Xerofagia (dry eating)

[Albion]

I am going to try as strict a diet as possible next week, and am wondering if someone can explain to me the parametres of xerofagia. One or two typical recipes would help give me a better idea. Thank you.

[Eric Peterson]

Consult your spiritual father first, if you have not done so.

[Herman Blaydoe]

I am going to try as strict a diet as possible next week, and am wondering if someone can explain to me the parametres of xerofagia. One or two typical recipes would help give me a better idea. Thank you.

Clean some raw vegetables, peel if necessary. Eat.

Take some plain unseasoned vegetables. Boil them with perhaps a little salt. Eat.

Soak some beans or lentils overnight. Boil them with perhaps a little salt. Eat.

Bake bread using a prosphora recipe, that is flour, water, yeast and salt. Eat.

If you are able to fast the entire day, you are allowed to eat as much of the above as you deem necessary. Drink plenty of water.

Do consult with your priest and/or spiritual advisor and family physician before attempting, don't plan on operating a vehicle or heavy machinery during this effort or until you are sure you will not be physically impaired.

Herman the Pooh who is not a priest, spiritual advisor or licensed physician

[Michael Stickles]

According to "The Rules of Fasting" in The Lenten Triodion, as quoted on the OCA website (http://www.oca.org/OCFasting.asp):




Literally this [xerophagy] means 'dry eating'. Strictly interpreted, it signifies that we may eat only vegetables cooked with water and salt, and also such things as fruit, nuts, bread and honey. In practice, octopus and shell-fish are also allowed on days of xerophagy; likewise vegetable margarine and corn or other vegetable oil, not made from olives. But the following categories of food are definitely excluded:
meat;
animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard, drippings);
fish (i.e., fish with backbones);
oil (i.e., olive oil) and wine (i.e., all alcoholic drinks).


Pretty much in line with the examples Herman gave.

Please note that in a different thread here (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4485&highlight=xerophagy) this definition of xerophagy was disputed. Also noted there was the fact that this way of eating is one which very few, even among monastics, follow, except for the first three days of Great Lent.

Finally, I concur with Herman and Eric - if you have not done so already, consult with your priest and/or spiritual father first. There are potential spiritual dangers for those who set their own rules for fasting. Pride is the most obvious one, and it's the one my priest explicitly warned me about when we talked before last Lent about how I should fast.

In Christ,
Michael

[Albion]

Thanks everyone.

It is my understanding that xerofagia is customary but not mandatory during Holy Week here in Cyprus. I shall double check that with my priest this afternoon. The bottom line is that, as I have been fasting from meat, eggs and dairy products throughout Lent, as well as from beer, I wish to do something even more sacrificial during Holy Week.

[Vasiliki D.]

Just a side comment (I am not recommending this for lay people) .. my Spiritual Father (who lives on Mount Athos) was telling us that the tradition on the mountain is from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday they not only eat nothing but they do not have a single drop of water. The reason is so that they can experience the dehydration and thirst that Christ experienced on the Cross.

I must warn anyone who is reading this and give the same warning that he did ... people of the world should not do this (unless ur spiritual father says you are at that level) but the logical reason is because we do not fast to the extremes that monks do .. so our bodies are not capable or able to adapt to such strict ascetical fasting and we do the opposite to ourselves .. instead of Spiritual blessing we can cause harm on ourselves.

[Albion]

Just a side comment (I am not recommending this for lay people) .. my Spiritual Father (who lives on Mount Athos) was telling us that the tradition on the mountain is from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday they not only eat nothing but they do not have a single drop of water.

I would not even think of doing that, but am curious: presumably that´s sort of 72 hours, from sundown on Wednesday to sundown on Saturday?

[Father David Moser]

I would not even think of doing that, but am curious: presumably that´s sort of 72 hours, from sundown on Wednesday to sundown on Saturday?

Probably not a full 72 hours - much less would be my guess. Although I don't know the athonite practice, there is a similar practice which seems to be the same thing and that is to neither eat nor drink follow the Crucifixion until you break the fast on Saturday following the liturgy of the harrowing of hell. (this meal is prescribed in the triodion but consists only of bread wine and a few figs) So that is more like Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon - more like 36 -48 hours.

Fr David Moser