The three days of fasting that begin Great Lent

2026-02-24 14:33:00, Opinione Miron Çako

Great Lent in the Orthodox Church begins with a prominent ascetic tradition, especially in the first days that begin with days of complete fasting.

In the church calendar, these days are referred to as "White Monday" and "White Tuesday" until Wednesday, when the fast can be broken after the Presanctified Liturgy, which canonically takes place in the evening.

This three-day ascetic effort is especially for monks, but is also recommended for lay Christians around the world.

According to the possibility and strength, in consultation with the confessor, they, like monks, can begin "Great Lent" with a complete fasting start from both bread and water.

The three-day fast is both Biblical and in accordance with church tradition.

1. More specifically, in the Book of Esther, we are told that Queen Esther advised the Jewish people that before she went to King Ahasuerus and spoke in favor of the people so that they would not be destroyed by Haman's intrigues, they should fast for three full days: "Fast for me and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day." (Esther 4:16)

2. The apostles, grieving over the crucifixion and death of Christ, fasted for three days.

Early tradition indicates that they did not eat during these hours of pain, beginning a three-day fast and breaking the fast after hearing the news of the resurrection and while they were sitting at table the risen Christ appeared to them (Mark 16:14).

Therefore, the three days of fasting also symbolize the three days of Christ in the tomb.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria says: “The three days of fasting after the crucifixion were like participation in the tomb of the Lord, a spiritual devotion.”

3. Likewise, when Saul had a vision from Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6), he, converted and repentant for his persecution of the church, fasted for three full days: "And for three days he neither saw nor ate nor drank." (Acts 9:9) and was then baptized by Ananias (Acts 9:18)

Saul's (Paul's) fast was characterized by repentance, life change, and preparation for the beginning of a new life after baptism.

4. In the early Church (1st–3rd century) we have the practice of fasting for three days, especially before Baptism and Communion, but after the physical persecution in the church with the Indictment of Medialan in 313 AD, voluntary suffering or martyrdom of conscience through the practice of asceticism became a necessity in the church, for example in the (4th century) and later.

5. The clearest form of the three-day fast was developed with monks such as: Saint Anthony the Great (4th century), Saint Pachomius, etc., the desert fathers who fasted frequently and ate once every three days.

These practices later spread to ascetics in particular but also to monks in general.

Në jetën murgjërore, disa etër bënin agjërim tre-ditor të plotë, zakonisht,pa ushqim,ndonjëherë edhe pa ujë, sipas forcës,me lutje të vazhdueshme.

Ky agjërim bëhej: për pendim të madh,kur kishte tundime të forta,për të luftuar pasionet,për ndriçim shpirtëror.

6. Agjërimi tri ditor është imitimi i agjërimit të Krishtit në shkretëtirë .( Luka 4 1-2)

Etërit e Shenjtë thonë se agjërimi triditor sjell dobitë shpirtërore dhe trupore, kur bëhet me maturi dhe lutje.

Agjërimi tri ditor ndihmon njeriun të përkulet para Perëndisë, thyen krenarinë, e bën njeriun të ndiejë dobësinë e tij.

Njeriu kupton se pa Perëndinë nuk mund të jetojë dhe se pranon fjalët që Krishti i tha tunduesit : “Njeriu nuk jeton vetëm me bukë, por me çdo fjalë që del nga goja e Perëndisë.”( Luka 4-4)

Agjërimi ndimon të ndiejë mëkatet sepse ndimon shpirtitn të shohi dobësitë e tijë si një skaner nga që trupi dobësohet “hollohet” mishi dhe shfaqet më qartë shpirti .

Kështu njeriu shikon mëkatet , dobësitë , pasionet e fsheta , pendohet më mirë edhe përdor më mirë armët e Perëndisë që të luftojë mëkatet dhe të mposhti pasionet, si ai i epshit, zemërimit, përgojimit , mendimevetë liga, lakminë , kurnacërinë , etj.

Shën Simeoni Teologu i Ri thotë se:“ agjërimi i fortë është si një varr për pasionet”.

Tri ditëshi agjërues bën një zgjim shpirtëror, sepse ; “kur trupi dobësohet, shpirti zgjohet” na thonë etërit , ose:"Agjërimi është nëna e kthjelltësisë shpirtërore."

Etërit thonë se agjërimi i thellë, e qetëson zemrën( shpirtin), e pastron mendjen, ndihmon lutjen, sepse sipas përvojës asketike: “ Kur stomaku është i lehtë lutja bëhet më e thellë.”

Agjërimi tri ditor mëson, durim,vetëpërmbajtje, disiplinë asketike dhe njeriu bëhet më i fortë shpirtërisht.

Agjërimi tri ditor është një armë kundër demonëve, ashtu si Krishti tha:"Ky lloj nuk del veçse me lutje dhe agjërim." (Mateu 17:21)

Etërit thonë:"Agjërimi është armë kundër djallit."

Kur bëhet me kujdes , ai ndimon edhe shëndetin ,trupi çlodhet, stomaku pushon, organizmi pastrohet largohen toksinat,kolesteroli ulet, regullohen parametrat jetësor. Këto kostatime vijnë edhe nga studime shkencore .

Por Kisha thekson, se qëllimi kryesor i agjërimit dhe ai tri ditor në veçanti është shpirtëror dhe jo trupor, dmth nuk shikohet kurrë si djet apo terapi shëruese si autofagia .

Agjërimi tri ditor mund ta bëjë kushdo por duhet me bekimin e atit shpirtëror, sepse, është agjërim i fortë kërkon përgatitje shpirtërore.

Shën Paisi këshillonte që agjërimet e forta të bëhen me maturi, jo pa bekim .

Ai thoshte:"Agjërimi duhet të ndihmojë shpirtin dhe jo ta shkatërrojë trupin."

Asnjëherë nuk duhet të degradojë si një grevë urie , prandaj duhet të alternohet me lutje,lexim, pendim , heshtje .

"Agjërimi pa lutje është vetëm dietë.", na thotë Shën Gjon Gojëarti.

The three-day fast must be performed by entrusting ourselves to God with the blessing of our spiritual father, because if we trust ourselves, our character, our physique, this approach leads us towards pride and demonic passion, who as souls always fast but without benefit from fasting because they are fallen from pride.

This beneficial story is told to us from the life of the desert fathers.

The monk who fasted for three days!

A young brother went to a holy elder in the desert and said: “Father, I want to save my soul. What should I do?” The elder said to him: “Stay in your cell, pray and fast humbly.” The brother tried very hard. Once he decided to fast for three days, not eating anything, praying constantly. After three days he became very weak and went to the elder.

He said to him: "Father, I have fasted for three days without eating. What do you think of me?" The old man looked at him with love and said: "Son, if you fast for three days and think about it, you will lose the reward. But if you eat a little bread every day and do not judge anyone, you will be closer to God."

The brother was touched and asked, "So, what is greater than fasting?" The elder replied, "Humility. Because fasting without humility is like a body without a soul."

The three-day fast that begins Great Lent is good because it helps you make a strong start at the beginning of Lent by breaking away strongly from your previous carefree life and gluttony.

But be careful not to end our fast in a hunger strike, therefore fasting requires blessing, humility and repentance, forgiveness of the enemy, turning away from evil, sin and passion, along with compassion for our neighbor.

Otherwise, the three-day fast is of no value and should not even be undertaken, because God will not see or accept it, as we are told in Isaiah: "Why have we fasted, and you do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you do not regard it?" (Isaiah 58:3)

Fasting and light fasting. Amen.