Comments on: Preparation for Holy Communion. 10 things. Part 3. Fasting. http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2010/07/30/preparation-for-holy-communion-10-things-part-3-fasting/ McKinney TX Homilies, scripture commentary, spiritual reflections Fri, 24 May 2013 18:49:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: seraphimholland http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2010/07/30/preparation-for-holy-communion-10-things-part-3-fasting/comment-page-1/#comment-4110 seraphimholland Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:00:43 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=2370#comment-4110 <p>Dear Tatiana: </p> <p>May God bless you! One of my daughters was baptized in the ROCOR Milwaukee church, years ago, by the ever memorable Fr Averky. </p> <p>There are many opinions about everything, and there are also true traditions. </p> <p>The opinion that one must fast 3 days before communion is relatively recent, and is an adaptation (in my opinion) to low church attendance and poor fasting, and overall - poor Christianity. </p> <p>Our bishops do not hold to this opinion. They encourage frequent communion, with preparation. </p> <p>In many American churches there is no preparation - no evening service, no prayers, no getting to liturgy on time. no confession (sometimes in a lifetime!) . This is also a wrong "opinion". </p> <p>We are Christians all the time, and should not just become observant a few days before Communion, and endure all the tedious prayers, etc (tedious because we rarely do them) before infrequent communion times. </p> <p>There are pious people who live a Christian life, with fasting, and prayer, AND also observe a 3 day fast. They are very rare. I cannot argue with their observance, because they are struggling to live a Christian life. The majority are lax, and not benefiting from their occasional (to them) superhuman efforts. </p> <p>This is a pervasive cultural problem - our modern laziness combined with what the priest is teaching, and the idea that "this is what the church teaches."</p> <p>I do not think you should talk to him. He has his opinions.</p> <p>My series is an attempt to teach the proper way to prepare for communion, stressing that this preparation occurs all seven days of the week!</p> <p>Thank you for your excellent comment. Sometimes I think I am shooting words into the void, and I love to see that someone is reading. </p> <p>May God bless you and help you in all things. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Dear Tatiana:

May God bless you! One of my daughters was baptized in the ROCOR Milwaukee church, years ago, by the ever memorable Fr Averky.

There are many opinions about everything, and there are also true traditions.

The opinion that one must fast 3 days before communion is relatively recent, and is an adaptation (in my opinion) to low church attendance and poor fasting, and overall – poor Christianity.

Our bishops do not hold to this opinion. They encourage frequent communion, with preparation.

In many American churches there is no preparation – no evening service, no prayers, no getting to liturgy on time. no confession (sometimes in a lifetime!) . This is also a wrong "opinion".

We are Christians all the time, and should not just become observant a few days before Communion, and endure all the tedious prayers, etc (tedious because we rarely do them) before infrequent communion times.

There are pious people who live a Christian life, with fasting, and prayer, AND also observe a 3 day fast. They are very rare. I cannot argue with their observance, because they are struggling to live a Christian life. The majority are lax, and not benefiting from their occasional (to them) superhuman efforts.

This is a pervasive cultural problem – our modern laziness combined with what the priest is teaching, and the idea that "this is what the church teaches."

I do not think you should talk to him. He has his opinions.

My series is an attempt to teach the proper way to prepare for communion, stressing that this preparation occurs all seven days of the week!

Thank you for your excellent comment. Sometimes I think I am shooting words into the void, and I love to see that someone is reading.

May God bless you and help you in all things.

 

 

]]> By: Tatiana B Miller http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2010/07/30/preparation-for-holy-communion-10-things-part-3-fasting/comment-page-1/#comment-4109 Tatiana B Miller Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:32:49 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=2370#comment-4109 Dear Fr. Seraphim: Please bless! My husband and I are parishioners of Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church (OCA) in Milwaukee, WI. But we are also good friends with the parish of (ROCOR) Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, and their priest Fr. Vasyl Kuzmich. And he always says that frequent communion is bad for you, and that you need to fast 3 days before receiving communion. That's not the tradition I was brought up in, but I never argue with priests. We just never go to communion at the Holy Trinity Church. But it bothers me all the time - should I speak to Fr. Vasyl? Or show him some materials? Or just ignore and keep quiet about it? In Christ, Tatiana B. Miller Dear Fr. Seraphim:
Please bless!
My husband and I are parishioners of Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church (OCA) in Milwaukee, WI. But we are also good friends with the parish of (ROCOR) Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, and their priest Fr. Vasyl Kuzmich. And he always says that frequent communion is bad for you, and that you need to fast 3 days before receiving communion. That's not the tradition I was brought up in, but I never argue with priests. We just never go to communion at the Holy Trinity Church. But it bothers me all the time – should I speak to Fr. Vasyl? Or show him some materials? Or just ignore and keep quiet about it?

In Christ,
Tatiana B. Miller

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