Fast comes, and a person who has just begun his journey to God is confused. So many prohibitions: both on food and on entertainment. Have to "tighten the belt" and put up with fasting with abstinence.
What can not be done in the post? How does a chicken affect soul salvation? How will a read art book affect the soul?
What is a post?
Before we learn about what you can’t do during fasting, let's find out what it is.
Fasting is bodily and spiritual abstinence. In total, Christians have four posts, two of which are long, and two are short. Christmas fast falls on the period from November 28 to January 7. Lent is rolling, it lasts almost 50 days and falls in the spring. Petrov post as well as the Great - passing. Its duration is from 80 to 40 days, falls in the summer. And another summer post - Assumption. It begins on August 14, and ends on the 28th of the same month. It lasts only two weeks.
Why are posts needed?
Before you answer the question about what you can not do in the post, we will find out why they are needed at all.
Christmas is dedicated to the birth of the Savior in the world. This is a joyful post, festive. And not strict: it is allowed to eat fish and vegetable oil on all days of the week, except Wednesday and Friday.
The Great is the most severe and longest. Established in honor of the suffering of Christ. The Lord Himself fasted for 40 days in the wilderness. You can’t eat fish during this post. Except for the Feast of the Annunciation, if it does not fall on Wednesday or Friday. Vegetable oil is allowed only on weekends. Raw food eating is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On other days, you can hot food without oil. And as already mentioned, on the weekend it is permissible to flavor it with oil.
Petrov post. Established in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul. Fasting is easy, because it occurs in the summer, when vegetables are available and are not expensive. What can not be done in the Petrov post and in the rest - we learn below.
Ouspensky is equal in rigor to the Great. But it lasts only two weeks, during which time you don’t have enough time to get hungry.
Spiritual bans
If it’s relatively understandable with food (animal products are forbidden), it’s not very spiritual. The whole post will have to go with a mournful physiognomy and abandon everything, frowning and saying: "I will fast"?
Of course not. It is said: "Fasting with a pleasant post. And during the fasting, anoint your head with oil", that is, fasting is a celebration for the soul.
What holiday is there, if you can’t listen to music, you can’t read, you can’t sit at the computer? Is a mockery.
If you really want to - you can do everything. And eat a piece of chicken, and listen to music. Think for yourself: which is more useful? Walking and venting anger on others due to the fact that hunger gives rise to irritability? Read the prayer without zeal and understanding only because I really want to listen to just one song? Or eat a piece of chicken and smile around? Listen to the song and rush in prayer to God with all your heart?
Someone will say this is wrong reasoning. This is worldly reasoning, but we do not live in a monastery. This is asceticism there. Of course, we can try to live like that, but with the blessing of a priest, from whom we regularly confess.
As one young, but very wise father says: “God doesn’t care what is in our stomach. Our souls are important to him. And if a person has a split in his soul because he took upon himself the overwhelming feat of fasting, is it good such a post? "
What can not be done in the post?
- All kinds of entertainment are forbidden: going to the cinema, to concerts, to the theater, to guests, to discos, to restaurants and clubs.
- You can’t listen to music.
- Under the ban art books that describe certain intimate scenes.
- You can’t sing and dance.
- You can not drink alcohol, smoke, foul language. Although these three points and without fasting are undesirable.
- You can’t tell jokes, laugh at shameful jokes.
- Husband and wife should not enter into carnal relations.
- You can not play musical instruments.
- You can not insult anyone, offend.
- What can not be done in the post? Swear with others, be angry, annoyed, scream. In general, it is necessary to suppress the manifestation of all negative emotions.
- You can not get married and register an official marriage.
What is possible?
What can and cannot be done in fasting? With the latter, we figured out above. You can go to the temple, pray, read Christian literature. To be restrained and humble. Fasting is a time of spiritual cleansing necessary for each of us.
Conclusion
We figured out what you can not do in the post. You read such a list and the desire to fast disappears.
In fact, these are just recommendations. Spiritual life is discussed only with the priest. Someone needs relief during fasting, but someone will not bear them. Go to the temple before the beginning of the fast, consult with your father what should be excluded and what should be brought into life for this period.
There is a wonderful phrase: "If it were food, then the cows would be saints." Fasting is necessary, but it must be able to. Can't give up music? Replace it with a rejection of sweets, for example. Once again, we note that in more detail about their spiritual life they speak with the priest, from whom they confess.