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Can anyone describe the Dormition Fast?

Are there recipes and choices of foods or do you just avoid
certain food?

I am Roman Rite Catholic - in a remote (as far as Eastern Rite churches) area UTAH.

I have always wanted to attend Byzantine Catholic church but it has always been far away and difficult so ... I am practicing by myself.

I've adopted a Rule of prayer (thanks to this website ) and I'd like to do the Dormition Fast and need advise.

The Fast is from the First of August to the 15. The Antiochian Orthodox Church's website says that the fast is just from meat products. It is not as strict as the Great Fast. Hope this helps.

http://www.antiochian.org/1075

The two-week Dormition Fast is as rigorous as Great Lent. Meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine, alcohol and oil are all avoided. One may make use of oil and wine on weekends.

I believe that on the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (August 6) we can partake of wine, oil and perhaps fish.

The traditional fast is as JohnS describes: abstinence from all meat, meat products, fish, eggs, cheese, milk, and milk products, and wine, and oil during the week. The fast relaxes somewhat on weekends, when wine and oil are permitted. The Feast of the Transfiguration, being of the First Class, allows two levels of mitigation, i.e., fish is permitted.

The more modern interpretation--especially followed by the Churches of Antioch--is to abstain from meat and meat products; fish is permitted on all days.

Note: in both methods, the Dormition Fast is a period of abstinence, not a fast as in the Great Fast (Lent).

no particular dishes or recipes?

I assume bread made with water and salt would be OK.

My history is actual Serbian Orthodox ... I believe they have a different calendar than we do.

I think it also should be noticed that if the Feast of the Dormition falls on a Wednesday or a Friday, then it is not a fast free day, but the fast is relaxed with fish, wine and oil allowed. It is the same with the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

In popular practice in Greece and in the U.S. Greek Orthodox churches, the usual is abstinence from meat and/or fish, and the stricter fast would be abstinence also from dairy products.

The wine and oil part is usually practiced only by monastics, and even then, not always at every fast-- from what I have discerned from my visits to monasteries during various fasting times.

Ofcourse as far as wine is concerned, who needs it?!?--it isn't a necessary nutritional source of the diet!!

In any case, there are many different cultural practices, and one should always speak to their parish priest or spiritual father about it. Just as one should not blindly attempt to follow what they read on their ecclesiastical calendar, one should also not listen to me and others on the internet who come from many different ecclesiastical backgrounds.

Alice

P.S. Dear Haydukovich: If a meatless diet is new to you, we have had many Lenten threads in the past you might search for which have shared good ideas and recipes which are nutritionally sound. The important thing is to consume protein in another form--if you attempt to simply have no meat and/or cheese without adding legumes (beans), nuts and peanut butter, tofu, or sea food to your diet, you will probably fail, or become very weak.

Good points Alice. In all cases, seek out your spiritual father on this one.

The Fasts should be healthy and a return to sacramental eating of real food to draw us closer to communion and union with God. One could eat ketchup sandwiches, corn chips and drink HFC-soaked fruit juice and fulfill the letter of the law of the Fast, and yet poison their body with industrial food products.

Here is a good recipe to try with several variations...
Braised Lentils [books.google.com]

Speak for yourself, dear Alice!

[quote=haydukovich]no particular dishes or recipes?

If you are looking for some good recipes, Light and Life offers Lenten Cookbooks. Below is a link to the one I like the most. It also has useful information on fasting.

http://www.light-n-life.com/shopping/order_product.asp?ProductNum=LENT110

More importantly -- since our Churches are not concerned with ersatz kashruth laws -- the Dormition Fast is a period of repentance. Make it a point to confess your sins during this time!

HEHEHE...

A little 'help' at weekends is a help

However - there is always the possibility of 'liquid bread '


and I've just been introduced to a new and very nice variety - cherry

For those on the new calendar, let us pray, fast and beseech our most blessed Lady, the Theotokos, for this fifteen day fast leading up to the great holiday of her Dormition/Ascension for all our spiritual, physical and earthly needs.

May she intercede for us all!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

---I am curious: How many of you have supplication/paraclisis/moleban services during this time?

In Christ,
Alice

Christ is in our midst!!

Isn't the saying "wine gladdens the hearts of men (and women"?

Doesn't hurt the digestion either; also supposed to lower one's cholesterol if it's red and French.

BOB