Food for Thought<O:P</O:P by Angela Hays<O:P</O:P Food has been a very important part of my life.

Almost every social occasion has put food front and center. From the boiled custard at hristmas to the little ham rolls ! al"ays "anted at my "edding reception# food has been an integral part of my family$s traditions.<O:P</O:P To this day every time ! smell gingerbread# ! am ta%en bac% to our annual venture to &illiamsburg. The testing of the potato salad ' ()o# ! thin% it needs a little more mustard*+ ' is as much a part of summer as s"imming pools and family vacations. And "e$ve all heard ho" there$s nothing more American than mom and apple pie. Food and tradition are often inseparable.<O:P</O:P )o" that !$m Orthodo,# !$m trying to re-invent some of those food traditions in my family. hristmas .ve dinner has gone# but continuing the )ativity celebration until Theophany has been a ne" /oy. 0a%ing the Pascha bread on Holy 1aturday is also a ne" family tradition.<O:P</O:P Adding the feasts into my life as an Orthodo, hristian "as not hard at all. ! love the fello"ship and good food of our fre2uent potluc%s. The fasting# ho"ever# "as a far different story. Although ! have been on many (diets+ in my life# fasting "as completely foreign to me.<O:P</O:P )o meat# no dairy3 4ou$ve got to be %idding3<O:P</O:P Four years ago# my husband# 5rent# and ! embraced Orthodo,y. 0y husband learned about the hurch through discussions "ith friends at la" school and much study. ! thought# at the time# it "as a mere intellectual pursuit. 0uch to my surprise# he announced to me one day that he thought "e should consider becoming Orthodo,. ! "as perfectly happy in my nice# charismatic Protestant church. !t too% me months to "arm up to the idea.<O:P</O:P 6ust as ! "as starting to get accustomed to Orthodo, services# ! "as hit "ith a huge bombshell. ! needed to fi, meals that contained no meat and no dairy for almost half of the year# if you count &ednesdays# Fridays# and the four ma/or fasts of the year. 7id ! have even one recipe that met those criteria8 Although our priest "as 2uite understanding and didn$t push us to do too much too 2uic%ly# ! still spent a lot of time and energy trying to find recipes that "ould fit the bill.<O:P</O:P 0y husband has al"ays been a meat-and-potatoes %ind of guy# and !$m a rather pic%y eater myself. ! didn$t start eating salads until college and my repertoire of vegetables is still some"hat slim. &e once /o%ed that our %ids "ouldn$t %no" "hat green beans "ere until they "ent to school3 &hat in the "orld "ould ! fi, for us to eat8<O:P</O:P All of the Orthodo, coo%boo%s that ! found had tons of recipes that met the guidelines# but they all sounded foreign and "eird. ! have since learned that ! love hummus and other traditional fasting foods# but at the time# ! "as 2uite frustrated. The vegetarian coo%boo%s ! found at the boo%store "ere full of recipes "ith tofu# alfalfa sprouts and other things my husband calls (fru-fru foods+. Plus# they often contained dairy products. &hen ! happened to run across a vegan ' no animal products of any %ind ' coo%boo%# those recipes really sounded "eird to us. !t "as food for granola-crunching# tree-hugger types# "e$d say. 95y the "ay# "e no" have some granola-crunching# tree-hugger types as very good friends.:<O:P</O:P After several years of poring through coo%boo%s and collecting recipes from friends# ! finally had a half-do;en or so things ! could fi, on fasting days ' pasta "ith tomato sauce# 0e,ican rice and chips# ba%ed beans and French fries. 0y mom also had the brilliant idea of giving us a bread machine for hristmas. 1he %ne" !$d be "illing to try /ust about anything for dinner if ! had some good bread to go "ith it.<O:P</O:P &hy &e Orthodo, hristians Fast<O:P</O:P Fasting is not often something "e "ant to do# but it is most certainly something that "e are commanded to do. 1ince fasting# especially the Orthodo, vie" of it# "as totally foreign to me# ! have had a lot to learn.<O:P</O:P An Orthodo, )avy chaplain attached to the little O A parish in <irginia "here my husband and ! "ere hrismated# Fr. Paul Pyrch# al"ays reminded his parishioners that the =reat Fast is not about (tasty >enten recipes+. !f "e spent all our time thin%ing about food# it is a "asted effort.<O:P</O:P Fr. Ted Panche% at the same parish taught that the most important thing "e fast from is sin. He also encouraged us to turn off our televisions and radios during fasts. For some people a media fast is even more important than a food fast. !t helps us to focus our attention bac% on =od. As 1t. Theodore the 1tudite said# (&hile fasting# let us purify our hearts# sanctify our souls# and trample do"n all vices.