Crucea.ro

by Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)
Recently I happened to be in Bulgaria, and I heard there a story from the 18th century. One day some Turks came to a certain Bulgarian village. They took up residence with a large family of Bulgarians. It was Good Friday. For the Turks, the Bulgarians prepared the accustomed Turkish food, but the Orthodox family would not eat meat. “Why?” Those uneducated Bulgarian peasants couldn’t explain. They were only able to tell the Turks, “When they celebrate in Church the Resurrection of Christ and bless our decorated eggs, then we will eat meat.” This did not please the Turks. They tried to get the Bulgarians to eat meat under torture, but they refused. The men were killed the next day. Two of their wives were shut up in prison, where they were kept for a full ten years. After this time was up, the women were summoned again and ordered to eat meat during a fast. One woman broke and converted to Islam. The second woman refused. She remained a Christian, and they killed her.

What is the point here? Is it concern for ritual convention or is it a genuine relationship with God? From the point of view of some people (not only atheists but also some educated Christians), this is the irrational zeal of the semi-literate, not understanding the true values behind human life. For others, this is the podvig* of true Christians, not denying Christ or their Faith even under torture. Because the question here, or course, is not about meat.

* podvig: a feat or deed of courage, of asceticism, of Faith.

Source: pravoslavie.ru