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for weeks, night and day, testifying to you the Gospel of the grace of God we did not cease, yet there was no benefit. On what hopes should we converse, you licentious women who have forgotten the fear of God, having despised the eternal fire, on such a day, when it was necessary for you to sit in your houses for the remembrance of the resurrection. From Chrysostom, from the Discourse Towards the End of the Fast. Forty days, then, have passed; if, therefore, the holy Pascha passes, I will forgive no one henceforth, nor will I offer exhortation. From Saint Anastasius, patriarch of Constantinople, from the Encyclical. We celebrate, however, the holy Pascha of the eleventh Indiction with God; according to the Egyptians, on the twenty-fifth of the month of Pharmouthi; but according to the Romans, on the twentieth of the month of April, twelve days before the kalends of May; beginning the fast of the seven weeks from the second day itself, according to the Egyptians, on the eighth of the month of Phanemoth; but according to the Romans, on the third of March. From Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, from To the Monks. Keep the Forty Days of the holy Church and the week of holy Pascha with close observance. 95.76 From John, bishop of Athens. So that through the revered seven-day period of fasts we might expect a passage both safe and unfalling. For the week, ever turning and concurring, and as if rolling and revolving from the same point around the same sign, completes for us the seven-day age. From Saint Anastasius, patriarch of Theopolis, that is, Antioch of Syria. Come now, let us consider for what reason the forty-day fast is observed in seven weeks. In no way departing from being a forty-day fast, but also taking on another mystical elegance; for the number seven has appeared perfect and all-holy, and it has rather graced the days of our sacred contests, being accomplished seven times through the seven weeks. From Saint Peter, patriarch of Jerusalem. Having most opportunely remembered the fast, we might also say those things to you, that by the grace of God, we will begin the customary fast of the seven weeks from the seventh of the month of February, celebrating the festival of the saving Passion and of the Resurrection of Christ on the twenty-seventh of the so-called month of March. A proof that all the heretics speak of eight weeks of the holy fasts, talking nonsense thus. Usages of Severus the Acephalus and heresiarch, and a Hellene, who became archbishop of Antioch of Syria, from his enthronement orations, on the Forty-day fast; it was spoken on the Friday before it, in the Church of Cassian; of which the beginning is: It is a law also in bodily wrestlings; and in the middle of the oration: «For those who purify the five senses, through which sin gains entry—hearing, I say, and sight, and touch, and taste, and smell—eight times, fast for forty days, so that they may attain that blessed day, the eighth and first. For the number five, being multiplied eight times, completes the number of forty days.» From the same, from the book of the various chapters noted by his own hand; this is the second note. That it is necessary to fast the forty days without omission; which are gathered from the eight weeks; with the two days of each week, I mean Saturday and Sunday, being allotted to rest; so that from this it is clear that one must not fast on Saturday and Sunday, not even during the holy Forty-day fast. 95.77 From the accursed and God-hated Benjamin, who became a false bishop of Alexandria of Egypt, being of the most wicked pair of Dioscorus and Severus, from the fourth book of his festival orations, in the thirtieth false-festival oration, of which the beginning is: «Bright and admirable.»

