He and his brother Chad (Mar. 2) were from an English family, educated under Saint Aidan (Aug. 31) of Lindisfarne. Both brothers entered monastic life at Lindisfarne and later became bishops. Cedd travelled as an evangelist among the people of Essex, where Saint Finan (Feb. 17) consecrated him to be their first bishop. He founded two monasteries in Essex, one of whose churches still stands; he built yet another monastery at Lastingham in Yorkshire, where he lived until his repose. He spoke both Irish and Anglo-Saxon, and served as a translator for the Irish at the Synod of Whitby in 664. He reposed at Lastingham not long after the Synod.

He and his brother Chad (Mar. 2) were from an English family, educated under Saint Aidan (Aug. 31) of Lindisfarne. Both brothers entered monastic life at Lindisfarne and later became bishops. Cedd travelled as an evangelist among the people of Essex, where Saint Finan (Feb. 17) consecrated him to be their first bishop. He founded two monasteries in Essex, one of whose churches still stands; he built yet another monastery at Lastingham in Yorkshire, where he lived until his repose. He spoke both Irish and Anglo-Saxon, and served as a translator for the Irish at the Synod of Whitby in 664. He reposed at Lastingham not long after the Synod.

Rita looks at proper seasonal fasting, as well as some strategies for practicing this discipline when we are in the world.

After a long seasonal fast, one will be tempted to overeat. What can we do to prevent overeating and properly enjoy the foods of the season? Rita has a few suggestions.

When a fast is just around the corner, the fridge gets stocked with non-dairy creamer and margarine. Rita explains how these foods sabotage the very essence of fasting and are detrimental to health.

Rita explains that feeling hunger can benefit both our physical and spiritual wellbeing. She also discusses a few oil-free meal ideas.

The Holy Apostle’s fast is upon us. Fasting is not legalistic; rather, it is a medicine we choose to take to deepen our communion with God. Rita focuses on approaching the fast from a willing heart. She also discusses how joyful fasting can lead to health benefits.

We all must embrace fasting with a willing heart. In addition, we need to nourish our bodies during the fast. Rita provides information about the nutritional value of various fasting foods, whether for children or adults. 

Fasting should not be legalistic, and it involves way more than just food. Rita explains the various ways in which we can help our children understand and practice all the aspects of a fasting period.

Many of us have family and friends who are not Orthodox. What do we do when company is in our home during a fasting day or period? Rita gives suggestions for showing the gift of hospitality and still keeping the fast. 

What do you do when you are the only one in your home who is fasting? You have become Orthodox and your spouse has not, or you live with people who simply do not fast. What are some strategies for you to keep the fast? Rita offers some suggestions.

Rita introduces her new book Food, Faith, and Fasting: A Sacred Journey to Better Health, published by Ancient Faith Publishing.

Rita Madden shares the latest research regarding the way fasting helps our bodies to function properly, even as we keep our focus on prayer during Great Lent.

In this podcast, Rita discusses how fasting can actually lead to healthier food choices. She will also look at a 16-hour fasting approach and it's benefits to care for our body and soul alike.

Rita provides good insights into how we can keep the fast of Great Lent, and encourages us to stay connected to others who can help us be accountable and on the right path.

With fasting being such a buzz diet, craze right now, Rita Madden helps us to gain some perspective through the teachings of St. Issac the Syrian.

In this episode, Krista Fedorchak, the new co-host of Food, Faith and Fasting, unpacks the differences between the fasting mindset and the dieting mindset, so we can better understand and approach this ancient Christian Discipline within the context of our current society's understanding of dieting.

Feasting is not the opposite of fasting, but a most joyful application of the fruits of our Lenten spiritual efforts! Take what you have cultivated during the fast, and feast with joy by following these 5 tips.

Tim explains how to fast while in college and shares a number of easy fasting recipes. See the PDF below for the recipes discussed in today's show.

Today, we continue our Lenten programming with tips on how to survive the Fast if you live on campus.

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about how to explain fasting.

What role do our thoughts play in being the people God wants us to be? Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne give some practical advise on controlling our thoughts and submitting them to Christ.

Continuing the theme during Great Lent, Fr. Nick and Dr. Roxanne talk about our deeds and unhealthy patterns of living. Several calls and a busy chatroom make this a great episode to listen to!

