Την Κυριακή των Βαΐων καταλύεται το ψάρι. - Μητροπολίτης Χονγκ Κονγκ Νεκτάριος

Την Κυριακή των Βαΐων καταλύεται το ψάρι.

Μητροπολίτης Χονγκ Κονγκ Νεκτάριος

Την Κυριακή των Βαΐων καταλύεται το ψάρι. Μόνο ο Άγιος Νικόδημος ο Αγιορείτης έχει διαφορετική γνώμη. Όσοι θέλετε να ακολουθήσετε την αυστηρή γραμμή φάτε σουπιές...
Οι προ των εορτών νηστείες της Ορθοδόξου Χριστιανικής Εκκλησίας
Από ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ, τόμος 76, τεύχος 1, Αθήναι 2005.
Μαρία Σωτηροπούλου
Δρ. θεολογίας
6. Τὸ Σάββατο τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ ἡ Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων
Τὸ Σάββατο τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ ἡ Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων θεωροῦνται ἐκτὸς τῆς Μ. Τεσσαρακοστῆς. Ὁ Συμεὼν Θεσσαλονίκης ἀναφέρει σχετικῶς ὅτι «οἱ τὰ ἰδιόμελα δὲ γεγραφότες Πατέρες, τῇ Παρασκευῇ τοῦ Λαζάρου ψάλλειν ἐκθέμενοι Τὴν ψυχωφελῆ πληρώσαντες Τεσσαρακοστήν, τὴν ἔγερσὶν τε τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν Βαΐων ὡς ἰδίας ἑορτάζοντες ἑορτάς, καὶ ἔτι τὴν ἁγίαν ἑβδομάδα τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου σωτηρίων παθῶν, ἰδία παρὰ τὴν νηστείαν ἄγοντες τῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν, δι' αὐτὰ ἐξαιρέτως τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἁγιώτατα πάθη, ἃ ὑπὲρ ἠμῶν ἤνεγκε, τὴν ἀπάθειαν ἡμῖν χορηγῶν»(82).
Αὐτὲς λοιπὸν οἱ δύο ἡμέρες, τυπικῶς εὑρίσκονται στὴν Μ. Τεσσαρακοστη(83), οὐσιαστικῶς ὅμως εἶναι ἐκτὸς αὐτῆς, δεδομένου ὅτι ἡ Μ. Τεσσαρακοστὴ ἀρχίζει τὴν Δευτέρα, μετὰ τὴν Κυριακὴ τῆς Τυροφάγου, καὶ τελειώνει τὴν Παρασκευὴ τῆς λεγομένης «βουβῆς» ἑβδομάδος, ἤτοι τὴν Παρασκευὴ πρὸ τοῦ Σαββάτου τοῦ Λαζάρου. Ὑπολογίζονται δηλαδὴ πέντε ὁλόκληρες ἑβδομάδες (ἀπὸ τὴν Πρώτη ἑβδομάδα τῶν Νηστειῶν μέχρι τὴν Πέμπτη ἑβδομάδα), πολλαπλασιαζόμενες ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρες καθεμία, καὶ προστιθέμενες σ' αὐτὲς καὶ πέντε ἡμέρες ἀπὸ τὴν Ἕκτη ἑβδομάδα (δηλαδὴ ἀπὸ Δευτέρα ἕως Παρασκευὴ τῆς «βουβῆς»)• ἔτσι μαθηματικῶς ἔχομεν: 5Χ7(ἡμ.)=35+5 ἡμ. τῆς Στ'=40.
Ἐν ἀναφορᾷ πρὸς τὴν νηστεία αὐτῶν τῶν δύο ἡμερῶν ὑπάρχει μία διαφοροποίηση, ἰδίως γιὰ τὴν Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων, στὸ ζήτημα τοῦ ἂν καταλύεται ψάρι ἢ ὄχι. Ἡ γνώμη τοῦ Θεοδώρου Στουδίτου εἶναι ὅτι τὴν Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων «τρώγεται ψάρι»: «Ἰχθύας δὲ οὐδαμῶς ἐσθίομεν τῶν τὴν ἁγίαν ταύτην νηστείαν (=τῆς Μ. Τεσσαρακοστῆς), πλὴν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Σαββάτου, καὶ τῇ Κυριακῇ τῶν Βαΐων, εἰς δόξαν τοῦ κατελθόντος ἐκ τῆς νηστείας καὶ συνεσθιασθέντος ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Λαζάρου ἐγέρσει• ἢ καὶ ἀριδήλως ὡς μία οὖσα καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ θείων ἑορτῶν»(84). Κατὰ τὸν ὅσιον τοῦτον ἡ ἰχθυοφαγία ἐπιτρέπεται ὄχι μόνον τὴν Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ Σάββατον τοῦ Λαζάρου, καθότι καὶ αὐτὴ θεωρεῖται Δεσποτικὴ ἑορτὴ (=ἑορτή τοῦ Χριστοῦ)• ὅμως, γιὰ νὰ διατηρηθῆ ἡ δόξα τῆς Κυριακῆς τῶν Βαΐων, ψάρι τρώγεται μόνον τὴν Κυριακή(85).
