The priest explained the spiritual meaning of the Dormition Fast

The spiritual meaning of the Dormition fast lies not only in dietary restrictions, but also in the moral work of a person on himself, the development of the skill of abstinence and self-control. Vladislav Beregovoy, a priest and head of the missionary department of the Pesochenskaya diocese, told Izvestia about this.

"The meaning of the Dormition fast is to become better, cleaner and closer to God. The most important thing is to learn the skill of abstinence, through which we can restrain our anger, irritation and other unfriendly thoughts and actions towards people," the priest said.

According to Beregovoy, fasting helps a person first learn to control himself in matters of nutrition, and then apply this skill in other life situations.

"At first, a person learns this through food, so that later they can control themselves in more complex things. After all, how can you overcome envy if you don't have any self-management skills at all? Fasting is necessary so that a person learns to manage himself through spiritual self—discipline," he said.

The priest explained that during the Dormition fast, believers usually abstain from meat and dairy products, but the restriction of food itself is not the main goal. According to him, it is important not only to give up some foods, but also to live virtuously, receive communion, and not quarrel with others over trifles.

"During the Dormition Fast, it is worth avoiding the consumption of meat and dairy products. But the problem with fasting is not just that you can't eat something. We still need to do something: do more good deeds, go to church, receive communion more often, read the Scriptures, and do something good," the priest said.

Read more in the Izvestia article

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