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ἑβδομάδων νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας διαμαρτυρόμενοι ὑμῖν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἐπαυσάμεθα, οὐδὲν γέγονεν ὄφελος. Ἐπὶ ποίαις ἐλπίσι διαλεχθῶμεν, γυναῖκες ἀκόλαστοι ἐπιλαθόμεναι τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ πυρὸς αἰωνίου καταφρονήσασαι, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοιαύτῃ, ὅτε αὐτὰς ἐχρῆν διὰ τὴν ἀνάμνησιν τῆς ἀναστάσεως καθῆσθαι ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις. Τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου, ἐκ τοῦ Πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς νηστείας λόγου. Τεσσαράκοντα λοιπὸν ἡμέραι παρῆλθον· ἐὰν τοίνυν παρέλθῃ τὸ Πάσχα τὸ ἱερὸν, οὐδενὶ συγγνώσομαι λοιπὸν, οὐδὲ παραίνεσιν προσάξω. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀναστασίου πατριάρχου, Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, ἐκ τῆς Ἐγκυκλίου. Τὸ μέντοι ἅγιον Πάσχα τῆς ἑνδεκάτης Ἰνδικτίωνος σὺν Θεῷ ἐπιτελοῦμεν· κατὰ μὲν Αἰγυπτίους, μηνὸς Φαρμουθὶ εἰκάδι πέμπτῃ· κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίους, μηνὸς Ἀπριλλίου εἰκάδι, πρὸ δεκαδύο καλανδῶν Μαΐων· ἀρχόμενοι τῆς νηστείας τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδων ἐξ αὐτῆς δευτέρας ἡμέρας, κατὰ μὲν Αἰγυπτίους, ὀγδόῃ τοῦ Φανεμὼθ μηνός· κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαΐους Μαρτίου τρίτῃ. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἐπιφανίου Κύπρου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς Μοναχούς. Τὴν Τεσσαρακοστὴν τῆς ἁγίας Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὴν ἑβδομάδα τοῦ ἁγίου Πάσχα παρατετηρημένως φυλάττετε. 95.76 Ἰωάννου ἐπισκόπου Ἀθηνῶν. Ἵνα διὰ τῆς σεπτῆς ἑπτάδος τῶν νηστειῶν ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ ἀκατάπτωτον τὴν διέξοδον ὑποπτεύσωμεν. Ἡ ἑβδομὰς γὰρ ἀεὶ στρεφομένη τε καὶ συννεύουσα, καὶ οἷον ἐκ τ' αὐτοῦ περὶ ταυτὸ σημεῖον εἰλουμένη καὶ περιπολίζουσα, τὸν ἑβδοματικὸν ἡμῖν αἰῶνα συμπερατοῖ. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀναστασίου πατριάρχου Θεουπόλεως, ἤγουν Ἀντιοχείας Συρίας. ∆εῦρο δὴ κατανοήσωμεν, ὅτου χάριν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάσιν ἡ τεσσαρακονθήμερος τελεῖται νηστεία. Οὐδαμῶς μὲν ἐξισταμένη τοῦ εἶναι Τεσσαρακοστὴ, προσλαμβάνουσα δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν μυστικὴν ἀστειότητα· ἄρτιος μὲν γὰρ, καὶ πανίερος διαπέφηνεν ὁ ἑπτὰ ἀριθμὸς, καὶ μᾶλλον κεχαρίτωκε τῶν ἱερῶν ἡμῖν ἀγώνων τὰς ἡμέρας, ἑπτάκις διὰ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδων τελούμενος. Τοῦ ἁγίου Πέτρου πατριάρχου Ἱεροσολύμων. Νηστείας δὲ ἐπιμνησθέντες εὐκαιρότατα, κἀκεῖνα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἴποιμεν ἂν, ὡς Θεοῦ χάριτι, τῆς νενομισμένης ἀπαρξώμεθα νηστείας, τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδων, ἀπὸ τῆς ἑβδόμης τοῦ Φεβρουαρίου μηνὸς, τὴν τοῦ σωτηρίου Πάθους, καὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ Ἀναστάσεως ἐπιτελοῦντες πανήγυριν, τῇ εἰκάδι ἑβδόμῃ τοῦ λεγομένου Μαρτίου μηνός. Ἀπόδειξις, ὅτι ὀκτὼ λέγουσιν ἑβδομάδας τῶν ἁγίων οἱ αἱρετικοὶ πάντες νηστειῶν, ληροῦντες οὕτως. Χρήσεις Σευήρου τοῦ Ἀκεφάλου καὶ αἱρεσιάρχου, καὶ Ἕλληνος, γενομένου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας τῆς Συρίας, ἐκ τῶν ἐνθρονιαστικῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων, εἰς τὴν τῶν νηστειῶν Τεσσαρακοστήν· ἐλέχθη δὲ τῇ πρὸ αὐτῆς Παρασκευῇ, ἐν τῇ Κασιανοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ· οὗ ἡ ἀρχή· Νόμος ἐστὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σωματικῶν παλαισμάτων· καὶ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τοῦ λόγου· «Οἱ γὰρ τὰς πέντε αἰσθήσεις, δι' ὧν ἡ ἁμαρτία λαμβάνει παρείσδυσιν· ἀκοὴν, φημὶ, καὶ ὅρασιν, καὶ ἁφὴν, καὶ γεῦσιν καὶ ὄσφρησιν· ὀκτάκις καθαίροντες, τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας νηστεύουσιν, ἵνα τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης ἡμέρας τύχωσι τῆς ὀγδόης καὶ πρώτης. Ὁ γὰρ πέντε ἀριθμὸς ὀκτάκις ἐνελιττόμενος, τὸν τῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐκτελεῖ.» Τοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῶν ὑποσημειωθέντων ἰδιοχείρως διαφόρων κεφαλαίων· ὑποσημείωσις δευτέρα ἐστὶν αὕτη. Ὅτι δεῖ τὰς τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας ἀπαραλείπτως νηστεύειν· αἵ τινες ἐκ τῶν ὀκτὼ ἑβδομάδων συνάγονται· ἑκάστης ἑβδομάδος τῶν δύο ἡμερῶν, λέγω δὴ Σαββάτου καὶ Κυριακῆς, τῇ ἀναπαύσει προσκεκληρωμένων· ὡς ἐντεῦθεν εἶναι δῆλον, ὅτιπερ οὐ χρὴ ἐν Σαββάτῳ καὶ Κυριακῇ νηστεύειν, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τῶν νηστειῶν Τεσσαρακοστῆ. 95.77 Τοῦ καταράτου καὶ θεοστυγοῦς Βενιαμὶν, γενομένου ψευδεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας Αἰγύπτου, τῆς κακίστης συνωρίδος τυγχάνοντος ∆ιοσκόρου καὶ Σευήρου, ἐκ τοῦ τετάρτου βιβλίου τῶν ἑορταστικῶν αὐτοῦ, ψευδεορταστικῇ τριακοστῇ, ἧς ἡ ἀρχή· «Φαιδρὰ καὶ ἀξιάγαστος.»