Prologue in Sermons: December 17

For Those Who Break Fasts

December 17
 
(Holy Prophet Daniel and the Holy Three Youths Ananias, Azaris and Misael)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Today’s lovers of ease and indulgence rebel against no ordinance of the Church so fiercely as against the ordinance of fasting. “What is the point of fasting?” they cry. “Without nourishing food, health is lost, the mind is darkened, we cannot pray, we become irritable because of it,” and so on. They cry out in this way, and in their opinion it turns out as though fasting were truly an evil, and that breaking it is in no way blameworthy, but even necessary. In reality, however, they are gravely mistaken; for fasting not only does not harm health, but restores it; not only does it not darken the mind, but enlightens it.

When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was leading the Jews away into captivity in Babylon, he conceived the idea of taking several children from the finest Jewish families to be educated at his royal court. Among these children were the twelve-year-old youth Daniel and his three companions: Ananias, Azaris and Misael. Though they were given abundant food from the king’s table — food forbidden by the Law of Moses — they did not wish to defile themselves with it and asked the official appointed over them to give them only vegetables and water for nourishment. At first the official refused their request, saying: “I fear the king; if he sees you looking haggard, he will take my life.” To this Daniel replied: “Test us for ten days; and if after this time the youths who eat the king’s food appear healthier than we do, then deny us our request; but if not, grant it.” The official agreed: and what happened? At the end of the period, "their faces appeared fairer and their flesh stronger than that of the youths who ate from the king’s table" (Dan. 1:15). This was before the Nativity of Christ.

Let us turn now to New Testament times. Makarios of Alexandria ate only once a week during the Holy Forty Days and lived to be one hundred years old. Saint Symeon the Stylite ate nothing at all during the Holy Forty Days and lived to be one hundred and three years old. The Venerable Anthimos also spent Great Lent without food and lived to be one hundred and ten years old. And some lived even longer: for example, Paul of Thebes lived one hundred and thirteen years, and Alypios the Stylite one hundred and eighteen years. It is therefore clear that fasting not only does not harm health, but strengthens it.

As for the opinion that fasting darkens the mind, it is even more unfounded than the first. The aforementioned Daniel and his companions fasted for three years while studying. Was their intellect diminished? On the contrary, it is said: "God gave them knowledge and understanding in all literature and wisdom" (Dan. 1:17). And when, at the end of their training, they were brought before the king, "the king spoke with them; and among them all none was found like Daniel, Ananias, Azaris and Misael; and they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in all his kingdom" (Dan. 1:19–20).

Let us again turn to New Testament times. Makarios of Egypt, a great faster, was not educated at all; yet his writings display profound knowledge of theology, of the human soul, and of visible nature. Anthony the Great learned only from the book of nature and put to shame the arrogant philosophers with their learning. The Apostles, also unlearned men, yet accustomed to imposing fasting upon themselves before going out to preach, likewise often put to shame the wise of this world and won whole peoples and kingdoms for Christ. And finally, He Himself, before entering upon His public ministry, fasted forty days and forty nights.

After this there is no need to elaborate further in proving the benefit of fasting or in refuting arguments about its harm. Those lovers of pleasure who have become flesh and blood may perhaps be convinced by nothing. But the true followers of Christ, who continually crucify their flesh with its passions and desires, will, one may think, remain faithful to the ordinances of the Church even without proofs, and have no need of any arguments about the usefulness of fasting.

Let us, brethren, imitate the latter and flee the empty reasoning of the former. Even if in reality our body should grow weak from fasting — what of it? A Christian ought not to be concerned with the fullness and beauty of the body, but with the renewal and adornment of the soul; and it is renewed and strengthened only when the body is subjected to it. "Though our outward man is wasting away, yet the inward man is being renewed" (2 Cor. 4:16). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.