Summer Harvest, Dormition Fast, & A Prayer
Fasting, Feasting, Bible Study, & Late Summer Updates w/ Barrel Aged Faith
Dear Friends,
I thought I would share one of my favorite prayers with you as well as few updates about Barrel Aged Faith!
Prayer of St. Dimitri of Rostov
Open, O doors and bolts of my heart, that Christ the King of Glory may enter!
Enter, O my Light, and enlighten my darkness;
Enter, O my Life, and resurrect my deadness;
Enter, O my Physician, and heal my wounds;
Enter, O Divine Fire, and burn up the thorns of my sins;
Ignite my inward parts and my heart with the flame of Thy love;
Enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin;
Sit on the throne of my heart and alone reign in me, O Thou, my King and Lord!
Dormition Fast
The Dormition fast is quickly coming upon us as we remember the passing of the Theotokos, the Blessed Virgin Mary, into Heaven. It last for two weeks from August 1st until the Feast of the Dormition on August 15th, and is one of the 4 major fasts throughout the year (Native/Advent, Lent, Apostles, Dormition)
St. John Damascene writes, ““Your stainless and wholly immaculate body has not been left on earth; the Queen, the Mistress, the Mother of God who has truly given birth to God has been translated to the royal palaces of heaven.” (Dormition Homilies)
This fast is also more restrictive and is much closer to Lent. A strict fast is followed on most of the days (no meat, dairy, wine, etc.), with the exceptions of fish on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6).
So what are you supposed to eat while praying and fasting?! This is where the summer harvest comes in.
Summer Harvest
Typically, the tomato harvest is coming in abundantly when the Dormition Fast arrives, which is why I generally eat a good, old fashion tomato sandwich with vegan mayo everyday. Our family also enjoys fresh cucumber sandwiches with dill. I’ve also been known to cook up some okra in the skillet with some fried green tomatoes and summer squash. There is also plenty of fresh, sweet corn and if you are fortunate, someone may give you a bag of delightful peaches. Although we are not focused on our ‘feasting’ during this fast, our families still must eat together and so each fasting season is generally accompanied by unique recipes that I look forward to each year. These ‘fasting’ recipes are by far the freshest!
Bible Study Course in Ephesians (James Coming Up!)
Also, if you are paid subscriber, do not forget to participate in our Bible study through the Book of Ephesians. Due to Seraphim moving around, we had to take a short break, but we are jumping back in to finish the book and then transition to James. See link below!
📖 Ephesians Course w/ Seraphim Hamilton!
Welcome to our course on the Book of Ephesians with Seraphim Hamilton! The goal of this series to equip students to read St. Paul’s letter and other books of the Bible chapter by chapter with the mind of the church fathers. The introduction to this series is free, but the rest of the episodes are for paid subscribers (
Traveling To Film
Also, keep me in your prayers as I go on the road more to conduct close up interviews with Orthodox priests, authors, artists, and scholars. I have already done a few and have more scheduled. Part 1 of these interviews will generally be for free, but Part 2 will be exclusive content for paid subscribers.
If you want the BAF to continue its work, please consider becoming a monthly paid subscriber (only $5 a month!) While this is the most popular option, some people give more while others give a one time gift, but the most important gift you can give is prayer and encouragement (so leave an encouraging comment below if you have the time!)
Upcoming Podcasts
BAF will also be launching more podcasts where I team up with another host. I cannot share much about them now, but I believe that many of you will enjoy them as we zero in much more on specific topics and themes.
Again, thank you all for prayers! You may find some of my recent videos below,
In XC,
Cassian (Kyle) King