Today the christians start to fast to prepare for the greatest event in the history: the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ. It's a period of mourning when we renounce at all the pleasures of the body and we try to clean our souls .
Orthodox renounce at animal food : meet,cheese,milk ,eggs, anything that comes from animals and alchool,sex,dancing,etc , are 7 weeks of abstinence . Catholics renounce just at meat,but they can eat cheese,eggs,etc.The aim of the Fast is not just to renounce at specific pleasures but to remove the sin and to start a new life in Jesus Christ. As the humanity started a new life after His resurrection ,we start a new pure life in Him by fasting. Jesus Himself fasted before to be crucified ,so we have Him first as an exemple.
I always analyze the desires of my body and my thoughts before and after fasting. I realised the good food,especially the meat gives birth to many desires and sinful feelings : pride,laziness, aggressiveness ,vainglory,the feeling that you live good and have no worry ,etc. When you fast,you practically kill the sin ,you can see you become more humble,very calm and because your body does not feel anymore it's needs, you can focus better on prayer so you can develop your relation with God.
Many of us misuderstand the fasting and we often forget the aim of it is not just to respect a diet,so it's not enough to eat vegetable ,you must give alms, help everybody in needs ,forgive your enemies- your sacrifice will not be received if you still have scorn feelings in your heart for your brother (brother meaning any human being).
The fasingt is more severe for the ascets,some of them don't eat anything or they live just with water,or a little piece of bread but to achieve this level you need lots of faith and God does not ask us to exaggerate, a normal person for sure cannot resist with such a diet if he doesn't make continue prayers. That's why we should limit the fast at our level of faith.
I wish you will not ignore the great gift God made to us- His only begotten Son- and you will bring too your gift for Him,God does not ask anymore bloody sacrifices ,as in the Old Testament when people had to kill an animal in order to clean their sins, the Son of God gave Himself as a bloody sacrifice for the entire humanity,so we should apprecciate this ,that's why i think all of us should try to show respect and love for Him,as He does every day with us.
Do not think what you will eat,trust me God will take care of that.
Sometimes when i don't have anything cooked or i don't have something vegetable in my fridge ( i have to mention i hate vegetable food,i am a big fan of meat and fat food) , every time from somewhere i have to receive something good to eat,my neighbours bring me or my mum buys something...but always God takes care of me. So don't make worries about that,if you don't know vegetable recipes,you can ask me ,i know how to make also cakes -without milk,eggs,butter..just oil,wheat,water,cocoa and gem...and they are very good.
When people are fasting,the devils are more active...this is very true and i feel it every time i fast. I always have so many temptations,people are provoking me to fights, at home are always fights ,my parents bash my faith and the fasting ,they always say to leave it because i loose too much weight...this is a very sensible period. One time,i received from a neighbour with whom we are not even friends- a big cake with chocolate (cakes are for me something divine,i can't stay too much to look at it)..it wasn't any special occassion ,so i understood this gift as a temptation,to test my faith if i will cede and eat it...of course i didn't ,Jesus gave His life for me and i give Him for a cake?!
Fasting (and i mean here just about the food) is also very healthy for the body and is recommended by doctors, you can eliminate toxines and regenerate your body.
Do not praise yourself for fasting and don't act like you are such a good christian and you fast so much..God does not like that ,it's better not even to say you are fasting, i am speaking now because for me it's something very normal and it's a reason of joy and i want to remind all the christians about it. So ,be humble when you do it and never say it's enough,it's always "free space" for more prayer and good deeds.
As Isaiah says, fasting encourages humility,loosens the chains of injustice,unties the chords of the yoke, frees the opressed ,feeds the hungry,provides for the poor and clothes the naked.
Fasting is a lifestyle of serving God and others,it's not meant to make us to suffer,but to focus on God.
I wish all the christians to be strong in faith, weak in rage, to keep their faith in our Saviour and always to remember here on Earth we are just guests,everyone of us will leave this life and all we will all stay in front of God to the final judgement. Do all you can now before it's too late,you will regret to loose Him.
Listen to this amazing song...
"When you fast,be not as the hypocrites...who disfigure their faces,so they may appear unto men to fast...But when you fast,anoint your head,and wash your face,so you appear not unto men to fast,but unto your Father who sees in secret,and your Father shall reward you openly."
(Matthew 6:16-18)
«وَمَتَى صُمْتُمْ فَلاَ تَكُونُوا عَابِسِينَ كَالْمُرَائِينَ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يُغَيِّرُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ لِكَيْ يَظْهَرُوا لِلنَّاسِ صَائِمِينَ. اَلْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّهُمْ قَدِ اسْتَوْفَوْا أَجْرَهُمْ.
وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ فَمَتَى صُمْتَ فَادْهُنْ رَأْسَكَ وَاغْسِلْ وَجْهَكَ،
لِكَيْ لاَ تَظْهَرَ لِلنَّاسِ صَائِمًا، بَلْ لأَبِيكَ الَّذِي فِي الْخَفَاءِ. فَأَبُوكَ الَّذِي يَرَى فِي الْخَفَاءِ يُجَازِيكَ عَلاَنِيَةً.
