Fasting how to properly observe? Purpose and meaning of the post

Fasting is literally giving up food. This is what the Hebrew words צוֹם (tzom) and תַּעֲנִית (ta'anit) mean. In Christianity, in Orthodoxy, in particular, the practice of fasting is understood more broadly, one might even say that it is ambiguous. About how to observe the Orthodox fast, we'll talk in this article.

Oriental post as a religious practice

In the traditions of the East, the meal is fun, peace, order, joy. It is impossible to live a normal life and enjoy when something is wrong, when a soul is grieved by some kind of sorrow, threat, need, or the special action of God. Therefore, giving up food is a rejection of one's own life, of power over it, it is an invitation to God to act in his place. On the other hand, it is also a search for God, longing for him, and therefore detachment from earthly joys. This is the essence of fasting. And, despite centuries of religious reflection, in principle, it has not changed.

You can remember the prophets of Moses, Elijah, the Apostle Paul and Christ himself, who held such a fast. How to properly observe this form of pure biblical asceticism, one can learn from their example: to retire, to give up food, water and any entertainments, spending time in prayers.

Christianity, being a biblical religion, encourages this very form of fasting, albeit in a somewhat modified form. In short, Christians replace complete abstinence from eating with a more or less severe restriction. As a result, a whole culture formed the post. How to comply with it, regulate special rules and regulations, and even there is a lean kitchen. Orthodoxy here is no exception. The Eastern Church of the Byzantine tradition prescribes more than a hundred fasting days a year, about which it will be said. However, the meaning of Orthodox asceticism is much deeper than the question of what is eaten in fasting, and what is not eaten.

Fasting in the Bible

In Orthodoxy it is believed that fasting is commanded by God to mankind in paradise. In this vein, some holy fathers interpret the ban on Adam and Eve from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as described in the book Genesis.

In general, the sacred writings of Jews and Christians give the following reasons for appointing public fasts: family sorrows (2 Samuel 12:16), tribulation in the church (Matthew 9: 14-15), impending dangers (Esther 4: 3, 16), (2 Kings 1:12), when making an important decision (Acts 13: 1-3).

However, the only direct command of God for fasting in the Bible occurs only once, and concerns the celebration of the Day of Atonement, which falls on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar (Leviticus 16: 29-31).

The rest of the posts mentioned in the Bible, the people assigned themselves. There are four main motivations for them:

1. Memory of something important.

2. Repentance.

3. Seeking favor and guidance from above.

4. Protection.

Tribute to memory of significant events

In this case, the main reason for the post was the need to preserve the ancestral memory of the most important events. The vivid illustrations of this practice are the posts in memory of Moses' crushing of the two stone tablets of the Law (Exodus 32), the taking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (4 Kings 24-25, 2 Ch.36, Jeremiah 52.4), the burning of Solomon's Temple (2 Chron. 36.19, Zechariah 7: 3).

For the repentance of sins

It is obvious that repentance and begging for forgiveness from God for the sins committed is incompatible with joy and the search for pleasure. Therefore, the post is naturally attached to it. For example, the repentance of the Jews in polytheism and the worship of foreign gods (1 Sam.7: 3-6), repentance on behalf of the people of the prophet Daniel (Dan.9: 3-19), the repentance of the inhabitants of Nineveh after the preaching of the prophet Jonah (Jonah 3: 6-9). Regarding the last case, it is interesting that the post was imposed not only on people, but also on livestock.

Seeking favor and guidance from above

In a situation where the people or other community faced a choice, and the right decision was not obvious, it was often decided to take a position to ask God for help. Thus, for example, the Israelites fasted before the battle with the tribe of Benjamin (Judgment 20: 26-28). In order to please God, often the prophetess Anna fasted, which is narrated in the Gospel of Luke.

