FASTING, A WEAPON FORGED BY GOD
“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God… Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast…"
Joel 2:12-13, 15
Jason Caros | March 1, 2020
Proclaim a fast? Did people used to do that? The words of Joel from the second chapter of his prophetic book were spoken at a time when a locust infestation ravaged Judah and he called upon the people to humble themselves before God, and among other things, to participate in a fast. Why fast? The Hebrew people of the Old Testament fasted, and the saints of the New Covenant have always fasted, including Christians of the present day. In fact, right here in the United States fasting used to be a common practice. Political leaders such as John Adams called for a period of prayer and fasting as our nation was adopting its constitution, and others like Abraham Lincoln did so in the wake of national calamities or wars. Yes, you read correctly, government officials called people to pray and fast!
Our nation has changed in many ways since its founding in the late eighteenth century. Fasting is one age-old practice that has gone by the wayside over the generations. Fewer Protestants keep regular fasts, many Roman Catholics, who once fasted regularly and vigorously have reduced their practice to giving up meat on Fridays during Lent, and despite consistent Christian Orthodox[1] teaching, a good number of the faithful do not practice the fast with diligence. Why the change? There are a variety of reasons but one need not look much further than two things that have greatly impacted modern Americans–hedonism and materialism. What was once a minority slogan during the late sixties and early seventies has today become the norm for many Americans. The saying is, “If it feels good do it!” We live in a hedonistic culture where we are encouraged to believe we should not deny ourselves physical and spiritual pleasures, and that material items lead to happiness. One of the major vices to which people succumb in our society, among many, is gluttony. They eat like there is no tomorrow. Certainly, most people understand the implications of hedonism from a health perspective, but what about the spiritual dimension? How does food affect the whole being, body and spirit? How does fasting aid us in our quest for communion with God?
Adapting the idiom “He who laughs, lasts,” Christians can say, “He who fasts, lasts.” That is, fasting, in synergy with prayer, almsgiving,[2] and sacramental living help a person progress on a good path toward theosis, or communion with God.[3] Separated from these things, fasting becomes pharisaical or even demonic.[4]
Types of Fasts - Total and Ascetic
There are basically two types of fasts in which Christian Orthodox participate. The first is a total fast whereby a person does not eat or drink anything for a period of time prior to receiving the Eucharist. From the moment one goes to bed the night before a liturgy until the reception of Holy Communion in the morning, he or she fasts completely. Also, during Great Lent,[5] people fast during the day, or least part of the day, before receiving Holy Communion at the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy in the evening. One reason for this fast involves the matter of “communion.” It is something that the members of the Body of Christ do to maintain communion with one another—as members of the Body of Christ. In the early church, Christians participated in something known as the “Agape Meal.” Prior to the liturgy, church members would come together and share a meal. Rich and poor would gather and commune with one another in Christ. This action was followed by the ultimate communion event, their reception of the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Today, Christians no longer meet for the Agape Meal prior to divine services but instead participate in the fast. This serves as the pre-Communion communion. Symbolically, the fast also serves to remind us that we are emptying our bodies to allow Christ to take up residence within us.
The second type of fast is the most common. The ascetical fast involves a reduction in the amount and types of food one eats. During individual fast days or Lenten periods, the faithful have historically abstained from food and drink until the late afternoon when they would break the fast and eat a single, moderate meal. Today, people might refer to this as intermittent fasting.[6] Another characteristic of the ascetical fast is abstention from certain types of foods and beverages. The food and drinks commonly avoided, as prescribed by the church, are meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, alcohol, and olive oil (desserts and candy do not appear on traditional lists but it is taken for granted that many of these foods would also be excluded).[7]This prescription is not to be followed legalistically. That is, one should follow the heart of the law and not the letter, to use biblical terms. For instance, if a person eats a dairy and egg-free chocolate cake during a fast day he is not truly fasting; instead, he is following the letter of the law rather than the heart of the law. Another example involves shellfish, one food that does not appear on the list of items from which to abstain. If a person goes to a restaurant and orders a sumptuous Shrimp Scampi or a similar dish involving shellfish, how would that be considered a fast? Finally, one would not keep the heart of the fast if he avoids the foods mentioned above, yet consumes a large amount of something else. There is a difference between fasting and merely abstaining from certain foods. Fasting requires reducing the amount of food consumed and it is done in the context of the Christian life.
