Epistle of the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine on the occasion of the Nativity Fast
“The fear of God is found in fasting, and its fruit—holiness, purity, trust in God, the Heavenly Kingdom and eternal life.”
—St. John Chrysostom
Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers! Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
The Holy Orthodox Church, in her maternal care for the salvation of people, reveals to us the great mystery of the birth of the Messiah Christ, and shows us the path to follow that permits us to worthily experience Christ the Saviour, born of a Virgin, as being born in our own hearts. Reverence before the mystery of the Nativity of Christ demands of us Christians that we contemplate which path we should choose in order to prepare ourselves suitably to be worthy for this great Feast. This path is one of the seasonal fasts, specifically the Nativity Fast.
The Nativity Fast is also called Philip’s Fast or Pylypivka because it begins on the day following the celebration of the memory of the Holy Apostle Philip. The Apostle Philip was noted for his preaching of the Word of God, and many instances of healing people. The Orthodox Church honours him as a disciple and follower of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and an heir to His sufferings. The Holy Apostle Philip was crucified on a Cross akin to Christ the Saviour.
The Nativity Fast—and not only this fast, but all the other fasts prescribed by our Church—is a means by which we are able to place the spirit before the flesh and to bring desires of the flesh under the control of our spiritual and moral aspirations. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself sanctified fasting with his own example, when he fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights, preparing Himself for ministry to the human race. According to the teaching of the Saviour, fasting helps us to cleanse our soul from sin, frees us from the dominion of the devil and restores us to communion with God. “This kind can only be expelled by prayer and fasting,” (Mt 17:21) says the Lord. Emulating our Lord, Jesus Christ, we, on our life’s path, should take full advantage of this God-given time of the Nativity Fast to maintain a prayerful state of soul, for sincere repentance, and to be worthy of meeting the New-born Christ Child—the Saviour of the World.
The origin of the Nativity Fast goes back to early times. We do not have an exact date for its beginning, but the four seasonal fasts were already being
observed in the 4th-5th centuries. The Nativity Fast is perhaps less austere than the Great Fast, but in the ancient Church it was very strict. According to the Apostolic injunctions, for the duration of the fast, fruits and vegetables are permitted, and fish and vegetable oil is permitted on all days except for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We must refrain from products of animal origin: meat, milk, eggs and food products containing them. The Eve of the Nativity of Christ is a day of especially severe fasting when, according to our tradition, no food is consumed until the first star appears in the night sky, and the meal is called the Holy Supper. All types of entertainments are regarded as a violation of the fast.
The fast is a means of humbling our flesh and cleansing ourselves of sin. Without prayer and repentance, the fast becomes only a healthy diet. In addition to the regulations restricting the consumption of food during the Nativity Fast, the Orthodox Church has also instituted a number of special liturgical features, which at this time serve one goal—to prepare human souls for the birth of the Divine Christ Child. According to our Saviour’s example, the Apostles regarded fasting as essential for the salvation of souls. The Apostle Paul, recounting his spiritual struggles, remarked about fasting, “But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience… in labours, in sleeplessness, in fasting.” (2 Cor. 6:4, 5)
Therefore, fasting is necessary for every Christian. It strengthens the health of our body, cleanses our soul and directs our thoughts to God. Insofar as a person is composed of both body and soul, fasting must be both bodily and spiritual. Through bodily fasting Christians refrain from eating animal products and take care that they do not overeat of the foods which are permitted during the fast. The Holy Fathers of the Church teach us that we should eat only enough so as to feel a very slight hunger at the end of the meal.
The spiritual fast is manifested in the change in the heart of the person. It is necessary to read Holy Scripture, pray, do charitable deeds and battle sin in our hearts. All these changes in our heart have one goal—to become like our Lord, Jesus Christ. This, then, is the meaning of fasting in the life of each Christian. We must observe the Nativity Fast for it is a symbol of the prayers of the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets who awaited with faith the arrival of the Messiah.
May the All-Merciful Lord God help us to observe this Nativity Fast in the proper manner so that in purity of heart and spiritual joy we will be able to prepare ourselves to be worthy to greet the New-born Christ Child.
With Archpastoral Blessings,
† YURIJ, Metropolitan
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
† ANTONY, Metropolitan
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Locum Tenens of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora
† IOAN, Archbishop
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora
† JEREMIAH, Archbishop
Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Brazil and South America
† ILARION, Bishop
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
† ANDRIY, Bishop
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
† DANIEL, Bishop
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA