One-year training at the Studite Monastery

“One-year training of the Studite monastery” by St. Theodora Studita is a detailed and systematic guide to observing the annual cycle of fasts and feasts in the Byzantine monastic tradition. The work consists of 12 chapters in which the author substantiates the church charter with theological principles, connecting the three main fasts (Nativity, Great and Apostolic) with the image of the Life-Giving Trinity, and the special days of the week (Wednesday and Friday) with the Divinity and humanity of Christ. The text sets out rules for abstinence from various types of food (meat, cheese, fish, oil, wine), times for eating (for example, once a day at the ninth hour in Lent) and exceptions for holidays. A number of permissions (for example, on the “week of proclamation” - about the publican and the Pharisee, or on the “raw week”) or, conversely, strict instructions (fasting on Holy Saturday, on the Beheading of the Prophet John the Baptist) are directly associated with the need to refute the teachings of heretics (such as “Lycopeter”, Jacobites and Tetradites) or “unreasonable Jews." St. Theodore emphasizes that the rules set forth are drawn from the “Divine Scriptures of the Apostles, as well as the Holy Fathers and the most legitimate canons.” * Title of the work in Latin: Doctrina chronic monasterii Studii. Contents The Studite has many announcements, but this is called the Annual Announcement About the week of proclamation The Studite has many announcements, but this is called the Annual Announcement 1. Brothers and fathers. Now I will try to all of you who want to live correctly and lovingly, to show clearly, as far as possible, how the entire annual cycle should be observed; both for the piety of the faithful and for the refutation of heretics. Salt is wonderful (Mark 9:50), light is wonderful. If someone is without them, then, being blind, he does not know where he is going, as our Lord said (John 12:35). When embarking on the construction of the house of Orthodoxy, we must lay an unshakable foundation - the faithful rules of the divine apostles and God-bearing fathers, and first of all, we must know what the Holy Word says on this matter. In ancient times the Lord spoke to Hierophant 2 Moses: “Three seasons of the year you shall keep a holy fast for Me, from the least of you to the greatest of you, the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the first day, for seven days you shall humble your souls and eat the bread of disaster (1 Kings 2:11). Then seven weeks will be numbered for you (Deut. 16:9), fifty full days, and you will call it the called holy day of fasting. And on the fiftieth day in the middle of the year there will be a feast of holy tabernacles, and you shall humble your souls before the presence of your God. And every soul that does not humble itself in this way, let it be destroyed from among you 3 . Hence, as can be seen, we also observe three fasts, which prefigured those holidays. What do the words mean for us, brethren: “Observe three seasons of the year for Me, a holy fast, from the least of you to the greatest of you”? I believe this is a clear image of one and only Divinity, in three particular properties, contemplated and worshiped by us, worshipers of the Truth. Therefore, our three fasts were legitimized in the image of the Life-Giving Trinity from the divine disciples of the Only Begotten Son of God: [Col. 1696] “You will have two clean days among the seven days: the fourth and the sixth 4 . But what does it mean that two days out of seven must be kept clean? This means, as I think, that out of the repeating circle of the seven-numbered course [weeks], two must be kept pure - the divinity and humanity of the one and super-unified Son of God and the holy Mater 5. Or else, we can also consider that the weekly cycle of the Trinity is characterized by three days, just as the pure image of the Trinity is clearly revered by the year among the faithful. 2. The first definition of Pentecost. She is the first holiday of the Nativity of Christ, which is taken in the image of the Father, Who, as we know, favored the conception and birth of the Son. Therefore, forty days were established as the fast of Moses (Exodus 24:18) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8). 3. Second definition. After it there is a second one, which is called the Great Pentecost and appears in the image of the Only Begotten, which He Himself clearly showed, performing it for three years after emerging from the water of Baptism. And how is this clear - let the listener understand and know well: at the age of thirty the Lord revealed Baptism and after another three years accepted death. Therefore, as we learned from the best experts, He showed this fast three times a year. 4. Third definition. The third after him, preached by some of the apostles, is the image of the Life-giving Spirit, who taught the apostles everything (John 14:26) that was secretly taught from the Father and the Son. The name of the Three is one: Divinity, but in three Persons cognizable and worshiped. 5. But it must go further. And the word approaches the proposed topic and we will tell about everything in due time, about the days and weeks and for what reason they were established, and let Wednesday and Friday always be kept completely clean for fasting from cheese, fish and oil, as the divine apostles and the God-bearing fathers who came after them established this. On the Nativity of the All-Immaculate Theotokos and Her Entry into the Church and on another holiday called the Presentation, on the Annunciation and the Divine Dormition, we allow oil and fish if they fall on the indicated days, that is, on Wednesday and Friday. Also the Nativity of the Baptist and the feast of the supreme apostles Peter and Paul; If the feasts of the holy martyrs and venerable hierarchs fall on Wednesday and Friday, then we do not allow fish and oil. 6. Monastics observe the Tree of the Cross for glory and praise for fourteen days, others for twelve, and some for four. Let all the pure people of Christ observe this day of the Exaltation - September 14th. Let Lent [in honor of] the Nativity of Christ be observed three days a week, that is, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when from fish and oil [Col. 1698] let fasting be accomplished divinely. Just as [in honor of] the holy apostles, holy fasting is also performed [in honor of] the Mother of God. On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, we fast and do not eat fish or oil every day, except for Saturday and Sunday, and then we eat them. We also celebrate other pre-celebrations of Christ's feasts, and in the morning we resolve, no matter what day it happened, as was said above, for the glory of the well-willed Father and the begotten Son, for on this day we resolve the other six, so as not to seem gloomy, like the foolish Jews, at the Nativity of Him Who Recreated us (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). 7. Again, on the pre-festival [Feast of Lights] we also fast from oil and fish and other types of [food] all this day. On the very day of Epiphany, no matter what day [of the week] it falls on, we resolve everything - for the joy and glory of the Baptized One and presenting for viewing the holy beginning of this Grace and Baptism. We have this joy [for the sake of deliverance] from a murderer in the same way as if someone received the gift of wealth from a certain king and had it for himself, rejoicing in the benefits that he received, and after some time another certain enemy - a rebel and a boaster, came from somewhere, took away the wealth from the one who had it, and in addition, punished him cruelly. This became known to the king. He came and punished this apostate without mercy and returned the taken away wealth back to those who had it, but also more than before - he gave him a royal distinction, which becomes terrible for his opponents. Following this example, our Lord, having taken [vengeance] on the apostate enemy, gave us more than before - the grace of rebirth. In this same rebirth by water and the Spirit (cf. Jn. 3:5) we are given a double cleansing today: through water the body is cleansed, through the Spirit the spirit is renewed. How can we not rejoice and rejoice in our salvation? For I believe that to those who do not rejoice in the coming day of Holy Baptism, the coming grace does not seem saving, but he is gloomy and has a godless and deceitful attitude towards the saving gift. 8. The same applies to the week of proclamation 6, in which the Holy Gospel about the publican and the Pharisee is read; We also allow every kind of [food] into it, just as it was handed down to us by the holy fathers who came before us. This week is not for the sake of some Orthodoxy [Col. 1700] is permitted, but so that the godless teaching of the all-wicked Peter, Bishop of Armenia, who is known under the name Lykopetra, is destroyed. So, this damned one established a dogma for those who followed him, to keep this entire week pure for the sake of some wolf, an insidious and vile 7 . We, the Lord's people, allow all of it to overthrow those and their godless and insane dogma. Gregory, the great theologist, testifies somewhere about their inhumanity: “I notice about the Armenians that they are not simple-minded people, but very secretive and impenetrable, 8 ridiculing the impenetrability of their faith. Also, on cheese week, we allow cheese and eggs after the ninth hour in order to refute the wicked establishment of the Jacobites and Tetraditos 9 . In this raw food week, as I believe, it is commanded by the holy fathers not to eat meat for the sake of a reminder of the monastic order or for the sake of the image of a new and pure life. 9 . On Holy and Great Pentecost [of Great Lent], we eat dry food once at the ninth hour, or we don’t drink vegetables without oil or wine, except on Saturdays and Sundays. We eat all kinds of shellfish, boneless and dried, without any doubt; We do not eat fish at all during this holy fast, except on Saturday and Sunday of the week of Vai, who descended from fasting for the glory of and ate [food] at the resurrection with Lazarus (cf. John 12:2). For it is clear that this is one of Christ’s divine holidays. During the Great Holy Week, we completely preserve fasting, as far as possible, and neither oil nor wine, except for the vigil [in honor of the Lord] of the Holy Passion. We drink something for the sake of need because of [vigil] labor. We also fast until the evening of Holy Saturday, but on it and only on the only Saturday of the year. Throughout the entire week of Renewal 10, we allow fasting in honor of the Son of God who revived us. If anyone does not eat into it without a doubt, but is gloomy in a Jewish way, he falls under the anathema of the holy fathers 11. 