www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Maronite Fasting For Lent

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

I did not want to interfer with the Assyrian thread so I started this one. Here are our rules for fasting in the United States.

Lenten Observances

Lenten guidelines for the Maronites of the United States:

All Maronites who are physically capable are to abstain from meat on Ash Monday (February 27)and all Fridays of Lent.

Ash Monday and the Great Friday of the Crucifixion are also days of fasting. Fasting in the Maronite Church involves eating and drinking nothing at all (except water and medicine) from
midnight until noon. The rest of the day normal meals can be taken but without meat. All Maronites who are physically capable are to fast on these two days.

Distribution of Ashes

All parish priests are to bless and distribute ashes on Ash Monday during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy as indicated in our liturgical books. This ceremony may not be celebrated on the vigil of Ash Monday (Cana Sunday). For the convenience of some faithful of the Latin Church who may come to Mass at a Maronite Church on their Ash Wednesday, ashes that were blessed on Monday may be given to them after the Mass. However, ashes are not to be blessed again on this day.

Devotion of Lenten Fridays

All parish priests are to celebrate the Benediction with the Cross every Friday of Lent except for the Great Friday of the Crucifixion. This service may be preceded by other popular devotions such as Evening Prayer (Ramsho), Stations of the Cross or even the Divine Liturgy. Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament should not take place on Fridays of Lent.

Personal Devotion

Clergy, religious and laity who wish to observe the more traditional Maronite practice of fasting and abstinence are encouraged to do so. That practice is summarized in the following taken from the Synod of Mt. Lebanon (1736):
Every weekday of Lent (Monday through Friday) is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat and dairy products (eggs, butter, milk etc.) Fasting involves eating and drinking nothing at all (except water and medicine) from midnight until noon. The rest of the day normal meals can be taken but without meat or dairy products. Dairy products are excluded because they are animal byproducts. Saturdays and Sundays are exempt from fasting and abstaining, as are the following three feast days:

St. Maron-February 9,
The 40 Martyrs-March 9,
St. Joseph-March 19.

Poosh BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

Seems very much like the post-Vatican II Latin practices, more or less. Sort of too bad...unless these are traditional Maronite Lenten fasting prescriptions.

Alexis

Prescriptions for the minimum are just that - minimum. Fasting is like a garment tailored for the individual, not a one-size-fits-all sack. Maronites, Byzantines, Latins or anyone else, are free to do more than that still!

From http://www.redemptorists.org.uk/red/mag/maron7.htm (which is, to be clear, associated with the SSPX and has expressed an interest in retaining older more Latinized Eastern Catholic praxis as "traditional"):

Traditional Maronite Fast and Abstinence
(in vigour until at least the 1920's)
(Cf. Fr. R.. Janin, A.A. Les Eglise orientales et Les Rites orientaux, Paris 1922)

The practise of fast and abstinence was regulated by the Maronite synod of 1736
Fast: eating and drinking forbidden until midday
Abstinence: abstaining from eating all meat, oil, wine and animal products (eggs, milk, cheese etc.)

1. Great Lent from Quinquagesima to Easter abstinence every day; fasting every day except on Sundays and Saturdays (with the exception of Holy Saturday)

2. Apostles Lent abstinence four days 25th - 28th June

3. Assumption Lent abstinence eight days 7th - 14th August

4. Christmas Lent abstinence twelve days 13th - 24th December

5. Abstinence every Wednesday and Friday except: from Christmas to Epiphany, the Friday before Great Lent, from Easter to Pentecost, June 24th and 29th; August 6th and 15th

6 Forbidden food Like most oriental Christians, the Maronites kept the Mosaic ban on eating blood, suffocated animals and certain animals considered impure; and which Oriental Church Councils have many times renewed.

I don't know how accurate that is. With that group you always run the risk of some very Latinized views of "true Eastern" traditions...

Ash Monday?

Thanks! This is confusing.

I second that, Ash Monday?
Can we get a ruling if this is indeed a true Maronite tradition?

Ung

I posted this already somewhere--but can't seem to find it. Doesn't Lent end for the Greek Catholics on the Friday before(the day before) Lazarus Saturday? Isn't there a stichera at vespers that says: "Now that we have completed the 40 day fast..." or words to that effect?

John K

Yes. The way I was taught, the 40 days in the Byzantine tradition for the Great Fast are 5 weeks of 7 days/week (Pure Monday thru the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt) and then 5 days the following week causing the Great Fast to end on the day before Lazarus Saturday. Great and Holy Week is considered a separate time.

You are correct.

Dn. Robert