Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Liturgical Cycle Preparating (Fasting, Praying, and Performing Charity) and Celebrating (Feasting)

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church has an Annual Liturgical Cycle. Each Liturgical Cycle has a Preparing Time Period and a Celebrating Time Period. The Preparing Time Period and the Celebrating Time Period are equally important because the reason for both time periods is equally important. Every Preparing Time Period (fasting, praying, and performing Charity) is followed by a Celebrating (Feasting) Time Period. The Feast Day is counted as the first day (day one) in the Celebrating Time Period.

Preparing Time Period	Celebrating Time Period
Days before the Feast Day	The Feast Day and its following Celebration Days
Begins on a set day determined by the number of days in the Preparing Time Period.	Ends on a set day determined by the number of days in the Celebrating Time Period
Ends just before Vespers of the Feast Day	Begins at the beginning of Vespers of the Feast Day
Includes praying, fasting (not eating at certain times [fasting] and not eating certain foods [abstinence] ), and performing charity / alms / helping others / good works	Includes feasting eating at certain times [the times which no eating occurs during the Preparing Time Period - no fasting ] (eating certain foods [the foods not eaten during the Preparing Time Period - no abstinence ]).

Forty Days Preparation Time Period and 40 Days Celebration Time Period

Feast	40 Days Preparation Time Period	40 Days Celebration Time Period
Nativity Flesh Jesus Christ	Pre-Nativity Fast	Feast and its Celebration Days
Holy and Glorious Pascha	Great Lent	Feast and its Celebration Days

Four Great Preparation and Celebration Cycles

These feasts have a Great Preparation and Celebration Cycle.

Feast	Days Preparation Time Period	Preparation Time Period Begins Ends	Strict Fasting Period	Days Celebration Time Period	Celebration Time Period Begins Ends
Feast of Holy and Glorious Pascha	1. Prophonisimon 2. Great Lent 40 Days 3. Great and Holy Week	1. Some theologians think Preparation Time Period (Triodion) with the Prophonisimon Subsection begins at the beginning of Vespers of the First Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican, which is the 22 Day Before Great Lent 2. Because Sunday is the last day of the week during this period, some theologians think Preparation Time Period (Triodion) with the Prophonisimon Subsection begins at the beginning of Vespers of the Monday after the First Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican, which is the 21 Day Before Great Lent	1. Clean Monday 2. Liturgical Day of Great and Holy Thursday On the calendar Great and Holy Wednesday 3. Liturgical Day of Great and Holy Friday On the calendar Great and Holy Thursday 4. Liturgical Day of Great and Holy Saturday On the calendar Great and Holy Friday	Celebrating 40 Days	Some theologians think that the Celebrating Time Period (Pentecostarion) begins with the invitation to "Come, take light from the Light that never fades" at the beginning of the Hajmeh service of Holy and Glorious Pascha, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Saturday night. Ends just before Vespers of the Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Jesus Christ
Feast of Nativity Flesh of Jesus Christ	Pre-Nativity Fast 40 Days or 15 Days Traditional or Modern	Traditional Preparation begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Feast of St. Philip the Apostle, 15 November, on 14 November evening. Modern Preparation begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Feast of the Conception of Ancester of Christ Ann of the Theotokas, December 10, on December 9 evening. Ends just before Vespers of the Great Feast of the Nativity According to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, 25 December, on 24 December evening	The Paramony of the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ December 24	Celebrating 40 Days	Begins at the beginning Vespers of the Feast of Nativity Flesh of Jesus Christ, 25 December, on 24 December evening Ends just before Vespers of the Great Feast of the Holy Hypapanty of Jesus Christ and the Purification of The Theotokos, 2 February, on 1 February evening
Feast of Dormition of The Theotokos	Our Lady's Fast 14 Days	Begins at the beginning the Vespers of the Feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross, 1 August, on 31 July evening Ends just before Vespers of the Feast of Dormition of The Theotokos, 15 August, on 14 August evening		Celebrating 9 Days	Begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Feast of Dormition of The Theotokos, 15 August, on 14 August evening Ends just before the Vespers of the Holy Hieromartyr Eutyches, 24 August, on 23 August evening.
Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul	Apostles Fast Number of Days changes	Begins at the beginning the Vespers of the Monday after the First Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday of All Saints Ends just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 29 June, on 28 June evening		Celebrating 1 Day	Begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Feast of the Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 29 June, on 28 June evening Ends just before Vespers of Synaxis of the Holy Twelve Apostles, 30 June, on 29 June evening.

Great Feast of the Holy Theophany of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ

Feast	Days Preparation Time Period	Begins Ends	Strict Fasting Period	Days Celebration Time Period	Begins Ends
Feast of the Holy Theophany of Jesus Christ	Theophany Fast Paramony 1 Day Preparation Number of Days changes 4 days plus maybe 1 Sat. and/or Sun.	Begins at the beginning the Vespers of the Preparation Day 1, 2 Jan. Unless the Sat. or Sun. before that day is also the Sat. or Sun. before the Feast Day, then begins at the beginning the Vespers of that Sat. or Sun. Ends just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Holy Theophany of Jesus Christ	The Paramony of the Great Feast of the Theophany of Our Lord, Jesus Christ January 5	Celebrating 9 Days	Begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Feast of the Holy Theophany of Jesus Christ, 6 January, on 5 January evening Ends just before Vespers of Holy Fathers Paul of Thebes and John the Hut-Dweller, 15 January, on 14 January evening.

Feasts of Feasts and Great Feast Days with Preparing (Fasting, Praying, and Performing Charity) and Celebrating (Feasting)

Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha - Fesakh - Hajmeh - (Date Occurs)
Eleven of the Great Feast Days
- Great Feast of the Holy Hypapanty of Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ and the Purification of The Theotokos - 2 February
- Great Feast of the Holy Theophany of Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ - 6 January
- Great Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ - 6 August
- Great Feast of Holy and Glorious Palm Sunday - Shaneeneh - Sunday before Pascha
- Great Feast of the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ - 40th day of Pascha
- Great Feast of Pentecost - 50th day of Pascha
- Great Feast of the Nativity of The Theotokos - 8 September
- Great Feast of the Entrance of The Theotokos into the Temple - 21 November
- Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary - 25 March
- Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos - 15 August

Great Feast of the The Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

Because this feast is so important, the regulations for feasting on the Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, 25 March, always supersedes the regulations for fasting during the Preparation for the Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha - Fesakh - Hajmeh. This Great Feast Day is always a day of feasting.

Transition Period between Great Lent and Great and Holy Week

The Transition Period between Great Lent and Great and Holy Week is Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday --Shaneeneh is a Celebrating Time Period.

Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Lifegiving Holy Cross

Because this feast is so important, The Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Lifegiving Holy Cross, 14 September, is always a day of fasting (fast and abstience).

More Information

CyberTypicon by Reverend Father / Abouna Peter Boutros
CyberTypicon lists Fast and Abstinence days.

"CyberTypicon" Definitions by Reverend Father / Abouna Peter Boutros
CyberTypicon has the Fasting and Abstinence rules. Please click on Fast and Abstinence.

Traditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Please click on Fast and Abstinence, Reasons why. Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton Material prepared by Fr. Philaret Littlefield for inclusion in the St. George Melkite (Byzantine) Greek Catholic Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Sunday Bulletin

Abouna, Why do We Fast? by Fr. Philaret D. Littlefield, Reprinted from Sophia, Volume 31, Number 1, Jan. - Feb. 2001, Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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