The Great Lent Early Church

About the #Great #Lent (Part 3) Early Church scholars explain the reason why the Major Fast is 40 days long from these two perspectives. Although fasting in our Church is 55 days, it is believed that we fast for only 40 days because 15 days are on weekends and are not counted as fasting days. On Saturdays and Sundays, although we are not allowed to eat butter and meat, we are not commanded to abstain from food for extended hours as we do on other days. Rather, we are instructed to have a meal in the morning after the Mass. For this reason, the Holy Church fasts for 40 days apart from Saturdays and Sundays, to commemorate the 40 days that our Lord fasted. The other view is that the first and last weeks are added to the main fasting of our Lord, which is 55 days, but the 40 days do not vary. In the end, by increasing our fervor, we will live for a week by practicing the suffering and pain that our Lord endured for us. The main reason for saying this is to remind us that the 40 days of Lent are not only spoken but lived in action. According to ancient scholars' interpretation, the number 40 has many mysteries. St. John the Baptist explains that our Lord fasted for 40 days precisely, and neither a single day was added nor subtracted from this number of days. In the book that the Jews know, regardless of being below 40 or above, they use this as a reason not to accept the Gospel, which was fulfilled by the great prophets Moses and Elijah, who demonstrated that God became man and united our perfect bodies. He reminds them of the words in their own book in various ways, to remove the Jews' doubt and give them no reason to disbelieve. As Moses and Elijah fasted for 40 days and nights under God's power, He fasted their fast and made it perfect, revealing His perfect flesh. The Jews do not accept the Gospel, even if it is lower or higher than 40. Therefore, in the book that they know (which was fulfilled by the great prophets Moses and Elijah), He fasted their fast accordingly. Through this, He not only made this fast perfect but also revealed His perfect body (God became man). In addition to this, the chief prophet Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Torah after fasting for 40 days and nights. Fasting for 40 days and nights makes us understand that the law given to us as a result of fasting is perfect. The system of the Old Testament is like a mirror to the New Testament. When the Old Testament is revealed, the New Testament appears. In the Old Testament, it appears like the man born blind who explained that when he came to be washed in Siloam, when asked what he saw, he said 'blurry.' But when he came back after washing, he was asked what he saw, and he said, "It looks clear." In the same way, the New Testament is a special order that is clearly seen in the Old Testament (John 9). Moses, the believer who made this special Gospel that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven, fasted for 40 days and 40 nights to help the Jews understand it without difficulty. About the #Great #Lent (Part 4) The significance of the number 40. Regarding the significance of the number 40, Augustine also provided additional insight. According to him, 40 can be broken down into 4 multiplied by 10. The number 4 represents time because a year is comprised of four seasons (winter, autumn, summer, and spring), and a day is divided into four periods (morning, noon, evening, and night). The number 10 signifies absolute honor or praise, as well as perfect knowledge. Furthermore, the number 3 symbolizes God's knowledge, while the number 7 represents human knowledge (the three attributes of the soul and the four attributes of the body). This verse is a reference to the Holy Trinity and does not imply that the Trinity consists of only three. Thus, the number 40 carries two messages. The first message is to bless and sanctify us four times over with perfect tenfold praise. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fasted for forty days to bless and sanctify our entire lives. Through this fast, God blesses and sanctifies time and brings us from the current era of condemnation to an era of mercy. Fasting during this time means seeking and desiring to enter this era of mercy. When we reach this number, our time is blessed and all the miseries of this world are removed from us. The second message is to help us understand God throughout our time and to know the mystery of the Trinity as much as we should. Through this fast, our Lord is teaching us that He blesses our knowledge at all times and helps us to understand His mystery as we ought. If we limit ourselves to our own knowledge, we will fall short of the number forty and suffer from persistent doubt and disbelief. Therefore, we should fast during this great fast to enlighten our eyes and hearts and to become aware of God. In addition, when the great scholar Gregory interpreted the number 40, he associated the number 4 with the four attributes of the mortal body and the number 10 with the ten commandments. Therefore, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fasted for forty days to show us that He gives us the strength to keep the Ten Commandments. Fasting is not just about abstaining from food; we only derive its value when we subject our bodies to the guidance of the Ten Commandments. If we abstain from food but do not allow our bodies to be governed by God's commandments, our fast cannot be considered proper. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every language that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of the Holy Mother of God, the Virgin, and the Cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Please follow our Telegram group every day and share it with your friends: https://t.me/orthodoxQnAs