Διὰ τὸν ἅγιο ὅμως Νικόδημο τὸν Ἁγιορείτη (ὅπως ἤδη ἀνεφέραμεν), ὁ ὁποῖος ἐπικαλεῖται τὰ Τυπικά, χειρόγραφα ἢ τυπωμένα, τοῦ Ἁγίου Ὅρους, μόνον σὲ μία ἡμέρα τῆς Μ. Τεσσαρακοστῆς τρώγεται ψάρι, δηλαδὴ στὴν ἡμέρα τοῦ Εὐαγγελισμοῦ(86). Μὲ τὴν κατάλυση ἰχθύος κατὰ τὴν Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων φαίνεται νὰ συμφωνῆ καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Δαμασκηνός, ὁ ὁποῖος δὲν ἀναφέρει μὲν τίποτε συγκεκριμένο, ἐξ ὅσων ὅμως γράφει συνάγεται ἡ ἰχθυοφαγία τῆς ἐν προκειμένῳ Κυριακῆς(87). Ἄλλωστε, ὅπως σημειώνεται στὴν ἀρχὴ τῆς παραγράφου, ἡ ἀνάσταση τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ ἡ Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων εὑρίσκονται, ὡς ἰδιαίτερες ἑορτές, ἔξω ἀπὸ τὴν Μ. Τεσσαρακοστή. Εἶναι χαρακτηριστικὴ ἡ θέση τῶν ἁγίων Ἀποστόλων, ὅταν λέγουν: «Μεθ' ἅς», δηλαδὴ μετὰ τὶς ἑορτὲς τῶν Χριστουγέννων καὶ τῶν Θεοφανείων, «ὑμῖν φυλακτέα ἡ νηστεία τῆς τεσσαρακοστῆς, μνήμην περιέχουσα τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου πολιτείας τε καὶ νομοθεσίας. Ἐπιτελείσθω δὲ ἡ νηστεία αὕτη πρὸ τῆς νηστείας τοῦ Πάσχα, ἀρχομένη μὲν ἀπὸ δευτέρας, πληρουμένη δὲ εἰς παρασκευήν. Μεθ' ἅς ἀπονηστεύσαντες ἄρξασθε τῆς ἁγίας τοῦ Πάσχα ἑβδομάδος, νηστεύοντες αὐτὴν πάντες μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου...»(88). Εἶναι λοιπὸν ἐνδεικτικοὶ οἱ ὅροι «ἀπονηστεύσαντες» καὶ «ἄρξασθε», δεικνύοντες ὅτι μία νηστεία τελειώνει καὶ μία ἄλλη ἀρχίζει. Αὐτὴ ποὺ τελειώνει εἶναι ἡ νηστεία τῆς Μ. Τεσσαρακοστῆς καὶ αὐτὴ ποὺ ἀρχίζει εἶναι ἡ νηστεία τῆς Μ. Ἐβδομάδος. Ἄρα, οἱ ἑορτὲς τῆς ἐγέρσεως τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τῆς Κυριακῆς τῶν Βαΐων εὑρίσκονται σὰν ἀνεξάρτητες ἀνάμεσα στὶς δύο νηστεῖες. Αὐτὴ λοιπὸν ἡ θέση αὐτῶν τῶν τριῶν ἑορτῶν ἴσως νὰ δίδη τὸ δικαίωμα νὰ ὁμιλοῦν περὶ ἡμερῶν, κατὰ τὶς ὁποῖες καταλύεται ψάρι, τὴν Κυριακὴ δέ, κατὰ μία ἄποψη, καὶ αὐγό(89).
Σημειώσεις
82. Συμεὼν Θεσσαλονίκης, Ἀπόκρισις NB', PG 155, 897C. Ὡς πρὸς τὸ Στιχηρὸν ἰδιόμελον «Τὴν ψυχωφελῆ πληρώσαντες τεσσαρακοστήν, καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν ἑβδομάδα τοῦ Πάθους σου αἰτοῦμεν κατιδεῖν Φιλάνθρωπε...», βλ. ΤΡ1ΩΔ1ΟΝ, Σάββατον πρὸ τῶν Βαΐων, Τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ δικαίου Λαζάρου, ἔκδ. ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΗΣ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΙΑΣ, Ἐν Ἀθήναις 1993.
83. Γιὰ τὸν ἀκριβῆ ὑπολογισμὸ τῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν, βλ. Ξενοφῶντος Σπ. Παπαχαραλάμπους, Ἡ ἀληθὴς νηστεία..., σελ. 77-79.
84. Θεοδώρου Στουδίτου, Διδασκαλία χρονικὴ τῆς μονῆς τοῦ Στουδίου 9, PG 99, 1700.
85. Βλ. Ξενοφῶντος Σπ. Παπαχαραλάμπους, Ἡ ἀληθὴς νηστεία..., σελ. 71.
86. Βλ. Πηδάλιον, σελ. 92, σημ. 1.