One of the keys to fasting is moderation. In fact, this is one of the goals of fasting, to take an action that is good and pleasing to God, eating, and doing it properly. Eating is good, food is good, both are from God, but to eat well is to eat in moderation.
After looking over the list above, one may ask, “If I abstain from all the listed foods, what is left to eat?” Plenty. Fruit, vegetables, grains, simple pasta dishes (with tomato sauce only), rice and beans, lentil soup among others, hummus (chickpea dip) and simple shellfish meals are some of the foods one can eat, again in moderation.
An important thing to keep in mind when fasting is to consult with one’s parish priest or spiritual father. This consultation can help a person to prevent capriciousness when it comes to something that should require discipline,[8] and could also help a person avoid over doing it. Another reason is that the prescription mentioned above is a general one, and does not take mitigating circumstances into account. There are people, for instance, that must maintain a certain eating regimen due to health considerations. An iron deficiency may be a reason to continue to eat meat, poultry or fish during fast days. A pregnant mother should keep a certain diet for her health and the health of her child.[9] A youngster may not be ready for the rigors of a complete fast, nor may an adult with little experience in fasting, so alternate plans may be devised.
When Should We Fast?
The saying, “When in Rome do as the Romans do” has its origins in fasting. Saint Ambrose of Milan served as a spiritual father to Augustine of Hippo. While Augustine was living in Milan his mother Monica visited, and later took a trip to Rome. There she learned the Christians of Rome did not fast on Saturday prior to receiving Holy Communion on Sunday as was the practice in Milan. She later asked Ambrose about this and he advised her to follow the custom of the local community. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. With this in mind, what do Christian Orthodox do?
It has already been stated that there are times prior to the reception of Holy Communion when a “total fast” is observed. There are also others who maintain a total fast for longer periods such as Holy and Great Saturday when after a day of fasting they receive the Eucharist early the next morning at the Paschal Liturgy.[10] Yet others, especially those in some monastic environments, observe a total fast during Holy Week, sometimes only drinking a small amount of water and eating small amounts of bread, lentils or nuts.
The most observed fast periods[11] for Christian Orthodox are the ascetical fasts called for on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year. Two early Christian documents point to the practice of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. One is known as the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve, dating to the late first century A.D. Another other source is the records from the Sixth Ecumenical Council in A.D. 680 where the Church Fathers officially affirmed the aforementioned practice that had already been followed by Christians for centuries. These two days are kept as fast days because it was on Wednesday that The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas, and on Friday He was crucified on the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. With these observances, Christians have constant reminders of these two important events in the life of The Lord.
In addition to Wednesdays and Fridays, other single-day fasts are kept. They involve feast day fasts. Typically, feast days are days in which liturgies are served, people receive Holy Communion, and therefore fasting does not occur after the reception of the Eucharist. There are, however, exceptions to this practice. On the feast days of The Beheading of John the Baptist and The Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, strict fast days are observed because of the nature of the remembrances. On the Forefeast (eve) of Theophany on January 5th, a strict fast is also observed. Finally, on the feast of the Annunciation of The Theotokos on March 25th, a mitigated fast is observed. Although this is a very joyous feast, it typically takes place during Great Lent.
The Church observes several Lenten periods and each of these calls for the ascetical fast. They are the forty-day Nativity fast, referred to in the West as Advent,[12] the forty day period of Great Lent followed by Holy Week, the Apostles Fast in June[13], and the two week fast prior to the feast of The Dormition of the Theotokos in August. The fast of Great Lent involves the strictest fasting as it precedes the somber events of Holy Week, culminating with the joyous Feast of Feasts, Pascha (see note 5).
The Origins of Fasting - Why Fast?
