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NEWS &
ANNOUNCEMENTS | ŞTIRI ŞI ANUNŢURI
10 February 2011
Fasting in the Orthodox
Church
As
we enter once again the Great Lent, it is only natural to remember
the basic traits that have always characterized the Orthodox
Christians. Among
these, fasting and prayer hold a central position.
The
Orthodox Church has always placed great emphasis on fasting. We
fast on Wednesdays because on this day the decision was made to arrest
Jesus. We fast on Fridays
because it is the day on which Jesus was crucified. Fasting
helps us remember that these are special days in the history of
salvation.
When
an Orthodox speaks of fasting, then prayer should come to his
mind. These two means
of communication with God are interrelated. This
combination of prayer and fasting was also recommended by Christ
when His disciples tried, without success, to free some
unfortunate person from the evil spirits which tormented him,
Christ said: "This kind cannot be driven out except by prayer
and fasting" (Mark 9: 29).
Fasting
was established by God Himself. In
the Old Testament, preparation for a special holy occasion
included fasting and prayer. In
the New Testament, fasting is mentioned often. Our
Lord fasted Himself for forty days, before going out to preach. It
is clearly not "optional," since Our Lord said regarding
fasting "When you
fast" (Matt. 7:16), not "If
you fast."
However,
people, in our times want everything analyzed,
"demythologized" and finally in most cases undermined.
Some people cannot see what justification fasting and
prayer would have for the contemporary "enlightened” and
"liberated" person.
Neither
fasting nor prayer are, or should be an end in themselves. They
are means of communication with God and such communication is our
quest. Fasting
acquires its moral and spiritual significance from the moment that
it becomes the means of our easier communication with God. By
fasting, man struggles to abstain from the attractions of this
world and becomes more transparent and more receptive in his
communication with the spiritual.
Therefore,
we can say that the purpose of fasting is threefold: 1) it helps
us concentrate more on prayer; 2) it helps strengthen our will
power; by learning to say "no" to certain types of food,
we shall find it easier to say "no" to temptations; 3)
it is a way of helping us identify with those who hunger and
remind us to reach out and provide for those in need.
As we prepare to enter the Great Lent, let us remember
that this is a time for fasting and prayer as preparation to
celebrate Holy Pascha. It
is a time for introspection and self-examination, a time to repent
for failures and sin, as a way to focus on the need for God’s
grace.
Axinia
Lucia (Lucy) Pop
National A.R.F.O.R.A. President
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