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On my Byzantine calendar I see a little fishy on wednesdays and fridays.Are we to fast only on those days or are we to fast and abstain throughout lent?I though the byzantine way was to fast on those days and abstain on wednesdays and fridays.This is my first lent in the Byzantine church so please bear with me.Thank you!

p.s answer me someone please

Oh Valentino ,

I love your suggestion of a bowl of cornflakes for the Admin's breakfast

I really I do know someone who eats them with hot water instead of milk !!

Believe it or not.......

Seriously though - this is also my first Fast and though I am coping at the moment I'm not finding it easy and am trying to ease myself in gently. At my advanced age I need the calcium in milk but have limited myself to milk whilst I finish up my box of breakfast cereal - once that has gone then it really is a dairy free diet. And before anyone jumps on me I am taking a calcium supplement

All I can do is try , and this I do.

Please pray for me

Anhelyna

Dear Valentino,

I'm not sure if you are confused and I can't see your calendar or mine right now, so please forgive me if I make it worse.

On a strict Byzantine calendar, there would be no fish (vertebrates and with blood) eaten during the Great Lent but on Annunciation, Palm Sunday, (and possibly, Lazarus Saturday, but I don't think so).

During the rest of the year, the model is to fast from food (but not light drinks) on all Wednesdays and Fridays from the morning until breaking the fast at 3:00 PM by strict model, but as early as 1:00 PM, according to liturgical rubrics. During Great Lent, this model applies Mon-Fri, but if one can not keep five days like this, then try to keep the Wed and Fri.

Certain weeks have no fasting on Wed & Fri. They are after Pascha, Nativity, Pentecost and two weeks prior to Lent.

See earlier posts regarding the model. I think that my offering was on page 2, but all of the postings in this thread were excellent, healthy, and delicious!

In Christ,
Andrew.