The Mystery of Healing: Oil, Anointing, and the Unity of the Local Church
The Holy Sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Communion
The Seven Sacraments of the Greek Orthodox Church
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Fasting
is old as the human race. Fasting was practiced by pagan religions, Judaism
and Christianity, and it was generally considered an important element
of religious life, although with different practices and understanding.
In the ancient religions of the East fasting meant a complete abstention
from good for a certain period of time — one day or more. The origin of
fasting as a moral discipline, especially among the old pagan religions
is very obscure, just as their understanding of God was inadequate and
vague.
The monotheistic, God revealed religion of the “Chosen People”
knew about fasting. From the Old Testament we learn that God instituted
fasting in Paradise when He said: “But of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) From this is clear that fasting existed
before the “original sin” of Adam and Eve, and it was not ordered as a
cure for their sin. The fasting in Paradise consisted of abstaining of
certain food — namely of “the fruit of the tree.” The tree of knowledge
of good and evil was created by God as well as all other trees in Paradise
and, as such, preceded the Satan and his sinful machinations. God’s commandment
to Adam and Even not to eat of the particular fruit was issued as a method
of man’s discipline of self-control and spiritual growth. This means that
the first man in Paradise was not perfect, but was good and capable to
improve and develop his spiritual and moral personality.
Fasting understood in this way was practiced both in the Old and
New Testament and throughout the entire history of the Church. A noted
Orthodox theologian Father Alexander Schmemann, speaking about fasting
in the Old and New Testament, saw a great similarity and interdependence
between two events in the Bible — one at the beginning of the Old Testament
and the other at the beginning of the New Testament. He writes: “The first
is the ‘breaking of the fast’ by Adam in Paradise. He ate of the forbidden
fruit. This is how man’s original sin is revealed to us. Christ, the new
Adam, — and this is the second event — begins by fasting. Adam was tempted
and succumbed to temptation. The result of Adam’s failure is expulsion
from Paradise and death. The fruit of Christ’s victory is the destruction
of death and return to Paradise. It is clear, that in this perspective,
fasting is revealed to us as something decisive and ultimate in importance.
It is not mere ‘obligation’, a custom; it is connected with the very mystery
of life and death, of salvation and damnation.” St. Basil the Great, confirms
the above statement by saying: “Because we did not fast, we were chased
out of Paradise; let us fast now, so that some day we return there.
We have many shining examples of fasting in the Old and New Testament.
Moses fasted forty days before receiving from God the Ten Commandments.
The prophet Isaiah has written about fasting centuries before Christ’s
coming:
“Is not this the fast that I choose, to loose the bonds
of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go
free…? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the homeless
poor into your house; when you see the naked to cover him… then shall
your light break forth like the dawn…” (Isaiah 58)
In the Old Testament fasting is sometimes preparation for the Feast
days, but more generally it is a sign of humility before God. Fasting
accompanied mourning and repentance. In time of necessity of danger, it
was appropriate for an individual or the whole community to fast. Fasting,
so to speak, reinforced urgent prayer. How seriously it might be taken
up, to the extent that an earnest man of prayer might become weak and
think through lack of nourishment, is shown by Psalm 109:24:
“My Knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth
of fatness.”
Fasting in the New Testament was introduced by our Lord Jesus Christ
Who gave us a great example of fasting. After His Baptism in the river
of Jordan He withdrew into the wilderness where He spend forty days and
forty nights in prayer and fasting in preparation for His sacred ministry.
Jesus taught his disciples and followers to fast. He told them not to
fast like the Pharisees, but when they fast bodily they should be completely
natural in their behavior — humble and penitent.
“And when ye fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites,
for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men.
Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint
your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men,
but by your Father Who is in secret. And your Father Who sees in secret
will reward you.” (Matt. 6:16-18)
Here we should mention that fasting in the Orthodox Church has
two aspects: physical and spiritual. The first one implies abstinence
from rich food, such as dairy products, eggs and all kinds of meat. Spiritual
fasting consists in abstinence from evil thoughts, desires, and deeds.
The main purpose of fasting is to gain mastery over oneself and to conquer
the passions of the flesh. It is to liberate oneself from dependence on
the things of this world in order to concentrate on the things of the
Kingdom of God. It is to give power to the soul so that it would not yield
to temptation and sin. According to St. Seraphim, fasting is an “indispensable
means” of gaining the fruit of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, and Jesus
Himself taught that some forms of evil cannot be conquered without it.
When the Apostles failed to heal a sick and suffering child, Christ explained
that, “This kind (meaning devil) can come out only by prayer and fasting.”
(Matt. 12:21) Commenting on this St. John Chrysostom said: “That these
are like two wings that carry a person to the heights of God.”