Fasting was a very common practice among the Ancient Hebrews as seen in the Old Testament. Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, and John the Baptist all fasted regularly, but the most important example we have in this regard is The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Following His baptism in the river Jordan, He proceeded to the desert for a forty day fast. The seventh century saint, Isaac the Syrian, wrote about this in his Ascetical Homilies (37):
Fasting was the commandment that was given to our nature in the beginning to protect it with respect to tasting of food, and in this point the progenitor (Adam) of our substance fell. There, however, where the first defeat was suffered, the ascetic strugglers make their beginning in the fear of God as they start to keep His laws. And the Savior also, when He manifested Himself to the world in the Jordan, began at this point. For after His baptism, the spirit led Him into the wilderness and He fasted for forty days and forty nights.
Likewise, all who set out to follow in His footsteps make the beginning of their struggle upon this foundation. For this is a weapon forged by God, and who shall escape blame if He neglects it? And if the lawgiver Himself fasts, who among those who keep the law, has no need of fasting? When the devil, the foe and the tyrant, sees a man bearing this weapon, he is straight-away frightened and he recollects and considers that defeat which he suffered in the wilderness at the hands of the Savior; at once his strength is shattered and the very sight of this weapon, given us by our Commander-in-Chief, burns him. (emphasis added)
It is interesting to note how the breaking of the fast by Adam in paradise led to his expulsion. Christ, the New Adam, began His ministry by fasting. He resisted temptation and said to the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4). Furthermore, The Lord emphasized the importance of fasting to His apostles when He told them their efforts could not be accomplished “…except by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). One can read the scriptures and note how the apostles took His words to heart with respect to fasting as they acted within the church on important matters (Acts 13: 2, 3).
The scriptures reveal the importance of fasting, but just how does this practice aid us in our spiritual journey? Ignatius Brianchaninov, a nineteenth century Russian saint, said the following about fasting: “The chief of the virtues is prayer: their foundation is fasting. The combination of fasting and prayer is wonderful. Prayer is powerless if it is not rooted in fasting; and fasting is fruitless if prayer is not built upon it” (Orthodox Life, Vol. 2 Number 2).
Once again, in homily 37, Saint Isaac the Syrian emphasized the importance of fasting in this way: “The man who during his whole life loves the conversation of these yoke-mates, fasting and vigil, is a friend of chastity. Just as the satisfaction of the belly is the source of all evils, and as the slackness of sleep kindles the lust of fornication, so fasting, vigil, and wakefulness in God’s service by withstanding the sweetness of sleep through crucifying the body throughout the day and night, are God’s holy pathway and the foundation of every virtue.”
In a sixth century text by Thalassios of Libya called On Love, Self-Control, and Life in Accordance with the Intellect, the saint shared this insight about fasting: “Waste your body with fasting and vigils, and you will repulse the lethal thoughts of pleasure.”
Fasting provides many benefits, including enhanced prayer, but the teaching from the scriptures and from the lives of the saints reveals the more important elements of fasting to be self-discipline and self-control, obedience, humility, and remembrance of God. By fasting, we discipline ourselves in an area of grave weakness, and as we learn to control our eating habits we can become detached from other material and spiritual things to which we are overly attached. By keeping the prescribed fast, whether it is the general prescription or a mitigated one, we help to keep communion with one another and learn obedience rather than capriciousness.
Regarding humility, the author of The Way of the Ascetics, Tito Colliander, expressed the insight that he who constricts the stomach humbles the heart. In Psalm 35:13, King David gave evidence of this reality when he said, “…I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart.” Lastly, fasting helps us to remember God. In Alexander Schmemann’s modern classic, Great Lent, he says: “Fasting is our entrance and participation in that experience of Christ Himself by which He liberates us from the total dependence on food, matter, and the world.” When hungry, we realize our dependence on something or someone else. We need food, showing we have no life in ourselves.
For the teachers of the Church, fasting is spiritual exercise to be done in concert with prayer. In fact, Saint Paul and other teachers often used athletic or military imagery when instructing about the spiritual life: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (2 Corinthians 9:24-27).
