Fasting

In his sermon on 22 th February 2004 Fr Petros has this to say about Fasting

Sunday of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a central theme of Cheesefare Sunday. “Turn to God, so that He will forgive your sins” the Apostle Peter cried out to the people at the Temple. The Apostle John taught Christians, “If we confess our sins, He will keep His promise, He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.” Forgiveness is linked to repentance, turning to God. It is also linked to confession of sins and both of these are vital aspects of Great Lent.

Many of the hymns of Cheesefare Sunday remind us of Adam’s experience of Separation from God, of his exile from Paradise and urge each of us to return, to repent and come back to our lost fatherland – our true home.

Come my wretched soul, and weep today over your acts. I weep for my loss, O, Saviour and cry to You with faith: Forsake me not O, God of love, but call me back to You.

There is however one aspect of forgiveness that is so often neglected. An aspect we express in when we pray the Lord’s prayer – forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. The implication is that God forgives as we forgive. He will forgive us as we forgive others. If we don’t forgive others we have no right to approach Him for forgiveness.

Let us forgive others as we ask forgiveness from others and from God.

Cheesefare Sunday is also the last day on which dairy is allowed. Tomorrow, Clean Monday, Great Lent begins.

A few misconceptions regarding the fast need to be cleared up.

Fasting means abstaining from certain foods but is also means eating sparingly. To abstain from meat, cheese and milk and eat a whole pot of potatoes is defeating the purpose and its hypocritical.

Fasting means effort, labour. It means that I decide to discipline my body, my spirit, my ego, my will. It means I decide to deprive myself of luxuries. It means that I know that I will get up from the table without having filled my belly. It means that I won’t replace things that aren’t allowed, with substitutes that detract from the meaning of the fast.

We don’t fast to placate God, to gain His favour. God doesn’t need our fasting – we do! The fast helps us put our life into perspective, to realize that we eat in order to live and not live to eat, that we are not only a body with physical needs but also spirit, that we need to re-establish the sensitive balance that we loose in our daily concerns, our laziness, our indifference.

Fasting is intended for preparation for an experience of deeper communion with God. As such, fasting can never be only physical. It has to also be spiritual. We not only have to make an extra effort to refrain from evil and wickedness, but also to do good – to express our faith and love in works and deeds.

We have to accompany our fasting with prayer, with participation in the Sacraments – particularly Confession and Communion. One of the Vesper’s Hymns urges us:

"Let us set out with joy upon the season of the fast, preparing ourselves for spiritual combat. Let us purify our souls and cleanse our bodies. As we fast from food, let us also fast from every evil passion, rejoicing in the virtues of the Spirit. Let us persevere with love and so be deemed worthy to venerate the passion of Christ our God and with great spiritual gladness to behold His holy Resurrection."

Father Petros