How to Fast
There are different degrees of
fasting that have been passed down to us. Remember these are not
laws or rules that we are to blindly follow but are proven practices
that can help us come closer to God. Orthodoxy is not legalistic
or rule oriented. The rules or guidelines that have been established
for us are there for our spiritual benefit. We have to use them with
the appropriate attitude to receive the benefit. In this matter be
sure to follow the guidance of your spiritual father. We must beware
of putting too much attention on the physical aspects before we have
matured in our inner work because this can lead us to thinking that
we do all the work and then forget that is the grace of God that
we are trying to come in union with and to follow. We can become
proud of our physical achievements and lose our contact with God
because of our sinfulness and self-centeredness. Fasting is not
a contest but it is an important self-discipline that will help us
come closer to God when practiced with the proper attitude.
Levels of Fasting
The most strict way of fasting
to to abstain from all food. The next level is to abstain from
all animal products such as meat and dairy products along with
oil and wine. Then the next level is to allow wine and oil. Then
to allow fish. The most common fast today is to abstain from the
eating of meat. But this is not what the tradition of the church
suggests we do. The Weekday fast by Tradition and Canon is to abstain from
all animal products such as meat and dairy products along with
oil and wine. But abstainng from meat may be a starting point as we are so attached
to eating of meat in our current culture compared to the earlier
periods of Church history when eating meat was considered a luxury.
So for us today this may be a difficult first step to take, but
don’t end here.
Begin your practice of fasting by starting
the practice of the weekly fast on Wednesday and Friday. Make it a rule. This will
make you think during the week about you purpose to come closer to
God. It will reinforce you prayer life. It will also prepare you
for participating in the sacrament of Holy Communion each Sunday
which will further support your spiritual growth.
The Church publishes a calendar which has
the traditional guidelines for each day on fasting. Once you have
succeeded in abstaining from meat on these days then you can look
at this calendar and make your fast more strict.
Fasting During Great Lent
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