+<O:P</O:P As Fr. 1teven ?ogers# my priest at 1t. !gnatius Antiochian Orthodo, hurch in Fran%lin# Tennessee# e,plains in the introduction to Taste and 1ee: American Orthodo, oo%ing:<O:P</O:P &e are commanded to. hrist did not say# (!f you fast*+ but said# (&hen you fast*+ 90atthe" @:A@:. hrist Himself# "ho is our model in all things# fasted before being tempted by the devil in the "ilderness 90atthe" B:C:.<O:P</O:P Fasting teaches us to control our bodily appetites rather than to be controlled by them. 5y controlling our physical appetites# "e become a"are of the spiritual struggle. &e can (set our mind on the things above# not the things on the earth.+ 9 olossians D:C:<O:P</O:P Fasting reminds us of our dependence on =od# (that every good and perfect gift cometh from above and cometh do"n from the Father of >ights*+ 96ames A:AE and contained in the 7ivine >iturgy:.<O:P</O:P Finally# fasting allo"s us to participate in the sufferings of hrist. (!f anyone desires to come after 0e# let him deny himself# and ta%e up his cross and follo" 0e*+ 90atthe" A@:CB:.<O:P</O:P Fasting Tips<O:P</O:P Once again# ! "ant to stress ! am not an e,pert on fasting. !n fact# !$m still learning daily. ! "ant#

ho"ever# to share some of the things ! have learned# usually the hard "ay. Prepare# prepare# prepare. ?ecently ! "ent through the sudden loss of a very dear pet. ! "as completely devastated. The day he "as %illed# ! really "anted my comfort food ' macaroni and cheese. ! didn$t even "ant the creamy stuff you get at a restaurant. ! "anted the D-bo,es-for-a-dollar variety that "as my favorite food as a child. Problem "as# it "as a &ednesday. As much as ! really "anted the mac and cheese# ! "as able to resist the temptation because ! had a fasting alternative that "as /ust as easy to fi,. ! couldn$t handle fi,ing anything from scratch. ! couldn$t even handle ma%ing a sand"ich. 5ut ! "as able to boil some "ater and add it to a dry soup mi,. A fe" minutes later ! had lunch. !f ! had not had that soup mi, on hand and in the front of my pantry# ! don$t %no" if ! could have resisted the temptation. Preparation is an important %ey to fasting. 0a%e sure you have some ready-made or easy-to-fi, meals in the house at all times. ! especially li%e to prepare a fe" meals in advance for Holy &ee% and the first "ee% of the =reat Fast. !t$s more tempting to miss a service or t"o during those busy "ee%s if you can$t figure out "hat to fi, for dinner. !t$s also a good idea to have something that you can grab 2uic%ly for a fasting potluc%. 1ure you "anted to share your ne" recipe for vegetarian chili# but life got busy. 4ou don$t "ant to miss that special service /ust because you don$t have anything to ta%e to the potluc% after"ards. 0y favorite grab-and-go item is fro;en miniature bagels "ith apple butter. They %eep through a "hole fasting period# and it ta%es no time at all to put them onto a platter. Almost instantly# !$m ready to go. Feep it simple. Times of fasting should not be times of stress# but changing the "ay your family eats can be a very real source of stress. Try to plan simple foods for your meals# prepared relatively 2uic%ly and# hopefully# cheaply. &e are supposed to be devoting more time to prayer and almsgiving and less time to food preparation. !f "e are constantly ma%ing elaborate meals that tric% our taste buds from thin%ing that "e are fasting# "e are# in a "ay# defeating the purpose of the fast. A fe" favorite side dishes "or% very "ell as a meal. As ! mentioned before# vegetarian ba%ed beans and French fries are often a fasting meal for us. hec% your attitude. 6udgmentalism# pride# and resentment are all ma/or pitfalls to our fasting efforts. As 1t. 6ohn hrysostom stated# (!t is folly to abstain all day long from food# but fail to abstain from sin and selfishness.+ The more "e /udge others in their fasting# the harder it is for us to fast. (>et not him "ho eats despise him "ho does not eat# and let not him "ho does not eat /udge him "ho eats# for =od has received him. &ho are you to /udge another$s servant8+ 9?omans AB:D-B: &e$re also supposed to %eep our fasting to ourselves. &e$re not to "ear it as a badge of honor. (5ut "hen you fast# anoint your head and "ash your face# so that you do not appear to men to be fasting# but to your Father "ho is in the secret placeG and your Father "ho sees in secret "ill re"ard you openly.+ 90atthe" @:AE-AH: 5y the end of a fasting period# ! %no" ! often have a problem "ith resentment. On my "ea%est days# ! can get mad at =od because He "on$t (let me+ have ice cream. That is completely the "rong attitude to have. Fasting is a tool to our spiritual development. !t should not be a barrier bet"een =od and us. (Accept the fast#+ said 1t. 6ohn hrysostom# (as an e,perienced educator by "hom the hurch teaches us piety.+ 5e sure to also teach your %ids the correct attitude to"ards fasting# by "ord and e,ample. A friend of mine "as at a restaurant on a fasting day. 1he "as 2uestioning the "aitress if there "as meat in a certain dish. Her child felt the need to e,plain to the "aitress the situation. (&e$re hristians#+ he said. (&e don$t eat meat.