The word “discipline” is derived from the Greek term “askesis,” and it relates to the struggle and training involved with discipline. St. Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians about crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires necessarily involves askesis (5:24). It is with askesis that the athlete wins the prize or the soldier vanquishes his enemy. Likewise, through ascetic practice, or ascesis, we can discipline our bodies and overcome the adversaries of gluttony, lust, laziness, and other passions. In this regard, Saint Theophan the Recluse, a nineteenth century Russian bishop and monastic, said: “The first requirement for bodily life is food; in relation to morality, this is the seat of the passions for sinful enjoyment of the flesh, or the arena for its development and nourishment” (The Path to Salvation).
With God’s grace, we can make right what often goes wrong with our eating. As Father Schmemann noted: “Fasting can transform eating, proving that our dependence on food and matter is not total, not absolute, that united to prayer, grace, and adoration, it can itself be spiritual.”
It has already been stated that prayer and fasting go hand-in-hand, but there is another essential element to the spiritual life, the third leg of a three-legged stool of Christian piety that should be practiced in concert with prayer and fasting, and that is almsgiving. Saint John Chrysostom referred to almsgiving as the heart of virtue that quickly leads people to the very height of heaven; it is the best of advocates and the mother of love (Sixth Homily of Titus). In the Old Testament book of Tobit,[14] the writer emphasized the importance of almsgiving in this way: “Prayer is good with fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A few prayers with righteousness are better than many with wrongdoing. It is better to do almsgiving than to lay up gold. For almsgiving rescues one from death, and it will wash away every sin. Those who do almsgiving and are righteous will be full of life “(12: 8-9).
Giving alms is important to do for its own sake, it is important to do with prayer and fasting, and it becomes more possible to do because of fasting. In the first century Christian work known as The Shepherd, Hermas counseled on this subject with the following: “On the day you fast, taste nothing but bread and water, calculate the price of food you were going to eat, and give it to a widow, orphan, or needy person” (56: 6-8). Echoing the teaching from almost two thousand years earlier, a hymn containing these words is still chanted today in an Orthodox Vespers service the week before Great Lent: “Let us make haste to wash away through fasting the filth of our transgressions, and through acts of mercy and compassion to the needy let us enter into the bridal chamber of the Bridegroom Christ, who grants to us great mercy.”
As a result of eating and drinking less and abstaining from activities during Lent that would otherwise demand resources, the Christian is better able to assist people suffering from poverty, both physical and spiritual, and grow in piety.[15]
Finally, it is important to emphasize that fasting sends a signal. In The Arena, Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov suggests that fasting is like preparing soil. As a farmer makes ready the soil for the seeds that will grow, we too prepare the soil of our souls and bodies with prayer, fasting, and other ascetical practices of the Christian life so that Christ can implant Himself in us and we can flourish. Notice in this cultivation metaphor that Christ waits for us, as if there is an invitation. On inviting God into our lives, the contemporary Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra tells us in one of his talks found in The Way of the Spirit that ascetical practices send an important signal: “…fasting, vigil, and prayer are the language that I use to speak to God. When I do these things, I speak to God and say: ‘God, I’m waiting for you, and I want You.’” The elder furthermore teaches that fasting, and the other ascetic practices, is a type of language that God hears and understands—it is a language that God recognizes and rushes to.
What To Avoid When Fasting
As mentioned earlier in this essay, fasting is something that should be done with the guidance of a spiritual director, in accordance with the teachings found in the writings of various pious teachers of the church. First and foremost, The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave clear direction about this practice. Our intentions must be in order:
Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.[16] For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly (Matthew 6:16-18).
