وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي وإلهي ، يا أبا المراحم ، أنا أتّكل عليك ،
فأنت أكبر سند لي ، وعون لي في الضيق
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي ساعدني يا إلهي لكي لا أجزع وأرتبك
إذا حلّت بي المصائب والشدائد والتجارب
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي أعّني لكي أصبر على الشدائد وأتحملها
حتى تسمح إرادتك القدّوسة بإغاثتي وتعزيتي
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي إجعلني أثق بك ثقة عمياء ،
وأن أتأهب لإحتمال المشقات التي تواجهني
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي إجعل نظري دائم الإتجاه إليك يا مخلصي
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي أنت قوّتي ورجائي وأملي
وطريقي للوصول إلى الخلاص
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

يا ربي إمنحني آخرة صالحة
وإذكرني أللهمَّ متى أتيت في ملكوتك
امييين

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

Virtues Accompany Fasting


Those who fast and gain no benefit have done so in the wrong way. Fasting is not to blame but the method followed.
Such as those who fast bodily without paying attention to the virtues that accompany a fast. Or, those who’s aim is fasting in itself as a the target although it should be a means towards an end, the means of giving the soul the opportunity.
Fasting is a period of intense spirituality, a period for loving God, and adhering to Him. This love for he who fasts helps elevate a person above body and its concerns. It a means of soaring above the worldly things to taste the heavenly matters. It is a period of sacred feelings towards God. At least it cultivates the feeling of closeness and communion with God. It is a period of spiritual struggle: with self, with God, and against the Devil.
The days of fasting are for spiritual strength and a period of storage.
From the depth of spiritual fast, one gains spiritual strength that sustains him during his period of no fasting. He who is honest for instance during Lent, stores up spiritual stock that strengthens him throughout the fifty sacred days following Lent, where neither fasting nor prostration are allowed

He who wants to fast in a spiritual manner, should keep the following points in mind:
1. Fasting should be spiritual in aim and motive
It is not an obligation, for praise, or out of custom. We fast for the love of God above materialistic and bodily things, to give the soul a chance to grow.
2. Fasting should be a period of penitence and purity of heart:
In it, a person leads a holy life, acceptable in the sight of God, confessing his sins, reproaches himself and then partakes of the Holy Sacraments.
3. Fasting should be a period of spiritual nourishment accompanied by an effective spiritual agenda:
To use all the spiritual media available and to concentrate on spiritual rather than bodily matters, Not to focus on the type of vegetable food to be eating but on the sanctity of these days of fasting and what is proper for them so that one's spirit may be strengthened
Fasting leads to the strength of the spirit, and the strength of the spirit leads to fasting.
Virtues which are intermingled, are gained through fasting
Fasting helps one stay up late because of the lightness of one's body. Staying up late leads to reading and prayer. Spiritual reading also helps one to pray. Spiritual work as a whole makes a spiritual person sit up late. Reading is a source of contemplation. Contemplation strengthens prayer which is also a source of contemplation.
Fasting is associated with prostration, which leads to humility and a contrite heart. A subdued body through fasting also leads to a subduing of the soul.
Fasting leads to virtues, which relate to the purpose of fasting.
The Apostles for example, prepares one for service. Nineveh’s fast, aims at repentance. The purpose of a fast, such as Esther's, was to save her people. There are those who fast for others and their fast embodies love, sacrifice, and cooperation. These are all fasts, which relates to with special virtues.
We should remember in our fast that the Lord Jesus Christ fasted while He was filled with the Spirit. As for us let at least fast so that we may become filled with the Spirit.\\




Fasting Accompanies Repentance


Days of fasting days are sacred and man lives them in holiness.
During these days, the mind, heart and body must also be sacred. Fasting is a period of training during which you attempt to approach God and at the same time, sin pulls you away. Therefore, you must eliminate sin through repentance to draw close to God.
While fasting, your body abstains from food, and your soul abstains from every earthly and worldly lust, and all passions that pertain to the body. Through repentance therefore, you approach God. Ask yourself, are you fasting this way?
Without repentance, God rejects and does not accept your fast. You do not gain either heaven or earth and you torment yourself in vain. If you want God to accept your fast, examine your sins, and revoke them. God gave us as a symbol a lesson when He accepted the baptism of repentance before he fasted.




Take the example of the fast of Nineveh:
The Bible says about the people of Nineveh that “every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.“ (Jon 3:8). For this reason, God did not destroy them when He “saw their works, that they turned from their evil way.” (Jon 3:10). The bible did not say: "when He saw their as sackcloth or their fast," but when he saw their repentance which was the principal element of their fast.


