The Egyptian people have always revered the relationship with God. They have striven to root it in their lives throughout time.
Fasting is an important doctrine in all religions. Should we trace fasting, we shall find that it dates back to Adam and Eve when the Lord forbade them from eating the fruit of one of paradise trees.
These days, Christians start their Christmas Fasting. In fact, the Coptic Church celebrates Christmas on Kiahk 29 of the Coptic calendar which coincides January 7 of the Gregorian calendar.
On that very day, we celebrate Christ’s birth of St. Mary who angel Gabriel foretold the conception and birth to a child who she would call Jesus. We read, “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary… the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
The Duration of Christmas Fasting
Christmas Fasting lasts for 43 days: 40 of which represent Moses’ fasting to get ready for receiving the Commandments on Mount Sinai. The three extra days were added to commemorate the miracle of moving Mount Muqattam , whereby Pope Ibram bin Zar’a, the sixty-third patriarch, fasted for three days.
The Concept of Fasting
Training for the Body
Contrary to what some people think, fasting does not torture the flesh. Rather, it controls man’s relish for food, especially the types of food he desires. Human nature, in fact, is a composite of three elements: the body, soul, and spirit. If flesh controls man, he becomes an animalistic being. Yet, should he overcome the demands of flesh, he becomes a spiritual being.
Fasting helps man train his will through refraining from food and drink for a while, after which he eats food that he does not relish. Thus, he overcomes bodily and material demands, giving more attention to his spirit. In effect, fasting becomes a spiritual tool through which man gets ready to elevate his body to a lofty spiritual level. One of our holy fathers maintains that fasting qualifies the soul for spiritual revival, communion with God, and fills the heart with love for God.
Fasting Gives Strength
Fasting strengthens both soul and spirit. Man’s success in abandoning something his desires strengthens him on both the spiritual and psychological levels. The soul which is able to refrain from its desired food and drink can surely abandon its most relished sin. It offers the needy money, and time to whoever needs help. Thus, fasting is a training which qualifies man for more good doing.
Fasting Makes You Sympathize with Others
Whoever fasts experiences hunger and thirst, which makes him feel the pain of the needy. Such a person hurries to help whoever needs him. Here, it is worthy to recount the story of the rich man who used to train himself on experiencing what the poor feel. So, he used to wear rags and stand in the rain for hours. When he was asked why he did so. He said he was doing what would make him sympathize with the needy and, thus, offer them whatever they need.
Fasting Helps You Refrain from Evil
Not only does fasting help you refrain from food. It also strengthens your will and encourages you to refrain from evil: be it gossip, hatred, envy, sinful habits…etc. Without reaching this stage, fasting would be good for nothing. One of our fathers says that whoever refrains from food, but not from envy and hatred, and his tongue speaks falsehoods, his fasting is null and void: for the tongue’s fasting is better than the mouth’s. The heart’s fasting is better than both. Another father says that true fasting means refraining from bad deeds, that is, controlling one’s tongue, restraining anger, and overcoming desires. Yet, if man fails to refrain from sin, he should not abandon fasting: for this makes it necessary that he increase fasting and prayers to overcome his sins.
Fasting and Prayer
Fasting is accompanied by other practices, namely, prayer, reading the word of God and saints’ biographies to make them one’s role models, austerity, meditation, and being charitable to everybody. Such deeds constitute the food of the spirit which strengthens it. One of the beautiful phrases said about fasting is, “Fasting is always associated with prayers. This means that fasting without prayers is deprivation. Yet, if it is accompanied by prayers, it releases the soul.” So, link your fasting with prayers that you might encounter God, and your life become full of blessings and strength with which you can correct your flaws toward God and people.
Fasting and Humbleness
One of our fathers maintains that fasting humiliates flesh: for through fasting man realizes how weak he is, and how much he needs to refrain from pride and self-conceit. The more humble man becomes, the more he seeks God’s help and the more merciful he grows. He refrains from judging people’s weakness, realizing that all of us need God’s help in order to help one another.
Fasting and Love
Fasting is an expression of man’s love for God: for he prioritizes God’s commandments over his will and rest, thus, declaring his love for God. Fasting starts with refraining from food and drink, followed by abstaining from the evil deeds rejected by God. Thus, man shows his true love for God. So, make your fasting a training on loving God. At the same time, train yourself on loving others through sympathizing with and helping them, not only on the material level, but on the psychological one also. A word of encouragement to frustrated person is a kind of help. So is time dedicated to helping someone, and an honest piece of advice given to anyone.
The Physical Benefits of Fasting
Some people justify their not fasting by claiming that it harms the body. Yet, this is totally wrong. Fasting helps the body function quite efficiently. Moreover, developed countries continuously warn against eating lots of greasy food which harm the body and cause diseases.
A Story
It is said that an ascetic used to abstain for 21 consecutive days! Then, one day, he saw a novice who was quite weary after he had fasted for one day. The ascetic was astonished at the novice’s inability to endure fasting. So, an angel appeared to the ascetic and told him that he was granted the grace of being able to abstain for twenty-one days, whereas his brother was granted the grace of abstaining for one day. Thus, he should not think that the ability to abstain from eating is his, but is owing to God’s grace that supports him.
In Egypt whose people love and share one another, occasions have a unique flavor. May God protect Egypt and her children from evil, and… Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