In the fourth century, Abba Hyperechius warned about an incomplete type of fast: “It is better to eat meat and drink wine and not to eat the flesh of one's brethren through slander.” [17] Finally, Saint John Chrysostom wrote extensively on this subject in his fourth century homilies. In On the Statues, he said that when we fast we must fast from sin and honor the true purposes of fasting:
It is possible for one who fasts not to be rewarded for his fasting. How? When indeed we abstain from foods, but do not abstain from iniquities; when we do not eat meat, but gnaw to pieces the homes of the poor; when we do not become drunkards with wine, but we become drunkards with evil pleasures; when we abstain all the day, but all the night we spend in unchastened shows.[18] Then what is the benefit of abstention from foods, when on the one hand you deprive your body of a selected food, but on the other you offer yourself unlawful food? …I speak not of such a fast as most persons keep, but of real fasting; not merely abstinence from meats, but from sins as well. For the nature of a fast is such that it does not suffice to deliver those who practice it unless it is done according to a suitable law. So that when we have gone through the labor of fasting we do not lose the crown of fasting, we must understand how and in what manner it is necessary to conduct the business since the Pharisee also fasted, but afterward went away empty and destitute of the fruit of fasting. The Publican did not fast, and yet he was accepted in preference to him who had fasted in order that you may learn that fasting is unprofitable unless all other duties accompany it.
Fasting is a medicine.[19] But like all medicines, though it be very profitable to the person who knows how to use it, it frequently becomes useless (and even harmful) in the hands of him who is unskillful in its use.
I have said these things not that we may disparage fasting, but that we may honor fasting. For the honor of fasting consists not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices, since he who limits his fasting only to abstinence from meats is one who especially disparages fasting.
When Should a Person Begin to Fast?
As this essay nears its conclusion, it is important to emphasize that fasting is not part of a juridical injunction. Instead, it is part of a medicinal prescription for our healing that has an extended and proven track record among the saints and pious faithful everywhere and in all times. Each member of the Body of Christ is, therefore, invited to partake of this spiritual therapy that originates from the ultimate Healer of our souls and bodies Himself, and time is of the essence.
Each year as Great Lent is about to begin, a clarion call is sounded in Christian Orthodox services to cultivate the soil of our souls and bodies and to prepare the faithful for the journey ahead. They are exhorted thusly:
The arena of the virtues has been opened. Let all who wish to struggle for the prize now enter, girding themselves for the noble contest of the Fast; for those that strive lawfully are justly crowned.
Let us begin the season of fasting with rejoicing, giving ourselves to spiritual strife, purifying our soul and body, fasting from passions as we fast from foods, faring on the virtues of the Spirit, which if we continue to long for, we shall be worthy to behold the most solemn Passion of Christ, and the Holy Pascha, rejoicing with spiritual joy.
The time has come—the start of our spiritual contests, the victory over demons, the full armor of self-control, the angels' dignity, the confidence before God. Thereby did Moses become conversant with the Creator and heard the invisible voice. Lord, through fasting make us worthy to worship Your Passion and holy Resurrection, as You love humanity.[20]
As fasting is an essential accompaniment to prayer and virtue, a necessary weapon to fight passions, and it opens us to the grace of God, the time to act is now. If a Lenten season is upon us, we ought to take advantage of the moment. If not, we should still begin without delay. With kairos in mind, a certain woman wrote a letter to Saint Demetri of Rostov and asked for advice about prayer. He sent back a one-word response, “start.” This sage advice can be applied to fasting. Like Zacchaeus who quickly climbed a sycamore tree so he could catch a glimpse of Christ, we should make ready with haste. Let the fasting begin and may the locusts that seek to ravage our souls be eradicated.[21]
As this essay nears its conclusion, it is important to emphasize that fasting is not part of a juridical injunction. Instead, it is part of a medicinal prescription for our healing that has an extended and proven track record among the saints and pious faithful everywhere and in all times. Each member of the Body of Christ is, therefore, invited to partake of this spiritual therapy that originates from the ultimate Healer of our souls and bodies Himself.
Kalo stadio! May you contend well in the arena.[22].
Endnotes:
[1] “Christian Orthodox” or simply “Orthodox” is used to refer to the few hundred million “Eastern” Orthodox Churches that are in communion with one another: Antiochian, Bulgarian, Greek, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian etc.
[2] Almsgiving is sometimes referred to as mercy. The word alms, in fact, is rooted in the Greek word for mercy or loving-kindness. Christians are expected to give alms to the poor and to those in need, in general.
[3] Orthodox are not Pelagians. We are saved by God’s grace, but as His children we must accept His gift. As a saying goes, we should pray as if everything depends on the grace of God, and act as if it depends on us. We must, as Saint Paul said, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Fasting, therefore, is something Christians do to open themselves up to the grace of God.
