Today Marks the First Fast Day After Easter—And This Is Where Many Lose Everything They Gained During Lent

Orthodox Christians resume midweek fasts after Easter's Bright Week

Think you can finally relax? Think again.

There was no fasting during Bright Week—why? Because Bright Week is one continuous Easter celebration: joy, feasting, and the triumphant cry of "Christ is risen!" But now the fast returns—on Wednesday and Friday. And this is no mere formality. Skip it this week, and soon you'll stop fasting altogether. Before you know it, you'll forget Lent ever existed.

Why Wednesday and Friday? On Wednesday, Judas betrays Christ. On Friday, our Lord is crucified. Elder Paisios of Mount Athos once said: "We relive Holy Week every week, and we celebrate Pascha every Sunday at the Liturgy." That is the life of the Church: Golgotha and the Resurrection unfold anew each week.

Fasting isn't just about food—it's about obedience. Adam wasn't cast out of Paradise for eating, but for disobeying God's command. The entire Church fasts. How can you separate yourself from it and still call yourself Orthodox?

St. Athanasius put it even more starkly: Whoever does not fast on Wednesday betrays the Lord with Judas; whoever does not fast on Friday is as if they themselves nail Christ to the cross. Harsh? Absolutely. But sometimes the soul needs a jolt.

There's a story you won't forget. An elderly woman, poor her whole life, faithfully kept the Wednesday and Friday fasts. Her only possession of value was a cow. In her old age, she sold it and was walking home with the money when she stopped in a neighboring village. The villagers learned she had cash and plotted to kill her that night to steal it. At midnight, as they were about to strike, there came a sudden knock at the window. Two strong young men stood outside and demanded: "Let the old woman go." Terrified, the villagers released her. Realizing she'd been saved, she fell to her knees: "My dear boys, what are your names? I will pray for you!" One replied, "My name is Friday." The other said, "My name is Wednesday." The Lord had sent His angels.

That's why you must never neglect even the smallest fast. God sees your faithfulness. But remember: fasting is not starvation. St. Seraphim of Sarov warned that demons are the world's greatest fasters—they neither eat nor drink, yet they seethe with hatred. An empty stomach does not make a saint.

Fasting doesn't begin on the plate—it is tested in the heart. No judgment, no anger, only humility, more prayer, and purity of soul. To stand lighter before God. And it's easier to be light when your belly isn't weighed down.

Today is the first fast day after Easter. Friday will follow. And these days will reveal what remains in us after the feast—not just kulich in our stomachs, but fidelity to Christ in our hearts.