attempt by believers to free themselves from their sins. There are two sides to this process. On the one hand, this is the purification of the soul, on the other hand, the body. The first side involves prayers, thoughts about God, thoughts about your life. And the second is the restrictions on the use of certain products.
The Fathers of the Church consider such actions in unity, because human nature is arranged in such a way that moderation in food gives the body an ease that helps to focus on high aspirations. The same goal is set before the holding of Petrov Lent, which is stillcalled Apostolic.
Where did the name come from
The Apostolic Fast was mentioned in written sources dating back to the 3rd century. Both names refer to the disciples of Jesus Christ who resorted to fasting (spiritual and physical) before going on a long journey to preach about the life and teachings of the Son of God.
Previously, it was called the fast of Pentecost (50th day after Easter - Holy Trinity Day) and was intended for those people who, for one reason or another, could not indulge in Great Lent, for example, they were sick or were on a long journey, or the state of he alth generally ruled out this possibility for them in principle.
Today, this understanding remains relevant, but the emphasis is shifted to the connection with the apostles, namely with Peter and Paul - the beloved disciples of Christ. At the same time, not only the significance of restrictions for the body is emphasized, but also, first of all, for the soul. After all, Peter and Paul are examples of true Christians, the connection with the feat of which is not interrupted even today.
Start and end
What date does Petrov fast start? It begins one week after Holy Trinity Day and follows the ninth Sunday after Easter. In this regard, every year the timing of the maintenance of the Apostolic Lent varies. What date does Petrov fast end? Its last day is a strictly fixed day - the eve of the day of Saints Peter and Paul - July 12 (in the common people– Petrov day).
Thus, if there is an early onset of Easter, the duration of Peter's fast becomes much longer. The shortest was an eight-day fast, and the longest was a fast of 42 days. In 2018, it will be equal to 38 days, its duration will be from June 4 to July 11 inclusive.
However, the very day of honoring the apostles Peter and Paul is not included in this post. But keep in mind that if it falls on Wednesday, Friday, then it refers to fast days.
Petrov fasting and food
As mentioned above, this post is not strict, but this should not be taken literally. After all, it was originally intended for the ministers of the church, whose life, in principle, is subjected to a lot of restrictions. Therefore, what is a non-strict fast for them will not necessarily be such for the laity.
The “lightness” of the Apostolic Lent is expressed in the fact that you can eat fish from animal food, and even then not on all days. In connection with the summer period, the emphasis is on vegetables and fruits, which should support the body during the restrictions. To master the rules for holding Peter's fast, you need to pay attention to the following settings:
- Animal proteins (other than fish) are excluded.
- Dairy products and dishes containing them are not allowed.
- Easy, he althy food welcome.
- Cooking with vegetable oils only.
- No cooking on Wednesday and Friday.
- On Monday you can eat hot, butcooked purely with water, no oil.
- Vegetables, fruits, greens can be consumed on any day. On all days except Wednesday and Friday, you can eat fish, mushrooms, nuts, cereals.
Scheme for the laity
For the laity, the meal plan is as follows:
- On Monday, Wednesday and Friday dry eating is practiced. This implies that the products can be eaten raw, but not only. They can be boiled, baked, stewed in water. For example, it is allowed to cook porridge, but do not add meat, milk, butter to it. Food is taken once, at 3 pm.
- On Tuesday and Thursday you can eat the same food as on the above days, but already twice a day.
- On Saturdays and Sundays, it is allowed to eat hot foods, for example, cook lean borscht, cook frying for it in sunflower oil, add mushrooms. Fish dishes are allowed. Food is taken twice a day.
Relief
As you can see, the requirements for the Orthodox Petrine Lent are not so easy, and not everyone can withstand it. Therefore, there is a so-called indulgence (or a complete rejection of fasting), which is allowed for women who are nursing and pregnant, the elderly, travelers, people with poor he alth - physical and mental.
In this regard, while fasting, one should not be guided by the lifestyle in monasteries, but be aware of the need for a reasonable approach to the implementation of food restrictions. Moreover, there is also a spiritualside of the post, which is no less important. In any situation, it does not hurt to seek advice from the ministers of the church.
During fasting, a number of other restrictions are also provided, such as avoidance of intimacy, non-participation in all sorts of entertainment events. These include the ban on weddings, which we will talk about in more detail.
Wedding and wedding ceremony
Summer is a favorite time for weddings, so many are wondering if weddings are played in Petrov fast. Is it possible to plan a wedding for this time, and what to do if it is already scheduled? To answer these questions, you need to understand what the church means by marriage.
The fact is that, from the point of view of church canons, marriage is not an official registration of relations in the registry office and not a wedding celebration as such. This is one of the sacraments that involves a wedding in the temple, sanctifying the union of two hearts before the Lord God.
How to do the right thing?
But there is one caveat: as a rule, a marriage certificate is required for a church wedding. That is, these two events are interconnected. At the same time, the time of any post, like Petrov, is not designed for a wedding. What conclusions can be drawn from all that has been said - to play or not to play a wedding in a post? The answer will be as follows.
- If we are talking about a wedding, which is considered only in the sense of registration in the registry office, then a modest ceremony will not be a violation of the restrictions imposed by the rulespost.
- As for the wedding celebration, when a person is deeply religious, he will not throw a rave during this period.
- If the newlyweds and their relatives do not adhere to strict church canons, and yet it is decided to play the wedding in fasting, you should think about those people who are invited to it, but observe food restrictions. For them, those dishes are served prescribed by the calendar for the laity, which is mentioned above.
- If we are talking about registering a marriage, taking into account the simultaneous holding of both a “civil” ceremony and a wedding in a church, then this will not work. For the wedding in the temple, the bride and groom will be asked to set a wedding date for the day following July 12.
