Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos Cycle Preparation - Our Lady's Fast

Fasting and Feasting Period
Action	Name	Time
Fasting	Dormition Fast Theotokos Fast Our Lady's Fast	Begins just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross (1 August) on 31 July evening evening Ends just before Vespers of the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos (15 August) on 14 August evening.
Feasting	Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos	Begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Great Feast of the 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.

1 - 14 August - The Church traditionally observes a period of fasting for the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos . This fast is also called "Our Lady's Fast". This fast begins just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross (1 August) on 31 July evening. This fast ends just before Vespers for the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos (15 August) on 14 August evening.

By fasting, we can unite our lives more closely to The Theotokos. By fasting, we can join in and show our appreciation for the sacrifices of the The Theotokos. The Theotokos sacrificed much to give birth to Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, to raise Him, and to be with Him during His ministry, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.

Fasting Guidelines

When The Paramony of the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos falls on a Saturday or on a Sunday, the fasting is done on the previous Friday. The only time that fasting is done on a Saturday is Great and Holy Saturday. Fasting is never done on a Sunday.

Fasting
Definition	We CAN	We should NOT
When can eat	Eat from noon to midnight	Eat from midnight to noon
How much can eat	Eat one meal each day Monday to Friday	Eat more than one meal Eat in between meals Monday to Friday

Abstinence
Eat/Drink	Food/Beverages	We CAN	We should NOT
Eat	"Vegaterian". Plants (fruits, grains, legumes (beans), vegetables, nuts, and fruits, etc.) Invertebrates creatures without a spine /backbone (sponges, hydroids, anemones, jellyfish, gorgonains, sea pen, sea fan, worms, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, sea lily, etc.)	All the time.
	"Vegan". NO Products from a vertebrate creatures with a spine / backbone (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) Milk, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. ("dairy products" in the United States)	All the time.
	Fish	Saturday and Sunday (NOT Paramony of Nativity of Jesus Christ Paramony of Feast of Theophany of Jesus Christ Feast of Exaltation of Cross)	Paramony of Nativity of Jesus Christ Paramony of Feast of Theophany of Jesus Christ Feast of Exaltation Cross
	Olive oil	Saturday and Sunday (NOT Paramony of Nativity of Jesus Christ Paramony of Feast of Theophany of Jesus Christ Feast of Exaltation of Cross)	Paramony of Nativity of Jesus Christ Paramony of Feast of Theophany of Jesus Christ Feast of Exaltation Cross
	"Flesh" (skin and meat) Vertebrate which is an animal with a spine / backbone (mammals, birds, fish {tuna, shark, bass, sardines, etc.}, etc.) Shellfish		All the time.
	Products from a vertebrate creatures with a spine / backbone (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) Milk, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. ("dairy products" in the United States)		All the time.
Drink	Water	All the time.
	Unfermented fruit juice	All the time.
	Wine	Saturday and Sunday (NOT Paramony of Nativity of Jesus Christ Paramony of Feast of Theophany of Jesus Christ Feast of Exaltation of Cross)	Paramony of Nativity of Jesus Christ Paramony of Feast of Theophany of Jesus Christ Feast of Exaltation Cross
	Alcoholic beverages.		All the time.

Preparation
Day	Commemorate	Date	Apostolos	Gospel
Dormition Fast Begins	Our Lady's Fast	Fast Begins just before Vespers 31 July
	Procession of Holy Cross Seven Holy Macchabees, their mother Salome and their instructor, Elder Eleazar	1	Heb. 11:33-12:2a	Mt. 10:16-22
Transfig- uration of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ	Jesus Christ's transfig- uration	6	2 Pet. 1:10-19	Mt. 17:1-9
Vigil of Dormition Theotokos	Holy Prophet Micheas	14
Dormition Fast Ends	Our Lady's Fast	Ends just before Vespers 14

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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