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I am a RC married to a wonderful GO(Greek Orthodox) woman. Today was the start of Advent in the RC church. Does this exist or have an equivalent in the Eastern Catholic or Orthodox churches??

Welcome to The Byzantine Forum. For information on the Nativity Fast (Advent) in the Byzantine Churches please visit https://www.byzcath.org/faith/menaion/phillips_fast.htm

I was searching for more info on the St. Phillips fast for someone and found this loveley site that the admin posted back in 2001. Thought it might help some of the new folks on the forum trying to understand our fasts.

Pani Rose

Dear Pani Rose,
Thank you so much for posting this--it is indeed very helpful; so much to learn and understand about the "other lung" of our beautiful faith. God bless you!
simplicity

Dear Friends,

And let's not forget our Coptic friends who add three more days to the Nativity Fast (at its beginning) in honour, I believe, of the miracle of St Samaan the Tanner!

Alex (who tries hard to be interesting)

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 fast 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. At the same time, we are challenged, within this 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 see 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."

Finally, it seems quite odd that in our society -- a society in which people gladly and freely spend huge sums of money for diets, most of which recommend that one refrain from red meats and dairy products -- fasting is not more widely embraced. How odd that a Jenny Craig consultant or diet guru or physician will tell us to refrain from eating meat or cheese or butter and we will gladly embrace -- and pay large sums of money for -- his or her advice, while when the Church offers the same advice [at "no cost"] we tend to balk, as if we were being asked to do the impossible.

In Him Who calls us,
+Fr. Gregory

This past saturday night, I was at Vespers at the Antiochian Orthodox Church (along with about six other people), and there was an Advent wreath, candles and all, set up near the iconostasis. It kind of bugged me since I know this isn't part of Eastern tradition.

Does anyone else know of Eastern Catholic or Eastern Orthodox temples with Advent wreaths? I find it pretty odd.

Logos Teen

I'm wondering which Christian traditions, if any, permit caroling during Advent. I've had a look at the writings of FRANCIS X. WEISER S.J., the links to which were gratiously posted in another thread, but could not quite find the answer there.
There are radio stations that play nothing but "Christmas music" during Advent, but stop on the 25th or 26th and I was wondering if this soundtrack to shop by is contrary to most/all religious traditions.

I don't thik it's the Advent Wreath according to the German tradition.(that's how Latin Church got started with that tradition, from the Germans)

Anyway, the wreath you may have seen in Church is probably more of a Slavic tradition (not sure if it's from Czech or Slovakia). So it's a different version of an "Advent Wreath." I can't get my brain to grind more information out of me, so I can't think of a name of that...and I can't remember a whole lot about it and how it's done.

Although I do know that the base is made of wood, NOT the wreath as the Advent Wreath. The base of the wood is like a Star of David, and the candles are Red I believe with a white one in the center.

I wonder if Randy (Diak) would know more about it?

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Dear Friends,

Actually, that really IS the Western Advent wreath and one parish that I know of has it in Toronto.

It is considered by us Ukrainians as an "English" tradition and so it is fitting that it is used in an English-language parish ( ).

The people have taken to it like drunks to whiskey . . .

Entire families are involved in the rite of lighting the candles.

I've seen that tradition and while most UGCC parishes would NOT have it, I see nothing wrong with a parish, where there are many mixed marriages and even Irish deacons, should not have such a tradition, if they so choose.

And choose they did.

I think the strength of the UGCC and the EC Churches is in its adaptation.

That rite is very meaningful now to both Ukies and Anglo's in the parish.

And I see nothing wrong with a special celebration of St Patrick's Day in at least two parishes with a strong Irish constituency up here, including the blessing and distribution of the shamrock.

Finally, with the Ukrainian love for garlic, I don't think anyone of us would object to the wearing of leeks for St David's day either . . .

Alex

Thank you for copying Fr. John Matusiak's excellent answer from www.oca.org [oca.org] ! It is well worth repeating!

Gaudior, who agrees, entirely

Yes it is a good article; it seems to tbe the latest. The full url is this:

http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Q-and-A_OLD/fastnativity.html