87. Βλ. Ξενοφῶντος Παπαχαραλάμπους, Ἡ ἀληθὴς νηστεία..., σελ. 69.
88. Ἀποστολικαὶ Διαταγαί, 13, 3-4, SC 329, σελ. 246.
89. Γιὰ τὸ πρόβλημα τῆς καταλύσεως αὐγοῦ κατὰ τὴν Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων, γράφει ὁ Χρ. Ἐνισλείδης (Ὁ θεσμὸς τῆς νηστείας, σελ. 87) καὶ ἀναφέρει ὁ Ξενοφῶν Παπαχαραλάμπους (Ἡ ἀληθὴς νηστεία..., σελ. 71).
***
On Palm Sunday, fish is permitted. Only Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite holds a different opinion. Those of you who want to follow the strict line—eat cuttlefish…
The Pre-Feast Fasts of the Orthodox Christian Church
From THEOLOGIA, vol. 76, issue 1, Athens 2005.
Maria Sotiropoulou
PhD in Theology
6. Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday
Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are considered to be outside Great Lent. Symeon of Thessaloniki states in this regard that: “the Fathers who composed the idiomela, having appointed that on the Friday of Lazarus [week] the hymn be chanted, ‘Having completed the soul-profiting Forty Days,’ celebrate the raising of Lazarus and the feast of the Palms as feasts in their own right, and also observe Holy Week of the Lord’s saving Passion as something distinct from the fast of the forty days—precisely because of the Lord’s most holy Passion which He endured for us, granting us dispassion” (82).
Therefore, these two days are found typologically within Great Lent (83), yet in substance they lie outside it, since Great Lent begins on Monday after Cheesefare Sunday and ends on Friday of the so‑called “silent” week, that is, the Friday before Lazarus Saturday. In other words, five complete weeks are counted (from the First Week of Fasts to the Fifth Week), each multiplied by seven days, and to these are added five days from the Sixth Week (that is, from Monday to Friday of the “silent” week). Thus, mathematically we have: 5×7 (days) = 35 + 5 days of the Sixth = 40.
With regard to fasting on these two days, there is a difference—especially for Palm Sunday—on the question of whether fish is permitted or not. Theodore the Studite’s view is that on Palm Sunday “fish is eaten”: “We do not eat fish at all during this holy fast ( that of Great Lent), except on the day of Saturday and on Palm Sunday, to the glory of Him who came down from fasting and ate with others at the raising of Lazarus; or also clearly because this day too is one of the divine feasts of Christ” (84). According to this holy man, the eating of fish is permitted not only on Palm Sunday but also on Lazarus Saturday, since it too is regarded as a Lord’s feast ( a feast of Christ); however, so that the honor of Palm Sunday may be preserved, fish is eaten only on Sunday (85).
For Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, however (as we already mentioned), who appeals to the Typika—manuscript or printed—of Mount Athos, fish is eaten on only one day of Great Lent, namely on the feast of the Annunciation (86). The permission of fish on Palm Sunday also seems to be in agreement with Saint John of Damascus, who does not mention anything explicitly; yet from what he writes one may infer the eating of fish on the Sunday in question (87). Besides, as noted at the beginning of the paragraph, the raising of Lazarus and Palm Sunday are found, as particular feasts, outside Great Lent. Characteristic is the position of the holy Apostles when they say: “After these,” that is, after the feasts of Christmas and Theophany, “you must keep the fast of the Forty Days, which contains the remembrance of the Lord’s life and legislation. Let this fast be observed before the fast of Pascha, beginning on Monday and being completed on Friday. After these, having ended the fast, begin the holy week of Pascha, all of you fasting it with fear and trembling…” (88). The terms “having ended the fast” and “begin” are therefore indicative, showing that one fast ends and another begins. The fast that ends is that of Great Lent, and the fast that begins is that of Holy Week. Therefore, the feasts of the raising of Lazarus and of Palm Sunday stand independently between the two fasts. This position of these three feasts may perhaps give the right to speak of days on which fish is permitted, and on Sunday, according to one view, even eggs (89).
Notes
1. Symeon of Thessaloniki, Response NB’, PG 155, 897C. Regarding the sticheron idiomelon “Having completed the soul-profiting forty days, and we ask to behold the holy week of Your Passion, O Lover of mankind…,” see Triodion, Saturday before Palm Sunday, of the holy and righteous Lazarus, ed. Apostoliki Diakonia, Athens 1993.
2. For the precise calculation of the forty days, see Xenophon Sp. Papacharalampous, True Fasting…, pp. 77–79.
3. Theodore the Studite, Chronological Catechesis of the Monastery of Stoudios 9, PG 99, 1700.
4. See Xenophon Sp. Papacharalampous, True Fasting…, p. 71.
5. See The Rudder (Pedalion), p. 92, note 1.
6. See Xenophon Papacharalampous, True Fasting…, p. 69.
7. Apostolic Constitutions, 13, 3–4, SC 329, p. 246.
8. On the issue of permitting eggs on Palm Sunday, Chr. Enisleidis writes (The Institution of Fasting, p. 87) and Xenophon Papacharalampous mentions it (True Fasting…, p. 71).