وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

Some monks used to fast every day until

sunset like a holy monk who once said;
"Thirty years have passed by during which the sun has not seen me eating
".

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III






Some monks used to fast for days.
Saint Makarius the Alexandrian, for example,
fasted though out the year and ate
only once week during the Holy Lent,
while visiting the Monasteries of Saint Pachomius.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The fasting of our fathers,
were not confined to specific periods,
or the length of time,
but also as form of monasticism
applied it to the kind of food they ate.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







Abba Nofer, the anchorite, ate dates from
a palm tree at his place of seclusion.
Saint Moses the anchorite, as well as
Saint Pigimy, another anchorite,
ate desert grass and drank from the morning dew.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







Consistent fasting regulated the lives of the Fathers.

This lifestyle of a monk becomes comforting and harmonious for both the body and the soul,. A stable lifestyle, to which they become accustomed which regulates their lives.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

As for the pitied laymen, they sway from one extreme to another when fasting. They deprive themselves of food only to break their fast to partake of anything they desire.

They abstain for a while, to allow themselves what they want for another period, then go back to indulgence, thus they sway between abstention and indulgence. They build, then destroy, and then build again, only to demolish again without recovery.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

True fasting is to train oneself in self-control, to follow for the rest of your life.

Self-control becomes a blessing for his life, not only during the time of fasting when we change the time and the food we eat, but also during the normal days.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

In this context, fasting is not a punishment but a blessing.

Confessor fathers used to impose as a sever form of punishment for their spiritual sons, to break their fast early, to eat meat or appetising foods. This was done in order to abase their spiritual son’s proud heart that thinks of itself to have become a hermit or an ascetic. He would thus bring down his arrogance by making him eat and feel abased to rid him of thoughts of vain glory.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

Fasting and Martyrdom

It is natural that he, who cannot abstain from food, would find it difficult to offer his life.
Through continuous training and negligence for the bodily needs, a courageous soul is trained to endure hunger and thirst, bring the body into subjection to conquer the desires and lusts of the body. It is able to endure the hardships of imprisonment and the pain of torture. These people were able through God's grace, to offer their bodies up to death at the time of martyrdom.
Thus fasting became the training of the spiritual school of martyrs, not only in the physical sense, but also from the spirituality gained in fasting. Days of fasting are not only for our spiritual deeds, repentance, and coming closer to God, but they also help evoke our love for eternity with Him. Man therefore harbours no fear when faced with death since he is prepared for it. Rather, man is happy that he is to rid himself of his body to meet with God. As St. Paul says: “…having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.“ (Phil 1:23).
Through fasting, the Church trained its children for the ascetic life.
Through asceticism, they are trained to renounce the world and become martyrs.
Martyrs were mostly those who lived a life of fasting, prayer, and asceticism. As the Apostle Paul said: “And those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.” (1 Cor 7:31).
.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







Fasting and Martyrdom




It is natural that he, who cannot abstain from food, would find it difficult to offer his life.
Through continuous training and negligence for the bodily needs, a courageous soul is trained to endure hunger and thirst, bring the body into subjection to conquer the desires and lusts of the body. It is able to endure the hardships of imprisonment and the pain of torture. These people were able through God's grace, to offer their bodies up to death at the time of martyrdom.