The Apostles of Christ continued in prayer and fasting, and commanded
others to do the same. They fasted also as they accomplished their ministries
by the power of the Holy Spirit and by prayer, as we reads in the Acts:
“Now in the church at Antioch… while they were worshipping
the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas
and Saul (Paul) for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after
fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
(Acts. 13:-13)
Today, I think it is safe to say, the practice and idea of fasting
is largely ignored. Some people say that God’s people need not fast since
we are saved by grace and not by works, and that fasting can easily become
hypocritical, done merely for show and for the condemnation of others.
Many others generally dismiss fasting as something old-fashioned, simple
and naïve. “This is the twentieth century; those rules were made for the
past and simpler days.”
Nonetheless, in spite of present practice of most people, we must
take the practice of fasting seriously, if for no other reason, then out
of respect for other people, throughout Christian history, who have taken
it seriously. We all need to develop the habit of saying no to
our carnal passions and desires. What we need is self-discipline and self-control.
These are acquired only through regular spiritual exercise — namely through
fasting.
Fasting is not at all an act of mortification for mortification’s
sake. It is not a “little suffering” which is somehow pleasing to God.
It is not a punishment which is to be sorrowfully endured in payment for
sins. On the contrary, fasting for a Christian, should be a joyful experience,
because fasting is a self-discipline which we voluntarily impose upon
ourselves in order to become better persons and better Christians.
The sin of not fasting is the sin of failing to employ a practice
which is absolutely necessary to a sinful person in his struggle to overcome
his sins and to gain the love and communion of God.
Fasting is an art fully mastered by the Saints. These holy men
and women, who have taken their religion and fasting seriously, can be
of great help to us. They offer a number of recommendations for fasting.
1. Fasting is essential for us to regain control over our bodies.
We live in a pluralistic and secularistic society where the Biblical
idea of fasting is completely ignored and forgotten. “Gluttony has become
a way of life for a fallen man and, it affects every area of live, leaving
us wide open to all types of temptation. We all eat too much, and fasting
is the only way to end this unnatural obsession with food. Fasting puts
food into its proper perspective. We must each in order to live, but we
shouldn’t simply live to eat.” St. Isaac of Syria said: “The first commandment
given to our nature in the beginning was the fasting from food and in
this the head of our race (Adam) fell. Those who wish to attain the fear
of God, therefore, should begin to build where the building was first
fallen. They should begin with the commandment to fast.”
2. Fasting simplifies our lives.
“By eating less, we can pay attention to more important matters,
such as our relationship with God.” Fasting is part of the spiritual life
without which the soul perishes, suffocated by the flesh and choked by
carnal pleasures. A human being must fast. The effort enlightens the mind,
strengthens the spirit, controls the emotions and tames the passions.
Thus “a man who strives for salvation… must not allow himself to eat to
fullness…” says St. Gregory of Sinai. St. Isaac of Syria says, “Meager
food at the table of the pure cleanes the soul of those who partake from
all passion… for the work of fasting and vigil is the beginning of every
effort against sin and lust… almost all passionate drives decrease through
fasting.” An old man in the desert was asked why he was so severe on his
body. He answered simply, “If I don’t kill it, it kills me.” By this the
holy fathers taught us to be killers of passions and not killers of the
body. Partake of everything that is permissible with thanksgiving, to
the glory of God and avoid boastful arrogance; but refrain from every
excess. (The Monks Callistus and Ignatius, 14c., Directions to Hesychasts.)
3. Fasting “lightens our load” and makes it easier to pray.
“For many people the refusal to fast is just one more excuse to
cut themselves off from God. The person who wants to pray better should
eat less. This makes the mind and the spirit less sluggish. We are then
more capable of lifting our minds and hearts to God.” St. Isaac of Syria
says: “As long as man’s moth is sealed by fasting his mind will meditate
on the repentance of his soul.” Even the old Latins knew that “Plenus
veter non studet libenter.”
4. Fasting restores discipline to our lives.
“How many of us can honestly say that we disciplined in spiritual
matters as we should be? Fasting may just be the beginning of our journey
toward spiritual seriousness, but we all have to start somewhere. We can
all see what the lack of real discipline has done to American moral life.
The same happens to our own spiritual lives without discipline. Fasting
is the beginning of this discipline.” That is why the Canons of the Church
Councils — Trullo, Gangra and Laodicia as well as the rules and regulations
of Sts. Dionisius, Peter and Timothy of Alexandria — order us to fast.
According to Milas, “The Church has introduced fasting in a life of a
Christian in order to enable man to live a life of piety and repentance.
