By Fr. Andrew Konanos
Whoever dislikes,
hates,
condemns,
criticizes,
slanders,
maligns,
is cruel,
speaks lies with the mouth and with one's life,
should never commune,
even if they fast the entire year without oil.
Everyone else, can.
Even if sometimes they eat on the eve...
kokoretsi!
This is what I said to a manager of a monastic guesthouse,
an Athonite elder,
who even applied it to a pilgrim.
He allowed him to commune,
while on the eve he had eaten in Thessaloniki
beef burgers
with tzatziki, french fries
and pies.
Plus half a kilo of retsina.
Hold the spirit,
and the sore points of this matter,
and do not get stuck on the "tragedy" of ... burgers.
Fasting is holy and most holy,
but love, unity,
compassion and forgiveness
are thrice-more-all-holy.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.