Dormition Fast
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, we are currently observing the Dormition Fast. I wanted to understand more about this part of the liturgical calendar, so I searched the terms "Dormition Fast" in DuckDuckGo. I was pleasantly surprised that, after the Wikipedia entry, the Greek Archdiocese of America page and the OCA page, the fourth search result was a blog post from my priest's wife, Khouria Destinie. The post is a resource guide to the fast. As part of her explanation of the fast, Khouria Destinie includes a quote from St. John Chrysostom.
“… the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful. Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip. Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?”
The fast involves patience and a focus on abstention from sin, which includes taking special care to be free from those things that divide us.
After reading the post, I was able to speak with Khouria Destinie about blogging and the challenges of the format. I'm grateful to have Father David and Khouria Destinie in our parish.
