The Advent Fast

From my brain

-- Father Athanasius

Contents 1 E-Mail from Father 2 Guidlines 2.1 Prayer 2.2 Fasting 2.3 Almsgiving 2.4 Love

E-Mail from Father

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I pray that you are well! I wanted to send out one more e-mail about the Advent Fast. These are adapted from some ideas in St. John's bulletin, and I thought you might find them helpful. Thank you, Bob, for pointing these out. May God bless you all and grant you a joyful and blessed Fast!

In Christ,

+Fr. Athanasius

Guidlines

"As with most periods of fasting before the Great Feasts, the season of Advent is a time for a deeper conversion to Christ by embracing the four forms of Christian praxis or ascetisicism during the Nativity Fast."

Prayer

1. Spend more time in prayer, especially in the morning, the evening (before going to bed), and at meals.
2. Increase your practice of the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Pray this with humility, love for God and a sense of repentance.
3. Display an Icon of the Nativity in the prayer corner of your house or room. Spend some time each day meditating on the saving mysteries surrounding Christ's birth.
4. Receive the Mystery of Repentence (Confession) at least once during the fast.

Fasting

In addition to the fasting discipline sent in a previous e-mail, try the following as much as you have the strength for this:

1. Fast from certain foods, such as soda, alcoholic beverages or candy.
2. With each meal, eat only an amount that is sufficient for nutritional needs, without feeling full.
3. Fast from select forms of entertainment (television, movies, radio, internet, novels, etc.)
4. Again, the point of this is to take control of our lives and bring every area of our lives under the Lordship of Christ, rather than allowing ourselves to be controlled by them or allowing them to distract us from our primary purpose in this life, which is to attain to union with God so that we might share eternal life with Him and all the Saints.

Almsgiving

1. Give your time, talent and/or treasure to a parish outreach or a special charity.
2. Increase your parish tithes for the season.
3. Clean out your home of any excessive items or possessions and share them with the poor and needy.
4. Purchase gifts for the homeless or needy children or families.

Love

1. Meditate on the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes and identify one of two of these to put into practice each week.
2. Examine your conscience each night, asking forgiveness from God or others as needed.
3. Find opportunities to share your faith with others.