👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽What Do We #Fast From So That Our #Fasting Is #Correct?
Beloved children of the Church, grace and peace be multiplied unto you. As we enter into the sacred practice of fasting, let us not merely abstain from food and drink, but let us ensure that our fasting is acceptable before God, that it is a fast which sanctifies both body and soul, a fast which lifts us from the earthly to the heavenly. For the Lord does not look upon those who merely deny themselves bread, but upon those who, in the spirit of repentance, deny themselves every evil way.
The Fast of the Whole Body
If only the stomach fasts, what benefit is there? If we abstain from meat and drink but indulge in the passions of the flesh, what have we gained? A true fast is the fasting of the whole body—every member, every faculty, every sense.
The eyes must fast from gazing upon evil, from looking with lust or envy.
The ears must fast from hearing slander, gossip, and idle talk.
The mouth must fast from lies, from insults, from false witness, from murmuring against others.
The hands must fast from theft, from violence, from actions that defile the soul.
The feet must fast from running toward sin, from walking in the counsel of the ungodly.
Thus, fasting is not merely refraining from food but refraining from sin. If we fast from food but indulge in anger, we have changed one sin for another. If we refuse meat but feast upon hatred, we have polluted the fast. True fasting cleanses both body and soul, preparing us for divine grace.
Why Do We Fast?
Do we fast because food is sinful? No! For the Lord Himself gave food as a gift to man. We fast not because food defiles, but because it strengthens the flesh and weakens the spirit when taken without measure. It is not food that is unholy, but gluttony. It is not drink that is impure, but indulgence. Therefore, we deny ourselves not because food is evil, but so that we may hunger for the things of heaven rather than the things of the earth.
As St. Paul says, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection” (1 Corinthians 9:27). He did not say, "I let my body lead me," but rather, "I subdue it, that it may be subject to my spirit." We too, therefore, must weaken the desires of the flesh so that the soul may rise in strength.
The Twofold Nature of Fasting
The Church teaches that fasting is twofold:
1. Fasting from food—We refrain from certain foods not because they are sinful, but as a discipline, so that the body may be tamed, and the soul may be free to soar towards God.
2. Fasting from sin—We turn away from all evil, from every passion, from every unrighteous deed, so that our fasting may be made perfect.
What benefit is there in avoiding meat if our tongue devours the reputation of our neighbor? What gain is there in avoiding drink if we intoxicate ourselves with pride and arrogance? If we wish to offer a true fast before the Lord, let us cleanse both body and soul.
The Blessings of Fasting
Fasting is not a burden but a blessing. It is not a punishment but a gift. Those who fast in the right way receive abundant grace, and the scriptures testify to this:
Blessing in work and ministry – The apostles fasted that their ministry might be blessed, and the prophet Nehemiah fasted before undertaking the work of rebuilding Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:4). When we fast, our work is blessed, and our labor is sanctified.
Blessing in provision – In the days of the prophet Joel, when the land was barren and the rain had ceased, fasting and prayer restored the blessings of God (Joel 1:12-14). When we fast, God provides in ways beyond our understanding.
Blessing in the harvest – The seed that is sown is made fruitful by the prayers of the fasting. Fasting opens the gates of heaven and brings forth abundance (Joel 2:12-14).
Blessing of the soul Fasting heals the soul, purifies the spirit, and subdues the flesh. As the Psalmist says, “My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh has grown lean” (Psalm 109:24). The weakening of the body leads to the strengthening of the soul.
Continues 👇🏽