Fr. lic. Roman Bebesiuk ‒ priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in San Francisco and the Church of St. Volodymyr in Santa Clara
Dear readers! Since last time we started our journey through the beautiful streets and ended up in the parish of the Immaculate Conception, let’s continue our journey along the spiritual path of Lent, which prepares us for the great day ‒ the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Probably each of us has heard the word “fast” and it is associated in our minds as something that limits us. Is this really the case?
Let’s look back to the Old Testament, where our forefathers Adam and Eve enjoyed life in the presence of God. They did not need anything because Lord had provided for them. However, He gave them a commandment that they did not keep and were expelled from paradise with great consequences (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:23-24). Even so, the Lord did not abandon them. As we can see, there was already a first fast, which consisted of obedience and submission to the Lord.
Thus, in fasting it is very important to listen to the Lord, who loves us unconditionally and continues to call us to live in His presence. Fasting is also an opportunity to get closer to the Lord, to feel His care and love. However, our eternal enemy, the devil (his name comes from the Greek word διάβολος, which means “one who divides”), works for the kingdom of darkness and makes every effort to keep us from entering the kingdom of God, to keep us from experiencing God’s love. He understands that if we become closer to the Lord, he loses his power over us. Therefore, he uses his entire arsenal to influence our lives so that other things take the place of the Lord in our hearts.
The devil works through our senses because he knows that our bodies are weak and we can be tempted quickly. What should we do? Jesus says: “Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation, for the spirit is vigorous, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Why? Because it is the vigilance over our thoughts and the heart lifted up to the Lord in prayer that fills us with His presence.
Let’s also look at the desert where the devil tempted our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How did Jesus respond? He responded with words from the Holy Scriptures: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). This is also a good example for us to read the Word of God, because, as St. Jerome said: “Whoever does not know the Scriptures does not know Christ.”
We should again pay attention to Jesus, who spent his entire earthly life, 33 years, helping and supporting everyone and gave us the commandment of love: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). We can see that these elements ‒ prayer, almsgiving, and the Word of God ‒ are important in the life of a Christian and help us to draw closer to the Lord and to be in His presence.
However, an important factor is also our repentance ‒ the realization that I am lost and need the Lord to show me the way of salvation. For it is because of sin that we are lost in life: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Surely some of us have been lost in the woods or in the mountains and cried out: “Help!” The realization of one’s lostness and a burning desire to be saved is repentance. The Lord took care of this, He established the Sacrament of Confession, saying to the apostles: “Whosoever you forgive, they will be forgiven; and whomever you retain, they will be retained” (John 20:23). So, in Confession we save our souls. Confession is a return to the fatherly arms of a just and loving Heavenly Father (Luke 15:20-24).
You may ask: why do we have food restrictions during Lent? When we give up something that we love very much, we develop willpower, thanks to which we can resist temptations that aim to keep us away from the Lord. The Apostle Paul writes: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
So let’s take the first step. Let’s find a place of silence, plunge into the depths of our hearts and see what is going on and what is there. Most importantly, is the Lord there? And let’s not be afraid to take steps towards our salvation.
You are probably interested in the rules of fasting in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. So here they are:
The rules of fasting in the UGCC are regulated, in particular, by can. 115 of the particular law.
The purpose of the penitential practice of fasting, repentance, and abstinence is to make amends for sins committed and to achieve greater perfection for personal sanctification. This practice is the oldest tradition of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
During Lent, all the faithful are obliged to fast, except for a few categories of people, which we will discuss below.
When and how should we fast?
– on the first day of Lent and Good Friday ‒ a strict fast, i.e., one should refrain from eating meat and dairy products and eggs, as well as dishes containing these products;
– in the first week of Lent and during all days of Holy Week, you should refrain from eating meat products and dishes;
– on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the remaining weeks of Lent, one should refrain from eating meat products and dishes; on Tuesday and Thursday, all types of food are allowed.
Throughout the entire period of Lent, the faithful are obliged to refrain from organizing and participating in noisy parties, weddings, dances, entertainment, and other similar events.
Who is exempt from the obligation to fast?
There are certain categories of people who are exempt from the obligation to fast. These are:
– children under the age of 14;
– persons who have turned 60 years old;
– seriously ill people;
– pregnant women;
– mothers after childbirth and those who are breastfeeding;
– those who are traveling (if the travel time exceeds 8 hours);
– those who work hard;
– those who eat from the table of others;
– the poor who live on alms.
In some cases, the local hierarch may exempt from the obligation to fast, encouraging the faithful to perform acts of piety and charity.
Let us remember that fasting is not a diet, not a therapy for losing weight. It is a meeting with the Lord and a therapy to improve the health of the soul and our relationship with the Lord and with our neighbors.
May the Lord bless everyone and fulfill good intentions for His glory. I wish you all a fruitful Lent so that you may meet the Risen Christ in joy, peace and victory!
Amen.
