MECC Associate Secretary General Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros in an Interview with the MECC Media

“The Apostles' Fast is a thanksgiving for the gift of the Holy Spirit, preparation for the Church service,

and participation in the communion of the Holy Trinity”

What Meanings Does this Fast Carry?

In a season marked by hope and devotion, the Church traditions observe the Apostles' Fast, which begins after Pentecost and continues until the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29 and the Commemoration of the Twelve Apostles on June 30.

But what is the significance of the Apostles' Fast? What spirituality does it embody? What meanings does it reflect?

Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros, President of the Saint Paul Institute for Philosophy and Theology in Harissa, Lebanon, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, and Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), answers these questions in a special interview with the MECC Media.

Firstly, Fr. Bustros clarifies that "fast in the life of the Church is always a fast of repentance, because people prepare themselves to receive an important event, thus preparing their soul and mindset for what is to come. This is why we have fasts preceding major Feasts, such as the Nativity Fast and the Fast preceding Easter, which we also call the Holy Great Lent."

Regarding the Apostles' Fast, Fr. Bustros explains that "we usually fast in order to prepare ourselves to reach a goal or await a particular event. However, we fast the Apostles' Fast because we have already been filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the beginning of the Dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Apostles' Fast appears as the spiritual commencement of the work of the Holy Spirit that began on the day of Pentecost."

He continues: " If the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost are a time of joy in the Resurrection, then the Apostles' Fast is the actual inauguration of the time of preaching and evangelization, for the Apostles set out from the event of Pentecost to preach."

In this context, Father Nicolas notes that the Apostles' Fast has three Theological meanings in the life of the Church.

First, it is a fast of thanksgiving for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We thank God because He has given us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Strengthener. Therefore, this fast is an act of Worship and an acknowledgment that God dwells in the Church. It is also a spiritual response to the abundance of divine gifts.

Second, it is a preparation for the Church service. When we read the Acts of the Apostles, we find that the Church fasted and prayed before sending Barnabas or Saul, for example, and before every apostolic mission. Thus, fasting and Prayer preceded every mission because Church work requires deep spiritual preparation, not merely human effort.

Third, this fast is connected to the Holy Trinity. Through fasting, the believer rises toward contemplating divine glory and follows in the footsteps of the Apostles. It also expresses faith in the Trinity.

Hence, Father Bustros concludes by saying that "the meanings of the Apostles' Fast can be summarized in three principal axes: thanksgiving for the gift of the Holy Spirit, preparation for the Church service, and participation in the communion of the Holy Trinity."

At the end, he says: "The Apostles' Fast is not merely a fast of repentance. It is also a fast of preparation and joy. Through it, we thank God because we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, and we fast to declare to Him that we are ready to carry the Good News of what He has bestowed upon us."