10. From the second week, Fomina, we begin to remember our deceased brothers, but we keep Wednesday and Friday from eating meat and cheese. On the fortieth day of Pentecost, some of the holy fathers who lived before us thought, because it was the Lord’s day, to allow it according to this example. [Col. 1701] Just as Christ is called the cornerstone and is such (Eph. 2:20) and at the same time connects the two Testaments together, so the coming day brings together the Resurrection and the coming of the [Holy] Spirit. And this feast of the Only Begotten is [a holiday] of joy, as He is glorified and worshiped - the Mediator between Divinity and humanity (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5). Therefore, those who came before us undoubtedly celebrated this holiday and ate everything during it. Now whoever is able to contain it, let him contain it (Matthew 19:12), if it is possible. Again, in the week of the Holy Spirit we allow everything for the sake of the coming of the Spirit. Just as it is fitting to rejoice over the Nativity of the Son and His life-giving Resurrection, it is fitting to rejoice over the descent of the Spirit. 11. Let everyone know with me that three weeks, that is, Christmas, Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, are accepted by us as the image of the Life-Giving and Trinitarian Trinity. The same two that follow them - the proclamation 12 and the raw waste - for the sake of the heresies that were mentioned above, so that we do not end up following the above-mentioned unholy teachings. We observe the fast, called the Holy Apostles, in the same way as [the fast in honor of] the Nativity of Christ: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; on the day of the Apostles, two or twelve, we do not allow meat and cheese, if it happens to be Wednesday or Friday, but only fish and oil. We also observe the Fast of the Theotokos, and on the day of the Transfiguration we allow fish and oil, and although it would be appropriate to allow this day in a different way, it is forbidden for the sake of fasting. On the very day of the Holy Dormition of the All-Immaculate Mother of God, if Wednesday or Friday happens, then we do not allow meat or cheese for the sake of the great, terrible and strange miracle of Her Dormition. For then the divine apostles of the Savior, as we find about this in the writings of Clement of Rome, remained at [Her] tomb for three full days, until, through the Angel of God, they were initiated into everything. On the day of the Beheading of the head of the divine Forerunner, if it happens to be Wednesday or Friday, we also do not allow it because it involves unrighteous murder and death. 12. This writing of mine, brethren, was drawn from the Divine Scriptures of the apostles, as well as the holy fathers and the most legitimate canons. And we firmly built the house of Orthodoxy, which at first our word wanted to establish. I therefore dare [to say] firmly and firmly to the one and only God worshiped in the Trinity, that for the sake of Orthodoxy [Col. 1703] all this is written, and to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship forever and ever. Amen. The translation of this announcement and notes was made by P.K. Dobrotsvetov. Edited by D. E. Afinogenov. – Ed. See note. us. 813 present ed. – Ed. See: Ref. 23, Deut. 16. – Ed. That is, Wednesday and Friday, considering Sunday to be the first day of the week. – Ed. This is translated literally, although, of course, Rev. Theodore and none of the holy fathers affirmed the presence of divinity in the Mother of God on a par with that in Christ. For in Her the divinity is present by grace, and in Him hypostatically. – Ed. Greek: ή προσφώνησις, which means the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee. – Ed. The word “Lykopeter” literally translated can mean “a wolf living in the rocks,” which is why the author of the catechumen talks about a wolf. – Ed. St. Gregory the Theologian. Sermon 43, 17 // St. Gregory the Theologian. Creations. T. 1. P. 519. – Ed. See: Rule 33 St. Nikephoros of Constantinople. – Ed. First week of Easter. – Ed. The canonical norm of receiving communion during the Sunday Liturgy applies even more so to the Easter Liturgy and all days of Bright Week in general. This requirement is directly expressed in the 66th rule of the Trullo Council. At the same time, fasting at this time is completely abolished. Rules of Ap. 64 and Gangr. 18 extend the prohibition of fasting to every Sunday. – Ed. That is, the publican and the Pharisee. – Ed. You might be interested in: