This picture is especially meaningful to Slavic Eastern Catholics and Slavic Orthodox...because it is part of the PASCHA basket...in fact, it is the center of the basket---called, "PASCHA" or Kulich...the bread baked with many eggs and often times cheese and sweetened. It is the symbol (in the Eastern food world) of the Risen Christ. Among Slavic peoples, the basket is blessed after the Paschal Vigil and is filled with all the foods that the faithful have NOT eaten all during the seven weeks of Great Lent: meat, dairy, or anything from an animal. The Eastern Lenten fast is incredibly strict and has little or no counterpart in the West. What is more is the fact that we have (in the East) four lenten fasts: The Nativity fast, Great Lent (before Pascha/Easter), The Apostle's Fast (before Sts. Peter & Paul; a fast for the whole Church), and The Fast in honor of the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God (August 15th). All the Eastern fasts are basically the same: a fast from meat and dairy and all animal products, but there is some mitigation in that some of the fasts allow fish and olive oil on some days. There is also the regular fast every Wednesday and Friday during the whole year, when the faithful are encouraged to abstain from meat and dairy and animal products each according to his or her strength. There are also special single days of fasting, such as the Beheading of St. John, The Elevation of the Cross, the days before some great feasts, and days of special prayer appointed by the patriarch or bishop. In this way the Eastern Christian is able to LIVE the Liturgy/Mass throughout the year and walk with Christ and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints each day.
This picture is especially meaningful to Slavic Eastern Catholics and Slavic Orthodox...because it is part of the PASCHA basket...in fact, it is the center of the basket---called, "PASCHA" or Kulich...the bread baked with many eggs and often times cheese and sweetened. It is the symbol (in the Eastern food world) of the Risen Christ. Among Slavic peoples, the basket is blessed after the Paschal Vigil and is filled with all the foods that the faithful have NOT eaten all during the seven weeks of Great Lent: meat, dairy, or anything from an animal. The Eastern Lenten fast is incredibly strict and has little or no counterpart in the West. What is more is the fact that we have (in the East) four lenten fasts: The Nativity fast, Great Lent (before Pascha/Easter), The Apostle's Fast (before Sts. Peter & Paul; a fast for the whole Church), and The Fast in honor of the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God (August 15th). All the Eastern fasts are basically the same: a fast from meat and dairy and all animal products, but there is some mitigation in that some of the fasts allow fish and olive oil on some days. There is also the regular fast every Wednesday and Friday during the whole year, when the faithful are encouraged to abstain from meat and dairy and animal products each according to his or her strength. There are also special single days of fasting, such as the Beheading of St. John, The Elevation of the Cross, the days before some great feasts, and days of special prayer appointed by the patriarch or bishop. In this way the Eastern Christian is able to LIVE the Liturgy/Mass throughout the year and walk with Christ and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints each day.
ReplyDeleteIn His Holy Name,
Father Pius, priestmonk