Слово 16. Относительно разрешения обета поста

It is good and very pleasing to God and salutary for us if, with good will, we complete the vows that lie upon us, which we have given to God. In this case, we are in fact fulfilling what was said by the prophet Jonah: I will devour You with a voice of praise and confession; I will repay You as I have promised, for my salvation to the Lord (Jonah 2:10). If we are exhausted from old age, or due to frequent illnesses, and cannot go without food all day on Wednesday and Friday, then we will wait until evening time, and then we will allow fasting with light and simple food, and not to the point of overeating, but to somewhat alleviate only bodily weakness. This is what the great Apostle Paul teaches us, who writes to Timothy, saying: Child Timothy, who has not drunk water, but has taken little wine, stomaha for your sake and frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23). Know also that fasting is legalized for us to mortify carnal passions and lusts that defile the inner man, as the prophet said: But at times they coldly clothed me in sackcloth and humbled my soul with fasting (Ps. 34:13). When the flesh is weakened by old age or illness, then it is necessary to strengthen it with light food so that it is able to serve the soul in its spiritual functions, assisting prayer by bowing, standing and performing the necessary services. And we should also diligently observe to fast spiritually, abstaining from all spiritual passions, which are: envy, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, sneakiness, lies, hypocrisy, Jewish love of money and godless covetousness, and the cause of all evil is pride. Complete abstinence from these soul-destroying passions is true fasting and favorable to God; and mere abstinence in food not only does not bring us any benefit, but also serves as a reason for great condemnation, likening us to demons, as it is said in the stichera: “My soul has fasted from food and has not cleansed itself of passions, rejoicing in vain in not eating; eating." May the Lord deliver us from their hypocrisy. You might be interested in: