ON FASTING by Saint Seraphim of Sarov

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON FASTING
By Saint Seraphim of Sarov

As we continue our divine journey to the Holy Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we, as Orthodox Christians, prepare for that Glorious Day through prayer, fasting, and repentance. Just as a housewife prepares her home for the arrival of her special guest by cleaning her house, removing all dirt that was brought in from outside, dusting, and removing all spiderwebs from the various corners; the faithful Orthodox Christian cleanses his heart from impurities, sinful thoughts, acts, passions, pride, ego, and all spiritual pollution, in order to receive in his/her heart the Ultimate and Most Divine Master, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. It is, therefore, necessary that the believer understands that he or she cannot do it by themselves, that they need the guidance of the Holy Church and their spiritual father.

Saint Seraphim explains the proper spirit of true fasting. He writes: “Fasting consists NOT ONLY in eating rarely, but also in eating little; and not in eating once a day, but also in not eating very much. Unreasonable is the faster who waits for a given hour, and at the hour of TRAPEZA gives himself over to insatiable eating. In both body and mind, our reasoning mind should watch that it not choose between tasty repasts and those that are not tasty. That is what animals do, but it is not praiseworthy in a rational human. We refuse pleasant foods in order to humble the warring members of the flesh and give freedom to the actions of the spirit. A true fast CONSISTS NOT ONLY IN EXHAUSTING THE FLESH, BUT ALSO IN GIVING AWAY TO THE HUNGRY THAT PIECE OF BREAD YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO EAT. “BLESSED ARE THE HUNGRY FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED” (Matthew 5:6).

Our Teacher of asceticism and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, before beginning the podvig (“spiritual struggle”) or work of Redeeming mankind, strengthened Himself with a prolonged fast. And all laborers in asceticism, before beginning to work for the Lord, armed themselves with fasting and never stepped upon the way of the Cross without the work of fasting. They measured their successes in ASCETICISM by THEIR SUCCESS IN FASTING.

Holy people did not begin a strict fast suddenly, they GRADUALLY, LITTLE-BY-LITTLE made themselves capable of being satisfied with the poorest foods. In accustoming his disciple Dositheos to fasting, Saint Dorotheos gradually took his food away from him in small portions, so that from four pounds his daily intake decreased finally to eight lots [3.6 oz] of bread. Moreover, those holy fathers were amazingly foreign to feebleness, but were always strong, and ready for work. They rarely got sick, and their lives lasted extremely long. To the measure that the faster’s flesh becomes subtle and light, spiritual life reaches perfection and reveals its works in an as if bodiless body. The outward senses simply close off, and the mind, which has renounced the world, is exalted to heaven and is entirely immersed IN CONTEMPLATION OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.

However, not all can place a strict rule of abstinence in all things on themselves, or deprive themselves of everything that might serve to ease infirmities. “HE THAT IS ABLE TO RECEIVE IT, LET HIM RECEIVE IT” (Matthew 19:12). Only those foods should be taken each day so that by gathering strength, the body would become the friends and helper to the soul in perfect virtue. Otherwise it can happen that with an exhausted body, the spirit becomes weak. On Fridays and Wednesdays, especially in the four Fasts, according the example of the fathers, take food only once a day–and an Angel of the Lord will cleave to you.

We should ceaselessly guard our hearts from indecent thoughts and impressions, according to the words of the Proverbs: “KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE; FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE” {Proverbs 4:21). From the diligent guarding of the heart, purity is born in it, which makes it possible to see the Lord, as Eternal Truth assures us: “BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD” {Matthew 5:8). We should NOT bring out what is best in the heart to the surface, for what has been gathered remains safe from seen and unseen enemies only when it is guarded like a treasure in the depths of the heart. DO NOT REVEAL THE SECRETS OF YOUR HEART TO EVERYONE.” [Orthodox Heritage]

As one can understand that true fasting can only be accomplished when the believer works in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, “the Comforter and Giver of Life.” Whether we fast, pray, repent, and continue daily our spiritual struggle, we ought to understand it is not simply to prepare for a specific purpose here on earth but every Christian understands it to be a preparation for the life to come, eternal life. We know that our earthly life will eventually end, and that our days are numbered. As Christians we look forward to that day when we shall be with the Lord forever. The Orthodox person lives as if today is the last day of his life on earth and every Orthodox Priest as though it is his last Liturgy on earth.

All spiritual struggle is a form of repentance of turning around and getting back unto the correct path. The path that leads to our Lord Christ and salvation. The Christian life in this fallen world is a continuous struggle. If we are NOT struggling it means that we have surrendered to this fallen world, that we have been defeated. It means that we have lost faith in God and His Divine promise of Eternal Life and His Heavenly Kingdom. This is exactly our enemy the devil wants us to do. Are we to listen to him, our great adversary, or to listen to our Savior Who paid the price on the Cross for us, to save us, and Whose love for us is unconditional? Wake up and take charge of your God-given life and follow faithfully our Merciful Lord and Savior. Don’t be misled by the evil one, and be trapped by his wicked snares. Be alert and vigilant and trust in God for He is Good!

____________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George