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On the Order of Canons for Holy Communion
Read more: On the Order of Canons for Holy Communion“The cell of the monk is a ceaseless intercessor in prayer…” — with these words opens the book Order of Canons (Canon Rule). According to pious custom, in addition to the prescribed services of the Ustav, monks in their private cell rule daily read four canons: one to the Sweetest Jesus, the Akathist to the God-bearer, the Lesser…
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Interview: Fr. Vadim Korovin – In Search of Truth, He Found Faith
Read more: Interview: Fr. Vadim Korovin – In Search of Truth, He Found FaithFollowing the appearance of the Old Believer YouTube channel “GLAGOL TV,” previously discussed on our site, viewers began to see its participants in a new light—especially Archpriest Vadim Korovin from the Saratov region. In church circles, he is already well known for his deep knowledge of liturgical practice and canon law, but we were genuinely…
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What Is Fasting? -Bp. Mikhail (Semyonov)
Read more: What Is Fasting? -Bp. Mikhail (Semyonov)We read of the true meaning and spiritual purpose of fasting in the writings of one of the brightest apologists of Orthodoxy in the early 20th century — Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov). What is fasting? Nowadays we hear many objections against fasting — often and from many directions. Why fast at all? “Not that which goeth into…
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On Voluntary Fasts
Read more: On Voluntary FastsIn addition to the commonly observed fasting days for all (the four long fasts, and Wednesdays and Fridays of each week), there also exist customs of private fasting. A Christian, in agreement with his spiritual father, may take on an additional day of abstinence to strengthen his repentance. An extra fasting day may also be…
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The Meaning of Christian Fasting
Read more: The Meaning of Christian FastingWhat is fasting? In general, fasting is abstinence—abstinence from carnal things, from sin, from anything that may corrupt our soul and lead us astray from the path of salvation. Fasting is a multifaceted discipline that touches not only on food but also on many other aspects of Christian life. There are three components, three dimensions…
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“If due to some weakness one happens to break the fast, one should not lose heart or abandon it altogether”
Read more: “If due to some weakness one happens to break the fast, one should not lose heart or abandon it altogether”Although the basic requirements of the fast are laid out in any Church calendar, both believers and non-believers often have a wide range of questions on this topic. How does one properly prepare for the beginning of the fast? How should the first week be spent? Priest Ioann Kurbatsky: The Church prepares Christians for Great…
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Why is fasting necessary? How should a Christian behave during fasting?
Read more: Why is fasting necessary? How should a Christian behave during fasting?Fasting, as a form of piety, has been known since ancient times. The Old Testament recounts prophets who fasted during their communion with God, such as the prophet Moses, who fasted for forty days while conversing with God on Mount Sinai. Even abstaining from eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…
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At what age should a child begin observing the fast?
Read more: At what age should a child begin observing the fast?Observing fasts teaches Christians one of the virtues, namely temperance. The righteous and the prophets of Old Testament times observed fasting. Even our Lord Himself fasted, giving us an example of restraint. The requirement for Christians to observe the Great Fast and one-day fasts is found in the Apostolic Canons. The 69th canon of the…
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Children’s Fasting
Read more: Children’s FastingAccording to ancient pious customs, children in Old Believer families were taught to fast from the age of two or three. Today, the more common practice is to begin fasting labors upon emerging from infancy, around six or seven years of age. It is at about this age that a child begins to understand the…
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“Bring My Soul Out of Prison…” – Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov)
Read more: “Bring My Soul Out of Prison…” – Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov)Man, in the conditions of this earthly existence, is like a prisoner in a “dungeon.” “In every person, in his soul, there is a noble captive whom he must set free. There is no one in the world in whose depths does not often clang and rattle the chains of a noble, tightly shackled prisoner…