THE GREAT LENT – A TIME TO FAST

Why do we fast?

            It is impossible to be obedient to Christ and at the same time to give unlimited indulgence to our physical desires.  Since fasting serves to discipline the natural drives of the body, it is inseparable from Orthodox Christian living.  To fast is to prove that our soul can rule the body.  It demonstrates that man “shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of the Lord.”  Fasting reminds us that nourishing the soul is more important for our eternal welfare than feeding only the body.

            Fasting was a common practice among the Jews prior to the coming of Christ into the world.  A misfortune or a disaster was always mourned with strict fasting.  When the Jews, for example, were defeated by the men of Ai (Joshua 7:6), Joshua and the elders of Israel remained prostrate before the Ark of the Covenant from morning until evening without eating.  In the Christian sense fasting is an expression of sorrow for personal sinfulness and unworthiness.

            But fasting was associated also with the preparation for receiving some special calling or gift from God.  Moses fasted forty days on Mt. Horeb in preparation to receive the tablets with the ten commandments from God.  Our Savior Himself fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness before He embarked on His earthly ministry.

            Those who go to the limit of enjoying legitimate pleasures very easily slip into illegitimate pleasures.  There is nothing intrinsically evil with any food or drink.  But occasional restriction or omission of eating coupled with more frequent prayer can be of incalculable value to the Christian believer.  Our Lord Himself assured us: “This generation (that is, of evil spirits) can come out only by fasting and praying.”  Success against the devil’s influence and against all temptation to sin is made possible only by these two means.           

“It’s what’s in your heart that counts and not what you eat.”  As good as this appears, it does not completely benefit us.  We cannot attain our end in life – to become “in the image and likeness of God” – without foregoing the natural appetites of the body from time to time.  By fasting we are given a foretaste of the blessed life to come in the Kingdom of God where there will be no eating, drinking, or sexual activity, but only the unspeakable joy that comes with communing with God and praising His infinite Majesty.          

          Fr. Stephen

“The Family that Prays together, stays together!”

I LOVE MY CHURCH

                                                                                               

LIVE LONG & PROSPER
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We look forward to seeing you next Sunday!

Orthros ~ 9:00am
Divine Liturgy ~ 10:00AM

Ορθρος ~ 9:00AM
Θεια Λειτουργια ~ 10:00AM