The Fast of the Apostles Is Fast Upon Us! (Pun Intended)
Or, how being a relative newbie in an Orthodox world can be confusing
The message on June 23rd from our Western Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church on Facebook in Arabic and English was brief and had a beautiful icon as a visual:
Dear faithfuls,
We would like to inform you that the fast of the Apostles, will start , Thursday 06/26/2025 and it's for 3 days . The Holy Divine Eucharist for the feast of St. Peter & Paul, will take place on Sunday 06/29/2025.
Have a blessed Sunday everyone 🙏🏻
Mostly, I am now comfortable with the regular Wednesday and Friday fasts. Once I realized I wasn’t going to starve myself for the rest of my days and that I had been vegan for 6 1/2 years of my life before becoming Orthodox, mainly eating vegan on two days a week wasn’t hard. The exception for Syriac Orthodox on fast days is fish, and for Greek Orthodox, shellfish - so to help out my husband, we mostly live off shrimp or plant-based foods on those days. I had written previously about Orthodox fasting - see below.
The Spiritual Discipline of Fasting
For those unfamiliar with Orthodoxy, let’s set the record straight from the get-go: even in the strictest fasting times of the church calendar, Syriac Orthodox believers do not go without food or drink entirely.
However, with time and with exposure to Eastern Orthodoxy through my husband (and there are differences in the churches of Eastern Orthodoxy) and to other Oriental Orthodox churches (primarily the Coptic Orthodox Church due to my spiritual father being a Coptic monk), I started having questions I couldn't really answer.
While in the Eastern Orthodox world, there are websites that explain the “how” of the fasting practice, a similar site doesn't really exist for Syriac Orthodox (I can't speak for other Oriental Orthodox churches). The general practice of fasting is explained, e.g., here. But somehow, never the details of how exactly each fast differs. Or what a newly Orthodox believer should do or not do. Or, even further reaching, since I traverse these branches of Orthodoxy, why are there such differences in how the Apostles’ Fast is conducted in the churches?
So, I decided to seek my friend Malfono and Mshamshono Evangeloyo Yuhanun Savci’s help (not too many people who know more!). Here is, in brief, what he told me:
It used to be that all faithful would fast from the Monday after Pentecost (still the Coptic Orthodox practice) until June 29th for the Fast of the Apostles.
In 1946, at the Council of Homs, the duration of the Apostles’ Fast was shortened to three days. It would start on June 26th and end on June 29th, when the two chief Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, are commemorated.
We fast because the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) is no longer with us (see Matthew 9:14-15).
After the Ascension of Jesus, the disciples fasted and prayed while waiting for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). While this is not explicitly stated in the New Testament, it can be deduced from ancient practice.
Cornelius had his vision of an angelic visitor with a message for him at the ninth hour (3 pm). When St. Peter had a vision from God the following day, as Cornelius was getting ready to visit him, it happened at the sixth hour (noon). This story is preserved for us in Acts 10. This can help us understand why some people fast until noon, while others fast until 3 pm on fast days, such as during the Apostles’ Fast.
In the Syriac Orthodox Church, before a deacon or priest is ordained, they fast.
Many other examples of fasting are retained for us in the pages of the Holy Bible: the prophet Joel fasted to seek humility, Queen Esther fasted to find favor with the king to save her people, Jesus speaks of a type of demon that can only be driven out with prayer and fasting, etc.
From all this, it is clear that fasting is a beneficial exercise, not just for our bodies (see this write-up) but also for our souls. It still leaves the “but how” question. And also the “why are we shortening fasts” question? And the “why do other Orthodox churches do it differently” question?
For example, the Greek Orthodox fast for the Apostles’ Fast from the Monday after All Saints in their calendar (the date of this feast changes depending on the date of Pascha) to the feast day of the Apostles. Peter and Paul on June 29. Last year, because of the late date for Orthodox Easter, my husband didn't have an Apostles’ Fast at all! This year, it's two weeks, during which he can eat fish except on Wednesdays and Fridays, which continue to be strict fast days.
For me, I have settled on fasting until noon for the three days of the Apostles’ Fast and eating as vegan as possible for the remainder of the day. No breaking the fast in the evening, as I have seen some of my German brethren do. Oh, and I have been fasting mainly with my husband already, as my Coptic Orthodox spiritual father always asks me to fast with my Greek Orthodox husband. He thinks Syriac Orthodox are “slacking off” (my words, not his)! I tend to agree. I like the rhythms of the other traditions that take fasting very seriously. For me, it has become a significant and meaningful time of prayer and introspection.
Never say it can’t be complicated. But also never say it isn't worth it. My spiritual development over the past 2 1/2 years will tell you that it is very worthwhile to think through things like the Apostles’ Fast.