Holy Great Lent is upon us. Let us heed the spiritual instructions of elders and ascetics of piety of the twentieth century concerning this grace-filled time.
Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov):
Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)
The Holy Orthodox Church commands us to preserve holy abstinence, spiritual and physical, throughout the course of these forty days. We who are damaged by sin are healed by repentance, and repentance without fasting is not effectual. The Church has united weeping for our sins with fasting, for it gives wings to our repentance and raises it to the Throne of God.
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The labor of fasting is a holy work and quite ancient. Fasting is not a new invention, but the treasure of the fathers. Everything distinguished by antiquity is worthy of honor. Respect the gray hairs of fasting; it is as old as man. Fasting was made law in paradise. The very existence in paradise was an image of fasting, because in being satisfied with little, those who lived in paradise took neither wine, nor animal flesh, which darkened the human mind. If you want your spirit to be strong, bridle it with fasting.
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Fasting is the good guard of souls, reliable cohabitant with the body, and the school of ascetics. It deflects temptations; it is the cohabitant with sobriety and chastity. Fasting sends our prayer to Heaven, making as if wings for its ascent on high. Fasting is the mother of health, the upbringing of youth, the adornment of elders, the good co-traveler of the traveling, a reliable cohabitant with spouses. The husband does not suspect his wife of marital infidelity seeing that she is accustomed to fasting. The wife is not eaten by jealously, knowing that her husband has come to love fasting.
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Fasting needn’t be limited to abstinence from food alone, because true fasting is departure from evil deeds. Forgive your neighbor any insult, abstain from causing your neighbor offence, abstain from irritation, from senseless sorrows, from fear, wrath, and so on.
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“True fasting is alienation from evil, temperance of the tongue, setting aside of wrath, casting out of lust, idle talk, lies, and oath-breaking” (2nd stichera at Vespers, Monday of the first week of Lent). This is a true and pleasing fast for the Lord. Departing from these vices and from a corrupt state is what comprises a true fast. And first of all, we have to direct our attention to holding our tongue and bridling it. It is a small member, but if we do not bridle it, it will drag us all the days of the fast through the wastelands of all falsehood, slander, judgment, and evil talk. We also need to pay attention to rooting out all hatred and dislike of our neighbor, and strive to be, in everything and with everyone, gentle, meek, humble-minded, of kind condescension, and loving.
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Let us try to spend these days in abstinence according to our strength, and in Christian perfection, purity, and piety, striving never to offend our neighbor in word or deed, trying always to acquire love for one another.
Igumen Nikon (Vorubiev):
Igumen Nikon (Vorubiev) Akathists, the divine services, prayers, and fasts—all are given in order to help a person cast out of himself every impurity and take up the cross of struggle against sin.
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“While fasting bodily, brethren, let us also fast spiritually…” For the sick, the weak, and the elderly, there is no bodily fast—moreover it is often harmful for them. The emphasis must be placed on the fast of the soul: restraint of the eyes, the ears, the tongue, the thoughts, and so forth. This will be the true fast, beneficial for everyone and at all times. We have little strength as it is, and bodily fasting along with physical exhaustion will not provide any strength for spiritual labor.
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Concerning fasting: 1. do not overindulge; 2. do not give free rein to the eyes, the ears, or the tongue; 3. judge no one; 4. read only spiritual literature; 5. be at peace with everyone.
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It is necessary to practice restraint of the bodily senses. Through them (especially sight and hearing) the soul becomes cluttered; this clutter comes alive during prayer and prevents concentration… It is very beneficial and profitable to emphasize this aspect of fasting. It is likewise necessary to stress the need to forgive offenses and to show mercy toward all.
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Fasts, prayer, vigils, and other labors can be not only harmful, but may even destroy a person if they are done incorrectly. And such labor is done incorrectly when it leads to a high opinion of oneself and to pride.
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Schema-Igumen Savva (Ostapenko):
Consider yourself unworthy of much fasting and long vigils. In our age of the atom and chemistry, such feats as were attainable for the ascetics of the first centuries of our era are no longer fitting. Moreover, outward, bodily exploits tend to cultivate in a person vainglory and pride—the most destructive of passions.
