Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Dormition Fast & August Feast Days

The traditional Dormition Fast begins today (yesterday at Vespers), and ends at Vespers on August 14th. Although "interrupted" by the joyous Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, it is a traditional time for spiritual renewal relying especially on the intercession of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. The Paraklesis (<= click for service book) is traditionally prayed during this time of preparation.

The Dormition Fast begins today with the feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross, a penitential commemoration and one of three feast days of Our Lord this month (together with the Transfiguration on the 6th and the Translation of the Miraculously Formed Icon of Our Lord on the 16th).

The Feast of the Dormition on August 15th is a Great Feast of the Church and a day of precept, or holy day of obligation, for Byzantine Catholics.

The Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th is a considered Solemn Feast.

On August 29th, we observe the Simple Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, which is the final notable feast of the Byzantine Liturgical Year (September 1 - August 31), normally the last fixed, or immovable feast day listed in the Festal Menaion.

No comments:

Post a Comment