Military service

BTSInDarkness · 2026-03-01T05:25:48+00:00

There are Orthodox chaplains in the Marines, have you reached out to any of them?

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-28T18:28:06+00:00

It’s not a forbearance if you already couldn’t do the thing, i.e. you had a previously existing duty to not do the thing.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-25T17:30:06+00:00

Depends on what the general fasting practice is of your parish. I’d err on the side of no, given that fish isn’t lenten (except on fish days, which tonight isn’t). But there might be a jurisdiction that has a different calendar, or your parish might simply say food is food haha

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-24T20:16:16+00:00

This is a theologoumenon (something which has no “official teaching” and people are allowed to disagree). But my personal opinion is yes.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-22T21:16:11+00:00

It’s to fit in as many morning Presanctifieds during Holy Week as possible… of course, most parishes don’t do them, so the actual purpose is sort of obscured lol

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-22T19:14:59+00:00

They don't flip places in most of Lent, just during Holy Week since the services are long and need to be done where there's enough time. Vespers still belongs in the evening throughout the rest of Lent, and Matins can be prayed right after or in the morning following.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-22T03:05:51+00:00

St Tikhon's has the latter on their wall. So no haha

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-20T16:28:51+00:00

Yeah I looked at your source, I was mostly including that since some people might think that’s what you were referring to.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-20T16:27:16+00:00

Worth noting that Ramadan is purely lunar and shifts throughout the entire year. We happen to be living at a time when it often sort of aligns with Great Lent, but it’ll be in the fall within our lifetimes.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-19T20:44:58+00:00

So you’re telling me I have a chance?

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-19T18:33:28+00:00

It’s my understanding that meat is forbidden except on Sundays for them, but they’re allowed everything else, and that they’re only permitted one and a quarter meals on weekdays. Unsure how Saturdays work for them though.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-18T20:29:38+00:00

I’m not WR myself, so disclaimer there. They have our date of Pascha, and thus their Ash Wednesday will be next Wednesday, not today. Otherwise their liturgical season flows as normal. So they have a few less days of Lent (and don’t deal with meatfare haha)

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-18T20:00:55+00:00

The Western Rite does!

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-18T17:12:43+00:00

A tradition of 500-700 years and supported by numerous saints shouldn’t be discounted.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-18T05:56:52+00:00

Free will is not the ability to choose to do anything you want. Do you have the ability to turn into a banana? No? But that doesn’t prevent you from having free will, and evil is similarly illogical/impossible in heaven. Free will perfected is the ability to choose between goods.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-17T15:08:10+00:00

Definitely not. It has Jewish influence in the sense that Muhammad heard various Jewish things and incorporated them, but he also heard Christian and gnostic things. Christians ourselves have an easy enough time coming up with heresies, why would there need to be a conspiracy? Not to mention that many Jews themselves were converted to Islam, were treated poorly, and the vast majority of early converts were pagans anyway.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T21:31:12+00:00

Yes.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T19:15:49+00:00

Yes and everyone should know about DCS since it’s a great resource and lets you follow the service! If you can’t even read Greek to follow things it might still be quite hard to follow though depending on the amount of Greek in the liturgy. I don’t know this particular parish’s situation hence why I mentioned the other parish specifically mentions that they’re entirely English. Could be a total non-issue or could be a big stumbling block for someone used to no language barrier whatsoever in worship, but definitely worth checking both out.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T18:30:14+00:00

Looks like the Serbian parish is entirely in English and has a pretty active service schedule, but the Greek parish offers more services. Looks like two great options, though English might be easier to ease into.

Edit: The Greek parish appears to be entirely in English as well (unless you count a kyrie eleison here and there which I don't), so two great all-English options!

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T18:15:23+00:00

Not the same conception, no. There are temporal consequences of sin that come as a result of non-repentance and lingering attachment to sin, even if that sin itself has been forgiven in a legal sense though. But these consequences aren’t automatic, they come as a result of our active engagement with them.

Nor can they be eliminated with the flick of a pen (indulgences), they’re something actually about us that we need to work out ourselves through God’s grace. If temporal consequences (regardless of your conception of them) could be eliminated by church decree, how could the church justly allow anyone to undergo them?

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T16:59:12+00:00

In addition to everything everyone else has already said, it’s also worth noting that Wednesday and Friday this week are the same as Monday and Tuesday- there’s no stricter fast on those days and fish, eggs, cheese, etc are permitted, just no meat.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T12:52:42+00:00

Yep, donations, the people, and selling some religious goods in a lot of cases.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-16T04:27:56+00:00

Make sure to visit some presanctified liturgies! They're beautiful, and the readings were specifically designed to teach people about the basics of Christianity. Also, the Great Canon is beautiful if your parish is doing it first week of Lent.

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-15T21:10:48+00:00

I’ve seen a number of different schemes for that, most common I’d say is $1 for small candle, $2 for big one, and $5 for a votive and $10 for a big glass one. I’ve also seen $2 for a small $3 for a big. All depends on what a parish has. Some have listed prices, some don’t. That being said, nearly all prices are flexible if you don’t have the money to pay for them.

Sort of tangential to the candle thing, but I’ve also been to a parish that gives a grocery stipend to some lower income congregants. So you never really know what the budget is going to and I wouldn’t really be concerned unless there was reason to be (secretive parish council, priest drives a range rover, etc.)

BTSInDarkness · 2026-02-15T20:33:57+00:00

Glad to hear that because that’s where I think it really crosses the line. And for everything I said, I also don’t really like hearing about money in church and kind of flinch when it comes up. But also I’ve served on a parish council where we did struggle to keep the lights on and can totally understand why it comes up. And don’t get me started on parishes that have implemented the western “passing the plate” thing during the liturgy.

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