In the Book of Joel, we see an example of repentance that accompanies fasting.
The Lord addresses the people through His prophet saying: “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful. “ (Joel 2:12,13). It is clear that fasting was accompanied by repentance and weeping. Therefore, it is not mere abstention from food. Rather, it is inner emotions towards God.
In his fast, the Prophet Daniel offered the repentance of the whole nation.
He fasted, confessing to God, saying: “We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. ... O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face ... O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.” (Dan 9:5-8).
We therefore reconcile with God through fasting.
Do not say: “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? (Ps 13:1). You should rather say: 'How long will I forget You, O Lord, forever? How long will I hide my face from You?
Therefore purify and sanctify your soul. Prepare for these special days, Make ready to have God residing in your hearts and not by merely abstain from food.
If you are in sin, be reconciled with God, and if you are reconciled with Him, deepen your love for Him.
If you removed sinfulness in a fast, continue in the same way afterwards.
Repentance is not confined to fasting alone, but made fit through fasting. Through fasting, man heart is purified, and this purity continues with him.
In all this, be ready to strive against the Devil.
Joshua, son of Sirakh, told his son that if he set forward to serve God, he should prepare himself for all trials.
When the Devil sees your fast and repentance, he becomes envious of your spiritual acts. Thus, he fights you to deprive you of the fruit of your labour and seeks every trick to bring about your downfall, saying: I shall not leave you until you give up. Remember the words of the Apostle Peter, who said, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith. “ (1 Pet 5:9).
Thus, fasting is a period of spiritual warfare as was the case with Jesus Christ. (Matt 4). It is also a period of triumph for him who shares it with Christ.




Fasting Accompanies Prayer and Worship


Fasting without prayer is a bodily act. As such, it loses its spiritual nature and benefit.
Fasting does not mean depriving the body of food, which is a negative aspect. The positive aspect manifests itself in giving the soul its nourishment.
Those who fast without any spiritual act, such as prayer, contemplation, spiritual reading, Psalms, Hymns, or prostration, their fast becomes a useless burden. What is the difference between their fast and that of the Buddhists and Hindus? What role did the Holy Spirit play in your fast?
Fasting provides an opportunity for prayer. A prayer while fasting is more profound than one hundred prayers conducted with a full stomach full and a voice jolting mountains.
The Church teaches us that prayer and fasting are interrelated. In the Lent Fraction during the divine Mass, the statement “Through prayer and fasting” is repeated a number of times. When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about exorcising devils, He said: “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matt 17:21).
Well-known fasts in the Bible were also bound to prayer.


Thus, when Nehemiah fasted, he said: “When I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned ... And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, ... let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night... “ (Neh. 1:4-6). He then started confessing his sins and the sins of his people calling for the Lord’s intervention and mercy.
Ezra's fast was also accompanied by prayers. (Ezra 8:21,23).
The Prophet Daniel's fast was accompanied by prayer and struggle with God. He said, “O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Dan 9:18,19).
In the fast of Nineveh, the people cried “mightily to God” (Jon 3:8).
Therefore, cry to God during your fast, lifting up your abased heart to Him.
Be confident that God will respond to your fast and clamour, and that when He reproaches the winds and the waves, the sea will become calm, How deep indeed are your prayers if conducted on sacred days from a humbled hearts before God through fasting and purified by repentance. How much more profound they become if accompanied by attendance to the Holy Mass and communion.
Train yourself while fasting in the love of prayer and the struggle with God.
In Chapter five, we have written out a up a guide for your prayer.
It is important in prayer, to submit your heart and thought to God.
Do not subdue your conscience with formalities and with shallow readings not emanating from the heart, and then say: " I have fasted and prayed!" God will blame you, saying: “This people honours Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.” (Mark 7:6). Prayer is a fellowship, thus, during your prayer and fasting feel that you are in communion with God.
If consecrating a fasting means devoting it to God, then have you devoted your fasting period to prayer and spiritual work?
Is it a period of prayer, contemplation, spiritual storage, and devotion to God and His company? Are your prayers double or triple those of your regular days? If you have not devoted most of your time to God, have you devoted your feelings and emotions to Him?
Fasting, accompanied by an intimate relationship with God, becomes spiritual enjoyment.
In this kind of enjoyment, one tries to increase his fasts and his food becomes heavy for him because causes him to use his body which took some rest during the hours of abstention.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

Those who fast and gain no benefit have done so in the wrong way. Fasting is not to blame but the method followed.
Such as those who fast bodily without paying attention to the virtues that accompany a fast. Or, those who’s aim is fasting in itself as a the target although it should be a means towards an end, the means of giving the soul the opportunity.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

Fasting is a period of intense spirituality, a period for loving God, and adhering to Him. This love for he who fasts helps elevate a person above body and its concerns. It a means of soaring above the worldly things to taste the heavenly matters. It is a period of sacred feelings towards God. At least it cultivates the feeling of closeness and communion with God. It is a period of spiritual struggle: with self, with God, and against the Devil.