Do's and Don'ts in Lent 2020

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Great Lent is 7 weeks of spiritual and physical trials, the time when Christians partake of the Savior's sacrifice. They pay tribute to his feat with their daily prayers and adherence to strict restrictions, thereby preparing themselves for the meeting of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. It is important to know what not to do during fasting in order to properly sustain it in 2020.

The essence

Once upon a time, it was customary to baptize new followers of Christ just before the holiday of Great Easter. In the days of preparation for this event, former pagans and Jews studied the Holy Scriptures, read prayers and voluntarily accepted abstinence in food. By this they showed that they are ready to suffer in order to gain true faith.

Wanting to support their future fellow believers, all Christians also began to shoulder the burden of self-restraint. So Great Lent became an indicator that believers are united not only in joy, but also in bearing hardships.

The first day of Lent comes immediately after Forgiveness Sunday and is called Clean Monday, which falls on March 2 in 2020. From this day on, for all Orthodox Christians, certain obligations and points from the list of the "not allowed" category come into force, as well as what needs to be done at this time.

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But before you begin to get acquainted with the list of prohibitions, you need to understand the main thing. Fasting is not a punishment. This is the time to reflect on the transience of everything earthly and on the eternity of the human soul.

Is it worth it to be discouraged from the temporary impossibility of cutting off a piece of uncooked smoked sausage when you take steps towards eternal prosperity?

Adam was subjected to real despondency, who could not resist the sweet admonitions of the devil and was expelled from paradise for his lack of faith and momentary weakness. The Savior, at the cost of his inhuman torment, showed people the way to truth. You just need to walk this road with an unstained soul and bright thoughts. Earthly blessings will go into the earth, and a pure spirit will ascend into eternity.

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General prohibitions in Lent

So what are the limitations of Lent and what can and cannot be done? The ministers of the church answer this question as follows: Great Lent is a time of abstinence. For seven weeks in 2020, you cannot:

• to celebrate weddings;
• indulge in entertainment and drinking wine;
• swearing;
• even to think of evil deeds.

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You should be tolerant towards other people, you should not condemn and discuss anyone, spread rumors that defame anyone, start scandals or think about revenge. And even if someone finds out that a neighbor is not fasting, he has no right to condemn the latter, because to abstain or not to observe, everyone must decide for himself.

As for fast food, even the church does not consider this abstinence to be an unconditional postulate. An adequate father will never scold for the fact that a chicken is cooked for a sick person on Good Friday. The Church will always go to the weakening of the fast for sick people, frail old people and children who do not understand the importance of the event.

But bad thoughts and deeds are not subject to amnesty, because such a thing can only be forgiven to some mentally ill poor fellow.

During the fast, you will have to forget about marital intimacy. And going to nightclubs and theaters will need to be replaced by more frequent visits to the temple, reading prayers and helping those in need.

The main bans on Lent in 2020

Compliance with all the rules of Great Lent does not mean that on these days in 2020, a believing Christian must certainly look gloomy and haggard from malnutrition. Abstaining from pleasure revels does not mean that a person should stop enjoying life. In the end, there are many delicious lenten dishes that are not a sin to put on any other day, and even on a festive table.

A temporary refusal from meat food can have a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body. It is important to know what not to do during fasting in order to withstand it with dignity.

Often, a lover of tasty and plentiful food is overweight and lazy, because an overflowing stomach insistently urges its owner to relaxed reclining on his favorite sofa and to a sweet afternoon nap. At such moments, the soul is either thought of last, or is not thought of at all. A little shake-up will only do good here. 7 weeks is not that much.

But the person will have time to critically assess his reflection in the mirror, and maybe make a decision to go in for sports. And may turn to God help him in this. Is it bad?

Bad habits

For an ordinary person, there is a great motivation to quit smoking, to give up alcohol or drugs. By strengthening his faith, he thereby strengthens his health. Indulging in your harmful addictions is a manifestation of weakness of spirit.

Quarrelsomeness, envy and malice are unacceptable

All these emotions are destructive, first of all, for their bearer. Without allowing the seed of discord and envy to germinate, a person brings himself closer to finding peace of mind.

Taming pride

You must not let your vanity break your faith in God. After all, the Creator loves everyone equally, but only people who truly believe and overcome their own demons can approach him.

Lifestyle

It is not difficult for a true believer to lead his life during Great Lent. After all, strict abstinence and fervent prayers are nothing compared to the 40-day resistance to the temptations of the devil, which the Savior had to endure in the wilderness after his baptism in the Jordan River.

The first and longest part of Lent is dedicated to this very event. The second part is Holy Week.

Every day of the last week of Great Lent is dedicated to the history of the main sacrificial feat of Jesus Christ in the name of the salvation of the human race, and therefore it is important to observe all the rules and know what is not allowed and what needs to be done during Great Lent in 2020.

Bonus

All of the above rules and main prohibitions that should be observed during Great Lent can be summarized in several theses and concluded:

1. It is worth knowing in advance what prohibitions exist during Great Lent in order to prepare for some abstinence.
2. It is important not only to refrain from forbidden food, the main thing is to morally approach this issue and prepare correctly.
3. For old people, the sick and the infirm, you can refrain from strict prohibitions on the menu, as this can badly affect your health.