Christ is among us!

This week vigil light is offered by Family in memory of all members of Waselik family.

The Great Fast/Lent begins Sunday evening with Forgiveness Vespers, or Monday when we begin with prayer and fasting.

Our Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church traditionally prescribes abstention from meat and dairy products for the entire duration of the Great Fast and Holy Week and this rule is still kept in monasteries. The following are the minimal Lenten regulations today, but the lay faithful are encouraged to live according to this historic rule of abstention as much as they can physically and spiritually. Hence, you are invited to follow the tradition as you are physically able given your age and health and work situation.

First Day of the Great Fast (Clean Monday) – Abstention from meat and dairy and foods that contain these ingredients is obligatory. Fasting is obligatory.

First Week of the Great Fast – Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients is obligatory. Abstention from dairy and foods that contain these ingredients is encouraged.

Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Fast – Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients is obligatory. Abstention from dairy and foods that contain these ingredients is encouraged. Abstention from meat and dairy and foods that contain these ingredients is encouraged on Mondays during Lent as well.

Fasting regulations of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church —Definitions

Abstinence means that we do not eat a certain type of food or any other foods that have that as an ingredient.

Fasting means that we eat fewer food items. A general rule is that for a day of fast, we eat no more than one full meal and two smaller meals (snacks) that put together do not equal a full meal.

Meat is to be understood as including not only the flesh, but also those parts of warm-blooded animals that cannot be rendered, i.e., melted down, e.g., the liver, etc. Meat gravy or soup made from meat is included in this prohibition.