Mission Monthly – January 1999
“There are indeed two ways of fasting rooted both in Scripture and Tradition… The first is termed totalwhich consists of complete abstinence from food and drink. It is, by its very nature, short in duration and is usually limited to one day or even part of a day. From the very beginning of Christianity, it has been understood as a state of preparation and expectation—a spiritual concentration—the last and ultimate preparation of an approaching joy, a great feast, a decisive spiritual event… The early Church called it ‘statio’, a military term for a state of alarm. It is keeping watch, or vigil, in expectation of the Bridegroom, waiting in readiness and joy… The second is termed asceticaland is for the purpose of liberating man from the unlawful tyranny of the flesh, of that surrender of the spirit to the body and its appetites which is the tragic result of sin and the original fall of man… It is by its very nature a patient, long and sustained process through which man discovers that he ‘does not live by bread alone.’ The timefactor is essential for it takes time to uproot and to heal the common and universal disease which men have come to consider as their ‘normal’ state.”
Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent
As the “Christmas Lent” comes to an end I find myself contemplating the discipline of fasting. Though this Advent has passed quickly I am once again challenged by its opportunity and demand. In addition, conversations with inquirers to the Orthodox Church about fasting have revealed that appearances of contempt for the body and fears of legalism often shroud this discipline considered by the Orthodox Church as necessary for salvation.
Beginning with the reality of “sin” and its attack on our godly nature and image given in our birth, Christians understand the spiritual warfare explained by St. Paul, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do” (Romans 7:19). It has been my experience, however, that non-Orthodox Christianity sees fasting more from the “total” point of view, combining it with seeking an answer to prayer or resolution of conflict. While this “vigilance” is, as Fr. Alexander wrote, “an ultimate preparation for a decisive spiritual event” it may not possess a ready understanding of the ongoing fight against the fallen nature.
The hardest perception to overcome is that we Orthodox war against our “flesh” because the body is “bad.” This could not be further from the truth! Worship, scripture (both Old and New Testaments) and the Fathers all affirm again and again that “God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). This positive view of the material world of God’s creation is basic to Orthodox doctrine (i.e. the Incarnation, iconography, individual salvation). We conclude, therefore, that the discipline of fasting is not something against the beauty of God’s creation but rather FOR the beauty of God’s creation!
In several places St. Paul explains the redemptive action of Christ as an act of reconciliation. “…to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20). What is this “peace?” Ultimately it is the victory of life over death but it is also the victory of the spirit over our fallen nature. Yes, Jesus has accomplished all for our salvation but in order to live with Christ we also must die with Christ. St. Paul further promises that we will be “fellow heirs with Christ, provided that we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17). Christ, as the fulfillment of our salvation, has not taken away the need to struggle against our fallen nature; rather, He has set in motion our freedom from the “letter of the law” that through the coming of grace and our active participation with it we might destroy the dominion of sin (Rom. 6:14).
The Church has given us the gift of fasting primarily “for the purpose of liberating man from the unlawful tyranny of the flesh…” It is this essential tool, along with prayer, the sacraments and the community life of the Church, which help us to recognize this tyranny and temptation and our personal fight against it. It is a voluntary obedience into which we enter, expressing our total faith in the Holy Spirit’s revelation and guidance in the Church. Finally, it is our affirmation of the beauty of God’s creation through the offerings of the royal priesthood to which we are joined with Christ as co-redeemers in the holy work of grace and truth.