This regulation is based on the practice of the Church in the Old Testament
and the examples of its Founder and the Apostles in the New Testament.
The fast days which we must observe are ordered by the Church authorities
and, therefore, are obligatory for all, except the sick; if a clergyman
disobeys this rule he shall be deposed, and a layman excommunicated.”
5. Another aspect of fasting is abstinence
“Not
many parents enjoy the disobedience of their children. God is equally
unhappy to see our disobedience in spiritual matters. Fasting encourages
obedience to God’s moral commands by making us center our lives around
His.” In other words, our fasting should not be self-willed but obedient.
When we fast, says Kallistos Ware, “we should not try to invent special
rules for ourselves, but we should follow as faithfully as possible the
accepted pattern set before us by Holy Tradition.” We should always rely
on the spiritual advice of our priest or Father Confessor, as it was practiced
in the early centuries of Church life, as Abba Antony said: “I know of
monks who fell after much labor and lapsed into madness, because they
trusted in their own work and neglected the commandment that says: ‘Ask
your father, and he will tell you.” (Deut. 32:7).
6. Fasting ultimately brings about purity of heart.
“The saints teach that for us to purify our hearts we must begin
with the control of our bodily desires through fasting. As long as the
flesh rules purity of heart will not exist.” In the words of St. John
Chrysostom fasting implies not only abstinence from food, but from sins
also. “The fast,” he insists, “should be kept not by the mouth alone but
also by the eye, the ear, the feet, the hands and all the members of the
body: the eye must abstain from impure sights, the ear from malicious
gossip, the hands from acts of injustice.” It is useless to fast from
food, protests St. Basil, and yet to indulge in cruel criticism and slander:
“You do not eat meat, but you devour your brother.” The same point is
made in the Triodion, especially during the first week of Lent:
As fast from food, let us abstain also from every passion…
Let us observe a fast acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. True fasting
is to put away all evil, to control the tongue, to forbear from anger,
to abstain from lust, slander, falsehood and perjury. If we renounce these
things, then is our fasting true and acceptable to God. Let us keep the
Fast not only by refraining from food, but by becoming strangers to all
the bodily passions.
7. Fasting returns us to a “Paradise-like” way of life.
Our forefathers Adam and Eve ate only plants rather than meat or
meat products. (Gen. 1:30, 9:3) “When we fast, we voluntarily return to
Paradise. We do this not because it is sinful to eat meat, but because
we recognize our true homeland, the Kingdom of God, and we want to reinforce
this truth in our lives.” Our fasting and self-discipline, then, “signifies
a rejection of the world, only in so far as it is corrupted by the fall;
of the body, only in so far as it is dominated by sinful passions. Lust
excludes love; so long as we lust after other persons or other things,
we cannot truly love them. By delivering us form lust, the fast renders
us capable of genuine love. No longer ruled by the selfish desire to grasp
and to exploit, we begin to see the world with the eyes of Adam in Paradise.
Our self-denial is the path that leads to our self-affirmation; it is
our means of entry into the cosmic liturgy whereby all things visible
and invisible ascribe glory to their Creator.”
8. Finally, fasting is the foundation of and preparation for
every spiritual effort.
“Spiritual effort presumes that we are in control of our bodies.
Beyond this, fasting is the ideal preparation for spiritual celebration,
such as a Easter, Christmas, and other Feasts, because when undertaken
properly, fasting fills our hearts and minds with the task before us.
It concentrates our spiritual energies and makes them more effective.”
Thus, when Moses fasted on Mount Sinai (Exod. 34:28) and Elijah on Mount
Horeb (Kings 19:8-12), the fast was in both cases linked with a Theophany.
The same connection between fasting and the vision of God is evident in
the case of St. Peter (Acts 10:9-17) He went up to the housetop to pray
about the sixth hour, and he became very hungry and wanted to eat; and
it was in this state that he fell into a trance and heard the divine voice.
Such is always the purpose of ascetic fasting — to enable us, as the Triodion
puts it, to “draw near to the mountain of prayer.”
Prayer and fasting should in their turn be accompanied by almsgiving,
by love for others expressed in practical form, by works of compassion
and forgiveness. As written in the Triodion:
Knowing the commandments of the Lord, let this be our
way of life:
Let us feed the hungry, let us give the thirsty drink,
Let us clothe the naked, let us welcome strangers,
Let us visit those in prison and the sick.
Then the Judge of all earth will say even to us:
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared
for you.
Father Milan Savich
Notes and References:
The Upbeat, Vol. 2, 1985, pp. 22-23.
Great Lent, Alexander Schmemann
The Lenten Triodion,
Archbishop Kallistos Ware.
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