Great article. Good afternoon from the Ukraine War. Many of us Orthodox Christians state that ours is not a religion but a way of life. I think that is what separates us greatly from Western Christianity. We are taught to live according to the church calendar even if we live and work in the world. This is not always easy to accomplish but my wife and I find that our lives go by the Orthodox year more than the secular one. Secular time is just how we measure work and secular holidays but is our other calendar that matter. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Nativity Fast so tonight we chose our diet based on that and for the next 40 days, we will live and adhere to the Orthodox Fast rules to the best of our ability. Now stop for a second and think about it. If you deny yourself for 40 days prior to Christmas dinner, can you even imagine how much more enjoyable (and meaningful) that dinner is? NOTE: Nowhere does the Orthodox Church say that you MUST Fast. That's a choice hence the complete utilization of free will. We do it because it brings meaning to our faith and purpose but it has nothing to do with our salvation. Fasting merely gives you discipline to defeat the enemy.