وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

الآن يُقَدِّم لنا فئات مُعَيَّنة يجب تجنبها عند اختيار المشير:
لا تستشر إنسانًا يتطلع إليك في ريبةٍ،
واكتم مشورتك عمن يحسدونك [10].
لا تستشر المرأة بخصوص ضُرّتها، ولا الجبان بخصوص المعركة،
ولا التاجر عن المقايضة، ولا المشتري عن البيع،
ولا المفتري عن الامتنان، ولا غير الرحيم عن السخاء،
ولا العاطل عن أيّ عمل، ولا الأجير الموسمي عن إنجاز عمله.
ولا العبد الكسلان عن عمل ضخم، فلا تستمع إلى هؤلاء في أية مشورة [11].
هنا تُحَذِّرنا الحكمة من اختيار المشير من إحدى الفئات السابقة.
‌أ. لا تستشر الزوجة ضرّتها [11]، لأن رأيها فيها معروف مسبقًا، فهي لن تتعاطف معها، بل تُكِيل لها التهم والنقائص.
‌ب. لا يستشر جندي في معركة من عُرِف عنه أنه جبان [11]، لأنه يُضعِف القلوب ويثّبط العزائم، إذ لا قدرة له على المواجهة.
‌ج. لا يطلب مشورة تاجر جشع وهو يريد أن يقايض آخر [11]، ولا يطلب بائع ما مشورة من يشتري منه [11]. لأن ما يشغلهما أن تؤول الصفقة إليهما فكلاهما مغرض، ولن يكون محايدًا في نصيحته.
‌د. لا يستشير نمامًا لا يأتمنه على سرّه. لأن المشير نفسه غير أمين على أسرار الغير. هذا ما حدث مع هامان الشرير عندما استشاره الملك أحشويرش في أمر مردخاي، وكيف يكافئه على الخير الذي صنعه به، فحقد هامان على مردخاي، لكن شره ارتدّ على رأسه.
‌ه. لا يستشير الإنسان شخصًا في أمرٍ هو عاجز عن تنفيذه، فلا يسأله العطاء إن كان المشير غير رحيم، ولا يسأل الكسلان في أي عمل يود أن يُتَمِّمَه، ولا من يطلب الأجرة في عمل موسمي يسأله عن إنجاز عمله.

[Mary Naeem]

عِوَض ذلك، ثابر مع الإنسان التقي، الذي تعرف أنه يحفظ الوصايا،
وتتَّفق نفسه مع نفسك، وإذا سقطت يُشارِكك آلامك [12].
بعد أن قَدَّم ابن سيراخ نصائح عن تحاشي اختيار الأصدقاء من غير اللائقين بتقديم المشورة الصالحة اللائقة، يُقَدِّم نصائح إيجابية في اختيار الصديق. أولها أن يكون هو نفسه تقيًا حافظًا للوصية الإلهية، ويختار صديقًا يتَّفِق معه في التقوى وحفظ الوصايا. ثانيًا: أن يكون محبًا باذلًا يشاركه آلامه. فلا يكون مشيره ممن يُحِبُّون اللهو في غير جدية، وألاَّ يكون سكيرًا.

[Mary Naeem]

The Apostles also fasted

As Christ fasted in the New Testament, so did the Apostles who fulfilled the Lord’s commandment when He said: “When the bridegroom will be taken away from them, … then they will fast.” (Matt 9:15). Thus, the apostle’s fast is the oldest and first fast practiced by the Christian Church.
When the Apostle Peter was fasting and became so hungry that he longed to eat (Acts 10:10) the vision about the acceptance of gentile nations appeared to him. It was declared to him during his fast about the acceptance of these nations.
In his service to God, the Apostle St. Paul said: “In labours, in sleeplessness, in fastings;” (2 Cor 6:5), and elsewhere “In fastings often” (2 Cor 11:27). It was also said that he and Barnabas fasted together (Acts 14:23)

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



The Apostles also fasted

As Christ fasted in the New Testament, so did the Apostles who fulfilled the Lord’s commandment when He said: “When the bridegroom will be taken away from them, … then they will fast.” (Matt 9:15). Thus, the apostle’s fast is the oldest and first fast practiced by the Christian Church.
When the Apostle Peter was fasting and became so hungry that he longed to eat (Acts 10:10) the vision about the acceptance of gentile nations appeared to him. It was declared to him during his fast about the acceptance of these nations.
In his service to God, the Apostle St. Paul said: “In labours, in sleeplessness, in fastings;” (2 Cor 6:5), and elsewhere “In fastings often” (2 Cor 11:27). It was also said that he and Barnabas fasted together (Acts 14:23)

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



During the Apostles' fast, the Holy Spirit spoke to them.
Thus the Bible says: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2,3).
How beautiful then is the Lord’s saying to the Apostles about fasting and its relation to casting of devils:
"However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." (Matt 17:21). Such is the power of fasting, in terrorising devils.
Fasting was not only confined to individuals, but also for whole nations.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



Fasting of the whole nations




This is collective worship (and is other than special individual fasts).
For in doing this, the people's hearts meet together in self-abasement before God.
As Christians pray together with one soul and spirit offering their prayer to God "with one accord" (Acts 4:24), and also offer well as their private prayers, so it is with fasting:
There are many examples in the Holy Bible of collective fasts in which all the faithful participated, together and with one spirit, presenting a unified fast to God, the same fast for the whole church.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



Fasting of the whole nations




The most outstanding of these fasts was the one undertaken by the whole population in distress, during the reign of Queen Esther, seeking God's mercy (Esther 4:3,16). They fasted in lamentation and dressed in "sackcloth with ashes" until the Lord hearkened and saved them.
Whole population also fasted at a call from Ezra, the priest, by the river Ahava, in humility to God. (Ezra 8:21,23). Together with Nehemiah, they “Assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.” (Neh 9:1).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



Fasting of the whole nations



In the same way, people fasted in the days of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20:3).
The Epistle of Jeremiah tells us of the fasting by the people in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah (Jer 36:9).
There was also another collective fast during the days of the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:12).

Other collective fasts, were “The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth” (Zech 8:19).

Fasting is also common in every religion where nations fast.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Nations also fasted



An outstanding example of this is the fast of the people of Nineveh (Jon 3) and how God accepted it and forgave their sins.
Another example is the fast of Cornelius the Centurion (Acts 10:30) which God accepted and sent to him the Apostle Peter who preached and baptised him.
The Old Testament tells us about the fast of King Darius during Daniel's ordeal and how he “spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him.” (Dan 6:18).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Nations also fasted



Fasting is known in every religion. It was even known in heathen and primitive religions, and indicates that fasting was known before the dispersal of nations and religions.
Anyone reading about Buddhism, Brahmanism, Confucianism, and about Yoga comes across solid examples of fasting and of subduing the body for the soul to take its course. Fasting to them is an exercise for the body and for the soul.