FASTING
Definition
Bodily- Abstinence from food for a period of time, followed by eating non animal food
Without abstinence, we are then just eating as vegetarians, and not truly fasting. The period of time depends on: spiritual life, age, work, health …
The appropriate period should be determined by your father of confession.
Spiritual- Gain self control over the body/world and let the Spirit take over.
“Sanctify ye a fast” (Joel 1:14). Consecrate it for the Lord, withdraw from other activities and draw near to Him.
False Fasting
This may come, as a surprise but not all kinds of fasting are acceptable to God.
1)fasting for praise (Matt 6:16-18)
2)fasting for pride (Luke 18:9-14)
3)wrong aim (to lose weight, to do a hunger strike…)
4)fasting while leading an evil life (i.e. without repentance)
5)show no mercy and no charity (“Blessed are those who have mercy, who give to the poor and fast and pray”
Acceptable
Acceptable Fasting is from the heart, thought and will. It must change something inside us.
The wisdom behind fasting is having your will succeed in controlling food, it will submit itself to God in everything. It will want nothing but what God wants.
How to fast?
1)asceticism: don’t care about food and your body
2)don’t eat greedily: if we stuff ourselves after the period of abstinence, then we destroyed what we built. This should be carried forth in non-fasting times as well, especially in the 50 days, where there is no fasting at all. Otherwise, all that we gain from the Great Lent may be destroyed in those times.
3)don’t rush into eating right away. Delay it, even for a minute, and lift your heart to God.
4) hunger: this is a blessing if we take advantage of it. It is very difficult to be effective on a full stomach, but on the other hand, when you eat light foods and eat light, the body is light and wakeful, instead of full & tired.
Control over our cravings is important, even if the food is fasting food. Monks used to spoil their food before eating it so that they wouldn’t enjoy it. This, of course, is a very high level. For us we can practice a)avoiding the fasting foods that we love or b)eating less of it.
Goal
Why do we fast? Is it because the church fasts, our families fast, our friends fast? Fine, you are doing it out of obedience, but where is the love?
Our goal is to, through the blessings of the fasts, to draw near to God. Remember, withdraw from food (world) and cling to God.
Lent
The most holy of the fasts, and the most holy time of the year, is the Great Lent, especially Passion Week. This is probably our source of energy for the whole year.
Questions?
Are we indifferent in this fast?
Have we seen positive changes in our lives after this fast?
Have we been benefiting from each fast year after year, fast after fast?
There are many things that the church has set for our benefits. There are daily readings & masses. Special rites and chants that can move our hearts.
We need to take advantage of this period to grow. We need to steal time from our friends, TV, hobbies, activities, and devote it to God.
Everything in this period should be different. Our prayers and readings should not be as they usually are, they should be increased, even a little, it doesn’t matter, as long as you add to them.
Through the 8 weeks, we should also try to gradually give more and more to God, until the Passion Week, where we give Him almost that whole week at church.
For those who have benefited from fasting, do not be slack this year and continue to strive to grow. For those who have not seen much change in themselves after the fast is over, let us start with this one. To help us, please refer to some of the drills to do while fasting.
God bless.
Fasting Drills
1) Self Control
- Food
- Body
2) Repentance
- Weakness/favorite sin: what repetitive sin keeps us from growing spiritually?
- Quit certain habits
3) Silence and Seclusion
- Isolation with God- getting away from TV, movies, radio…
4) Not wasting any time
5) Humility
6) Memorization
- Verses, Psalms, Hymns, Songs…
7) Prayer
- On the road, school, work
- After finishing, pray a little longer
- Praying for others
8) Spiritual Readings