Only humility is inaccessible to the evil power. Therefore, eat in good health, as much as your body requires (without overindulgence, of course!), and sleep with moderation. Then you will not think highly of yourself, but will reproach yourself for negligence—and this is the path to humility.
Hieroschemamonk Mikhail (Pitkevich):
Hieroschemamonk Mikhail (Pitkevich) Fasting means restraint, not wearing yourself out. The chief thing in fasting is the heart—broken with sincere repentance and humility. A heart that is broken and humbled, God wilt not despise (Ps. 50:19). You live in the world; you need strength—do not indulge, do not seek delicacies, do not allow yourself excess; and if by necessity you must eat an egg or drink milk during the fast, the Lord will not demand it of you, nor count it as sin. However strictly you may keep the fast—even the most rigorous—if it is without true repentance, it will not be accepted by the Lord. Such a fast will lead neither to salvation nor to consolation. The main thing is to cleanse the heart within.
Schema-Archimandrite Zosima (Sokur):
Food does not separate us from God nor does it bring us closer to Him. But since the Church has commanded us to fast, does it mean we have to fast, or not? We have to. Eat fasting foods for the glory of God, eat as much as you want, there’s no point in starving yourself. You think you’ll be saved by being hungry? Absolutely not, you’ll walk around angry, and it will be terrible to look at you. So let everything be according to good measure, because we mustn’t be satiated, and gluttony is a sin; but there’s no point in starving. It’s easy to lose strength and weaken, but it’s hard to recover. Especially since we’re so weak and infirm spiritually and physically to begin with. Fasting heals, but overeating of course destroys us all. So, there should be prudence in everything.
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Be all shiny… The Gospel says, joyful, that you should anoint your face with oil—be bright, and wash. Be clean, joyful, and no one will even suspect that you are fasting; but inside, in the soul, keep the fast and sorrow over your sins. There you go. It’s better that you have something to eat and be a good-natured, kind, affectionate, and good lady; but don’t be a hissing snake.
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Lent is a special time of prayer, pious life, and preparation for Pascha. “And grant us, O Lord, to pass the time of the holy Great Fast and reach the Divine Passion and Bright Resurrection of Christ.” What joy! The Church brings us tidings not of the fast, but of the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
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Our grandfathers read the Ladder of St. John Climacus throughout the entire Great Fast. And they learned the path that each of us should take, the spiritual Ladder to the Kingdom of Heaven. Brothers, read the Ladder in your spare time.
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O Lord, give us wisdom in all things! Fasting completes any work of asceticism; we need to ask God’s help—so that we would not be prideful, thinking, “We fast”…
Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)
Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)
We do not understand and accept deeply enough in our hearts what is demanded of us, what the fast gives us and promises us. What does it demand? Fasting demands of us repentance and correction of life. What does it give? Complete forgiveness and the return of all God’s mercies. What does it promise? Joy in the Holy Spirit here, and blessedness there, in eternity. It is worth it to accept all this not with a cold mind alone, but with a living, fervent heart.
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As we enter upon the Holy Forty Days, before we stand before the face of God in repentance for our sins, we must revive in our hearts the saving law: “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” This is the one condition without which there can be no forgiveness for us. If our Lenten labor and struggle are not to be in vain, today we must all realize that our offering may be rejected by God for one single reason: We have not fulfilled the call to love; we have not been reconciled; we have not forgiven from the depths of our hearts.
Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov):
We must spend the Holy Forty Days in spiritual vigilance, in love and humility of mind, and in every way withdraw ourselves from sins. Only when we abide in such a spiritual state will we be able to behold in our own hearts the Risen Christ the Saviour.
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Those who are weak in body, no less than the healthy, are especially bound during the fasts to keep spiritual abstinence from sins and to perform works of love and mercy. A true fast is abstinence from evil. Fasting is a means unto grace-filled illumination.
