Prayer

Fasting

The word Fast means abstinence (Vozderzsanije) from food and, of course, from sinfulness also, without which no bodily fasting can help us in our salvation. The main purpose of double fasting is to make us more refined for spiritual work. Proper fasting, according to Church rules, consists not only of abstinence from flesh and other foods, but of Spiritual Abstinence as well - from all sinful desires, thoughts, words and deeds.

The Church Commandment concerning double fasting is very simple: “Brethren, fasting bodily, let us fast spiritually as well!” This means that fasting is many sided. For instance, St. John, the Chrisostom, who gave us the Liturgy Service, openly states in his lenten instructions: “Let the sinful tongue fast; and the all-seeing eyes; and the pleasure-loving feet; and the all-grasping hands; and the all-hearing ears.”

Lent also is a time to attend all church services, to confess our sins, to receive Holy Communion, to take part more frequently in exercises of piety, to give generously to works of religion and charity, to perform acts of kindness towards the sick, the aged and the poor, to pray more fervently.

Written By Rt. Rev. Protopresbyter Peter G. Kohanik

O Lord Almighty, God of our Fathers,Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
And of their righteous posterity,
Thou who hast made heaven and earth with all their order;
Who hast shackled the sea by Thy word of command,who hast confined the deep
and sealed it with Thy terrible and glorious name;
At whom all things shudder,and tremble before Thy power,
For Thy glorious splendor cannot be borne,and the wrath of Thy threat to sinners is irresistible; yet immeasurable and unsearchable is Thy promised mercy,

For Thou art the Lord Most High,of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful,
and repentest over the evils of men.
Thou, O Lord, according to Thy great goodness hast promised repentance and forgiveness
to those who have sinned against Thee; And in the multitude of thy mercies Thou hast appointed repentance for sinners, That they may be saved.

Therefore Thou, O Lord, God of the righteous, hast not appointed repentance for the righteous, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against Thee, but Thou hast appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner. For the sins I have committed are more in numberthan the sand of the sea;
My transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied! I am unworthy to look up and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my iniquities.
I am weighted down with many an iron fetter, so that I am rejected because of my sins,
and I have no relief; For I have provoked Thy wrath and have done what is evil in thy sight,
setting up abominations and multiplying offenses.

And now I bend the knee of my heart, beseeching Thee for Thy kindness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I know my transgressions.
I earnestly beseech Thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me!
Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me fo ever or lay up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For Thou, O Lord, art the God of those who repent, and in me Thou wilt manifest Thy goodness; for, unworthy as I am, Thou wilt save me in Thy great mercy,
And I will praise Thee continually all the days of my life. For all the host of heaven sings Thy praise, and Thine is the glory for ever. Amen.