www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Abstinence during the Pascal Season

Can anyone explain why we resume the custom of abstinence from meat on Fridays after Bright Week even though we are still in the Pascal Season? I've always been confused by this. Thanks for any replies,
Christopher

Christos anesti!

I agree - that's a good question. I came from a church (Episcopal) that makes the entire Paschal season abstinence-free. On the other hand, I know that they have relaxed the traditional Anglican rubric, which holds that all Fridays, except for Christmas Day, are days of abstinence.

So, is it just Tradition that returns us to abstinence on Fridays (Wednesdays too in the GOA)after Bright Week? Still, it seems a bit incongruent when we continue to see and say the other signs of the Paschal feast these next few weeks.

Peter

Christ is risen!

Bright Week, as well as certain other weeks during the year (e.g., the week after(?) the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee) are known as "compact weeks" when all penitential fasting is forbidden. I believe the week after Theophany is also a compact week. Older Greek Catholic (& Orthodox) prayerbooks usually have a section in them which lists weeks when fasting is forbidden, along with the other traditional fast days which we have mostly lost, e.g., August 1 - the Procession of the Holy Cross.

My wall calendars from the OCA and ROCOR indicate these weeks clearly, but since we Ruthenian Catholics only have normal abstinence on ordinary Fridays, a compact week for us really only involves that one day. But fasting the other days is forbidden as well.

Our newfangled Byzantine Seminary Press wall calendars have (at least some of) the compact weeks with the Friday fish symbol absent, but without any explanation as to why.

[This message has been edited by RichC (edited 05-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by RichC (edited 05-11-2000).]