+ )eedless to say# my friend had a bit of e,plaining to do. Pray for =uidance. !f you are having trouble fasting# prayer is your first tool. 1t. Augustine said# (7o "hat you can and then pray that =od "ill give you the po"er to do "hat you cannot.+ Fasting is never easy. As 1t. 0ar% the Ascetic said# (>iving a chaste hristian life is sometimes more difficult than suffering a martyr$s death.+ 5ut fasting does have its re"ards. 1ince ! have been Orthodo, and fasting on a regular basis# =od has sho"n me several ma/or sins in my life# including gluttony# "hich ! had al"ays ignored or e,cused. ! haven$t con2uered those sins yet# but =od has given me His grace and the tool of fasting. !$m slo"ly# but surely# ma%ing some progress. (To yield and give in to our sinful desires is the lo"est form of slavery#+ said 1t. 6ustin 0artyr. (To rule over such base desires in the only true freedom.+<O:P</O:P Another ?esource*<O:P</O:P ! %no" !$m not the only one "ho has been through the ordeal of learning to fast and to coo% for the fasts. !n fact# "hen my husband and ! moved from <irginia to Tennessee "e started attending 1t. !gnatius Antiochian Orthodo, hurch in Fran%lin# Tennessee ' a predominately convert parish "here many of the ladies had similar e,periences.<O:P</O:P &e decided to put together a coo%boo% of recipes that conformed to standard Orthodo, fasting guidelines# yet "ere simple to prepare and appealed to an (American+ palate. &e too% our search for recipes to the !nternet and collected more than DEI recipes from CA parishes across the Jnited 1tates and even overseas. &e found fasting recipes for everything from apple pie to Frito pie 9a southern tradition of combining chili "ith corn chips# recipe included in this issue3:G "e even have a fasting recipe for hushpuppies3<O:P</O:P Our coo%boo% is entitled Taste K 1ee: American Orthodo, oo%ing. &e have been ama;ed at the response: "e "ere not

alone in our desire to have an American Orthodo, coo%boo%3 There "ere hundreds of other Orthodo, hristians loo%ing for a coo%boo% /ust li%e this.<O:P</O:P To order a Taste K 1ee coo%boo%# "rite to 1t. !gnatius Antiochian Orthodo, hurch AO &)A# B@EA Peytonsville ?oad# Fran%lin# T) DEI@B. 0a%e your chec%/0O payable for LAM 9LAN O LB shipping K handling: to (1t. !gnatius Antiochian Orthodo, hurch+. Though the goal of this pro/ect is to help our fello" Orthodo, coo%s prepare stress-free meals during fasting periods# proceeds from the coo%boo% are used for various charity pro/ects# including the support of an orphanage and a crisis pregnancy center.<O:P</O:P The ladies of 1t. !gnatius pray Taste K 1ee is a blessing to everyone "ho has it. &e pray it minimi;es their time thin%ing about food during fasting periods and ma,imi;es their time outside the %itchen serving the >ord. P AMMM-CIII by Orthodo, Family >ife and the original author9s:. J?>: http://""".theologic.com/ofl"eb. This "eb site is donated and maintained by Theo>ogic 1ystems# "hich provides soft"are and information tools for Orthodo, hristians and parishes "orld "ide. ----------------------------------Fasting 1easons in the Orthodo, hurch<O:P</O:P There are four main periods of fasting during the year:<O:P</O:P The =reat Fast 9>ent: ' begins seven "ee%s before the ?esurrection 9Pascha:<O:P</O:P The Fast of the Apostles ' starts on 0onday eight days after Penetcost# and ends 6une CHth 96uly AAth:# the eve of the Feast of 11. Peter and PaulG in length varies bet"een one and si, "ee%s<O:P</O:P The 7ormition Fast ' last t"o "ee%s# from August Ast to ABth 9August ABth to CEth:<O:P</O:P The )ativity Fast 9Advent: ' lasts BI days# from )ovember ANth to 7ecember CBth 9)ovember CHth to 6anuary @th:<O:P</O:P !n addition to these four chief periods# all &ednesdays and Fridays ' and in some monasteries 0ondays as "ell ' are fast days 9e,cept bet"een the )ativity and Theophany# during 5right &ee%# and during the "ee% after Pentecost:. The .levation of the ross# the 5eheading of 1t. 6ohn the 5aptist# and the eve of Theophany are also fasts.<O:P</O:P Tal% to your parish priest/spiritual father for guidance as your family begins to fast# and as% him to e,plain the hurch$s guidelines for fasting. 9The (fasting rule+ may also be found in many Orthodo, service boo%s and prayer boo%s# and on Orthodo, "all calendars.:<O:P</O:P Ta%en from 5ishop Fallistos &are$s# The Orthodo, hurch# )e" .dition# )e" 4or%: Penguin 5oo%s J1A# AMME# p. DII.<O:P</O:P P AMMM-CIII by Orthodo, Family >ife and the original author9s:. J?>: http://""".theologic.com/ofl"eb. This "eb site is donated and maintained by Theo>ogic 1ystems# "hich provides soft"are and information tools for Orthodo, hristians and parishes "orld "ide. -------------------------