Fasting to protect yourself from enemies

To the post also resorted to enlist the protection of the Most High from the enemies. A person who keeps fasting brought him as a sacrifice to God, counting in return to gain mercy and protection in confronting his enemies. Thus fasted, for example, the Jews, when the king of Artaxerxes signed a decree about their extermination (Est. 4: 3). Very often, as individuals, as well as groups and even peoples, fasted, asking God for protection from persecutors. A vivid illustration of this post is the prayer of King David (Psalm 108: 24).

The time of fasting in Orthodoxy

For the believers in Christ, initially there were no special fasting days. Members of the church fasted when they considered it necessary, so fasting was not a regular practice, depending on the calendar. In time, however, the church life was formalized. In the week and year round, special fasting days began to be allocated, in which every year it was prescribed to fast all believers.

First, it concerns the so-called Great Lent, or the holy Fourteen. This post is before Easter. He also has something to do with the forty-day period of Christ's abstinence from food and drink, which is narrated in the Gospels.

Another rather early Christian practice is a fasting by the day (Wednesday and Friday). The fact is that Jews practiced abstinence from eating on Mondays and Thursdays. This was their mandatory weekly post. How right is it to observe the Christians, who at that time were under the significant influence of the synagogue? This question was answered differently, but in the end, when the Jews subjected the Christians to a curse, the latter quickly decided for themselves that they can not fast with the infidels, and postponed fasting on Wednesday and Friday. The formal reason for this was the need to honor the days of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This practice has very successfully taken root. Until now, fasting through the days of Christ's sorrow is practiced in the Orthodox Church. In general, today, according to the Eastern monastic charter, the total number of days in the year in which more or less strict abstinence is prescribed is from 178 to 212.

The duration of fasting in Orthodoxy

On the pages of the Bible we meet with 1-, 3-, 7-, 21- and 40-day posts. Most of the stories about fasting do not say anything about its duration. In Orthodoxy, there are many one-day fasts and four multi-day fasts. The duration of one of them, timed to the memory of the first-ever apostles Peter and Paul, varies from year to year, depending on the date of Easter. Abstention for several hours, which is common in the Catholic Church, is not practiced in Orthodoxy.

Orthodox Holidays and Posts

Most of the posts in Orthodoxy play a preparatory role before this or that holiday. About Easter and the day of the memory of the apostles Peter and Paul have already been mentioned above. Likewise, this is the case with the Baptism of the Lord, the Rapture and the Nativity of Christ.

Unfavorable to God's post

Answering questions about what fasting is, how to properly observe it, why you need it, you can not avoid touching the topic of an unwanted post. In the Bible there are, for example, abstinence from the food of King Saul, from whom God turned away (1 Sam 28:20). The same is told in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, when it is told about Jews who have vowed not to eat or drink until the time when they kill the Apostle Paul.

In general, it can be said that fasting is not acceptable to the Lord when, against the background of abstinence in food, a person does not abstain from sins. Another reason why austerity may not be accepted by God is that it consists in obtaining goodwill for evil deeds. But the last motive is very rarely applicable to modern church reality. The fact is that with the development of church-wide posts, the practice of personal, spontaneous, one-time imposition of fasting on itself practically fell to nothing in Orthodoxy, remaining only in Protestantism.

We also need to touch on the topic of legalism, that is, purely formal compliance with restrictions. This devilish practice was mentioned by the Old Testament prophets, and Christ himself, when asked about the post. How correctly to observe it, according to the Savior? Do not take a dull look, do not show your position to others, so that the post remains, if possible, secretly from people, being dedicated to God alone. Unfortunately, the words of the founder of Christianity were not heeded by all his followers.

I must say that in modern Orthodoxy, most believers do not practice fasting as a spiritual exercise. For most of them, including the clergy, it's just a time of prohibitions when certain products are not allowed to be consumed. Thus, the secondary issue of what is eaten in fasting, and what is not eaten, becomes the main, and often the only, content of this ancient ascetic practice.

Another sin, devaluating fasting, is pride. In other words, such austerity is not considered to be a spiritually useful practice, which makes a person consider himself more righteous than the rest.