Melissa Naasko is the author of Fasting as a Family and she is the guest tonight of Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh.

You might not be a Jedi in the Fast, but you may be speaking Wookiee and not even know it! The struggling faster Fr. Joseph calls in the big lightsabers for help: The Mamas & the Papas, The Boss, John Williams, Mississippi John Hurt, Scarlett O'Hara, and Chewbacca.

Today Fr. Joseph answers the questions sent in by listeners on the subject of fasting.

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourself, it’s almost that time; time to cue your favorite theme song for the upcoming Lenten Fast! Perhaps the theme song from Star Wars? Or maybe we could sing a fasting song, during this election year, to the tune of "Hail to the Chief?" Then again, there’s always the Beverly Hillbillies ...

How do you make fasting a beautiful and natural part of your home?

It is frightening to be held up by God. It is frightening to look into the abyss of our own darkness and sin. It is frightening and it is glorious. Or at least it can be glorious, once you learn to relax in God’s embrace, once you learn to trust the One who has held you from the your mother’s womb, the One whose love never fails. Once you learn to trust, then it can be glorious, then you can see not only your sin, but also the amazing and glorious works of God despite your sin.

I feel a little crazy sometimes, like an idiot—not a godly, holy idiot, just a plain, old-fashioned idiot: the kind that boasts of humility and speaks about the virtue of silence.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to enter the fast of Great Lent in order to find the fulfillment of our deep desires in God!

If we want to approach Lent in a spiritually healthy way that will enable us to participate already in life eternal, we too must offer up ourselves.

We must never think that the vocation to holiness is reserved exclusively for some people, perhaps the clergy, the monastics, or only the great saints.

As we continue to celebrate Theophany in a world that remains in “the region and shadow of death,” let us focus mindfully on living each day as those who have died to sin and risen with our Lord to a life of holiness. That is how we may wear a garment of light and become living epiphanies of the salvation of the world.

During Great Lent, we will follow the path that leads back to Paradise.

Through the many struggles of this season of Lent, we all have the opportunity to grow in the faith necessary to entrust ourselves more fully to Christ.

The spiritual disciplines of the Apostles Fast provide us all with opportunities to clarify our spiritual vision and gain the strength to see all the blessings of this life as gifts to be offered to God.

Today we conclude our commemoration of the Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, when the spiritual eyes of Peter, James, and John were opened to behold His divine glory and they heard the voice of the Father say, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mk. 9:7)

It is worth asking what we want to achieve by practicing our faith. Why do we come to church, pray, fast, give to the needy, forgive our enemies, confess our sins, and otherwise struggle to reorient our lives toward God? Perhaps we do these things because we want to put God in our debt so that He will do our will. Maybe we want to become socially respectable, making ourselves look virtuous in our own eyes and in those of our neighbors. It could also be the case that we want to distinguish ourselves from our neighbors, especially those we do not like, presenting ourselves as more pious and moral than we think they are. Of course, these are all distortions of true Christian faith, but the real test of our faith is not simply in what we generally want from religion, but especially in how we relate to the Lord when we face deep challenges that break our hearts and threaten to lead us into despair.

Consider how the prophet Isaiah and the sage ben Sirach help us to understand more about the gospel’s teaching on forgiveness, and St. Paul’s words on living the attentive life of ascesis. Why should we ask forgiveness of those whom we think we haven’t even hurt—because our sins hurt everyone in the body of Christ!

Fr. Ted speaks of the danger in placing too much emphasis on miracles.

Fr. Ted urges encourages us to stay the course, as the feast of Pascha draws near.

Fr. Ted calls us to put to use one of the most powerful tools that we have in fighting the passions—fasting!

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos encourages all of us to participate as fully as we can in the Nativity Fast as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ, saving our feasting for after our fasting.

It can seem sometimes that if we are not fasting, we are preparing to fast in the Orthodox Church. In part 1, Dn. Michael helps understand why we fast.

Dn. Michael continues his study on fasting in an age of self-gratification and excess.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the history and importance of fasting.

Fr. Apostolos Hill challenges us with reflections on the Gospel reading of St. Peter's impetuous faith on the Sea of Galilee.