[4] The True Nature of Fasting, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.
[5] Great Lent is the extended Lenten period preceding Holy Week and Pascha.
[6] During extended fasting periods such as Great Lent, many faithful eat more than one meal per day, but decrease the volume and abstain from certain food and drinks; today. One common practice is to fast most vigorously during the first week of Lent and during Holy Week.
[7] For a history on fasting in the Church read, “The Meaning of Great Lent,” found in The Lenten Triodion by Bishop Kallistos Ware and Mother Mary.
[8] Since the demise of the Soviet Union, many Russians and others flocked to the Church. It is interesting to note how some of the youth, on learning what the faith is all about, i.e. carrying one’s cross, had some reservations. Upon learning more about the Christian faith, some people find out that the spiritual life requires discipline. This, of course, is a much different message than what the popular culture promotes.
[9] Fasting is not dieting, and one’s goal should not be to lose weight. Instead, the goal should be to get spiritually fit in such a way as to be ready to accept Christ. Good health, however, can be a by-product of fasting as the foods normally eaten while fasting are of the more healthy variety, and the amount of food consumed is generally moderate. There have been studies conducted on the effects of fasting on health that showed very positive results. At least one study pointed to elderly Orthodox monks who had the energy and strength of men much younger than they. Also, one of the things the body does when food is ingested is to fight off toxins. If a person consumes too much food, or unhealthy food items, the person’s antibodies have to work that much harder to fight the toxins. This does not allow the body to expel other harmful viruses or infections leading to poorer health. Read Dr. Paul Bragg’s book, The Miracle of Fasting.
[10] Pascha is the Eastern Christian name for the feast of the Resurrection, commonly known as Easter in the west. Pascha means “Passover.”
[11] There are days when Orthodox do not fast. The Church prohibits fasting during the following days: all Saturdays except Holy Saturday; December 25 to January 5; the week following the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican; the week following Meat-Fare Sunday (abstention of meat is required during the week); the week following Pascha; the week following Pentecost.
[12] Advent in the Roman Catholic Church is a briefer period as it spans four Sundays prior to Christmas.
[13] The fast of the Holy Apostles begins on the Monday after All Saints’ Sunday (the Sunday following Pentecost) and lasts until June 29, The Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The fast varies in length according to the date of Pascha.
[14] Referred to as a Deuterocanonical book by some Christians, Tobit is part of the Septuagint and Vulgate bibles used since the time of the early church.
[15] Acts of charity should not subside as Lenten periods end. Part of the idea of Lenten discipline is that the virtues extend beyond Lent and become a regular part of a believer’s life.
[16] Notice how the Lord said, “When you fast,” and not “If you fast.”
[17] From the Sayings of the Desert Fathers.
[18] In the Christian Roman Empire (Byzantium) theaters were closed and public spectacles forbidden during Lent. Could we not apply this rule to our television viewing, music listening, and other forms of entertainment? When considering the subtle and not so subtle immorality that is absorbed by our hearts and minds when we participate in these forms of entertainment, perhaps we can also fast from these things with the hope we will forever reject the negative images and sounds. We can become more selective with our entertainment, and who knows, perhaps we could even take on the holy practice of keeping silence.
[19] The teachers of the Church often employ the imagery of the Church as a hospital for the sick where faithful receive their spiritual and bodily medicine. The first century bishop of the Petrine See of Antioch, Saint Ignatius, referred to the Eucharist as the “pharmakon athanasias” or "medicine of immortality." Confession can be seen as a type of Orthodox psychotherapy. Fasting, and the other means that God provides for us, certainly have a medicinal effect on our ailing bodies and souls.
[20] These verses come from Matins services leading up to Great Lent.
[21] Again, consult with your parish priest or spiritual father about how to begin, and in what manner to fast.
[22] The Greek phrase Καλό στάδιο literally means “Good stadium!” It is a traditional greeting that Christian Orthodox say to one another at the beginning of Great Lent. The hymns of the season tell us that we are now entering the stadium or arena of the virtues where we will do battle.