The Unique Three Day Fast – 2024 I Rigorous, Unique Symbolic Traditional | Jan 22 to Jan 24

Nineveh Lent is close at hand, starting from Monday January 22 (to be exact from the evening of 21st January). The three-day lent though the smallest of the five canonical lent, is one of the Rigorous, Unique Symbolic and Traditionally observed, fasts of the Orthodox Churches, commemorating the three days of fasting that Prophet Jonah undertook inside the fish, a symbolical parallel and prophecy of the three days that Christ spent in the tomb, signifying His Death, Burial and Resurrection. These are days the Church is preparing to start Jonah’s Fast or the Fast of Nineveh. Jonah’s fast is known to be the fast of repentance, restitution, renewal and return to God. 

The fast is unique in; its significance, its symbolism, its duration and its positioning in the liturgical sequence. It is set just weeks after Epiphany and 18 days before Great Lent; thus a precursor and forerunner to Great Lent. These 18 days before the Great Lent, is a time to prepare to fight the Great War, a time to equip and arm ourselves to defeat the great devil and his forces, as preclude to the Great Lent.

This unique and smallest canonical lent of the Holy Church, is the only one based on an event of the Old Testament, and that too, on one of the short books of the Old Testament, the Book of Jonah, and the only one observed by the gentiles population of Nineveh and not Jews. Indeed, this book also portrays a unique instance of the universality of God’s love, in the Old Testament. It pictures, an exceptional example of God’s compassion and concern, extended to all people.

Traditionally the faithful rigorously refrain from food and drink for three consecutive days, from Monday till Wednesday! It is a time of intense prayer, fasting and meditations. Some observe the fast by refraining from food and drink from morning till sunset during the three days. The church enjoins you to at least refrain from meat, fish, dairy products and all worldly entertainment during the period of fasting. Maintain silence (mauna vretham) so as to hear God’s voice. “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46: 10).

The faithful are urged to go to Church after this fast and receive the Holy Qurbana (Holy Eucharist). St. Paul advises the Ephesians to ‘Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil’ (Eph. 6: 11). The Armour Jesus had given us to conquer the devil is the LENT. I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me” (Jonah 2: 2). Jonah was swallowed whole by the big fish, he cried out to the LORD and Jonah was delivered. Let us bury all our physical pleasantness. Let us throw ourselves into the depth of the tempest tossed sufferings, during these days and cry out to the LORD. When we call upon God after cleansing from our sins, correcting our iniquities and taking firm decision never to repeat them, God will answer “Behold! Here I am”. (Is. 58: 9). “

May God give us strength and enthusiasm to observe this Fast, so as to prepare ourselves for the Great Lent.