The Nativity Fast: The “Advent” of the East, by F. Andrew Wolf, Jr.

By F. Andrew Wolf, Jr., Crisis Magazine, Dec. 11, 2024

F. Andrew Wolf, Jr. is the Director of The Fulcrum Institute, a new organization of current and former scholars in the Humanities, Foreign Affairs and Philosophy dedicated to the classical liberal tradition in America. Fulcrum focuses on the foreign policy of the BRICS+ and relationships between China, Russia and India in their engagement with US economic and foreign policy initiatives.

For the Eastern faithful, this is a season of repentance. It’s a period of solemn reflection on the Incarnation—the second person of the Trinity.

’Tis the season, indeed—one of hope and anticipation—Advent is upon us. And much like the West, Eastern Churches remember Christ’s birth through prayer and opening oneself to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Although referred to as Advent (Latin: “coming, arrival”) in the West, among Eastern Catholics, the season is known as the Nativity Fast.

To be fair, the term Advent, actually, does not well accommodate the Eastern rites. The latter do not share all the themes of Latin Advent, and it retains a vigorous fasting component which may be observed voluntarily, partially, or totally. …