Word 7th. About the post

In the essay “Word 7th. About Fasting" talks about the importance of fasting, how to correctly approach fasting as a means of spiritual growth and purification. The author warns those who fast against hypocrisy and writes that fasting should not be considered only as abstinence from food, but as a way of cleansing the soul and body: “For like a poor farmer, if he sows in a field overgrown with bad grass without cultivating the land again, then instead of wheat he will reap thorns, so we, if we sow the seed of prayer without first depressing our body with fasting, then instead of truth we will bear fruit sin." Essay “Word 7th. About fasting" in some manuscripts and publications is attributed to the monk Marcian, and in others to St. Mark the Ascetic. *The title of the work in Greek is Περὶ νηστείας. *The title of the works in Latin is De jejunio. Those who strive must, having begun (the feat of virtue), bring it to the end. For young and old, who have a healthy body and are not afraid of either work or bitterness, it is more useful and firm to love constant fasting with all zeal: to eat bread in measure, and from time to time (in measure) and water, so as to finish dinner, feeling some hunger and thirst, so that the enjoyment of food and drink is not an obstacle to the necessary service of God. For if we, having tasted some food, want to be satisfied with it, then soon, giving in to despondency, we will desire another; when we receive this and are satisfied with it, then we will reject this one, like the first one, and turn to a more pleasant desire; If we receive this too and are satisfied with it, then this last one, like the rest, will be rejected and abandoned. And it is impossible that if we indulge in the desire to console ourselves (with food) more than with fasting, we will (ever) be satisfied. What food was more precious than manna? But when the Israelites, having eaten it, were full, and could wish for nothing better, then they wished for the worst - garlic and scarlet onions (Numbers 11:5). From which it is clear that in saturation lies the desire for something else. So, if, when we are satisfied with bread, we desire other foods, then when we eat it, we will not be satisfied, so that when we are always hungry, we will want to be satisfied with bread, so that we can avoid the harm that comes from desire and acquire truth of the heart. But perhaps one of those who are more lazily inclined to fasting will say: “Is it a sin for a person to eat food?” But we also advise you to beware of this not as a sin, but as a consequence of sin; for the Israelites sinned not by desiring, but by desiring to slander God and fall into wickedness, saying, “Will God be able to prepare a table in this desert?” - and after He had prepared it for them, the wrath of God struck many of their mighty ones (Ps. 77:19, 21, 22, 23). so that they, remaining alive and desiring another kind of food, would not utter words (murmur) against the Most High, and (for this) the last of them would not be destroyed. It is not easy to master a shameless womb, for it is a god to those who are conquered by it, and it is impossible for anyone who obeys it to be innocent. And not only from satiety, but also from not eating food, I see (occurring) disaster, for when we do not eat food for many days, then despondency, having found a place in us, will rise up and fight us and our night vigil casts us into sleep, and our daytime prayer into carnal thoughts, so that we do not receive any benefit due to sleep and are subject to greater harm from carnal thoughts, for, as more than others When we fast, we begin to become arrogant and humiliate the lesser, and so (the opinion of ourselves and our neighbors) is heavier than any sin. Like an unreasonable farmer, if he cultivated his field at many costs and left it unsown, he worked at a loss to himself; Likewise, if we, having enslaved our body with great attention to ourselves, do not sow the seeds of prayer, it will turn out that we have worked against ourselves. But perhaps someone will say: “If prayer is the main work of truth, then what is the need for fasting?” Great in every way, for just as a poor farmer sows in a field overgrown with bad grass without cultivating the land again, then instead of wheat he will reap thorns, so we, if we sow the seed of prayer without first suppressing our body with fasting, then instead of righteousness we will bear the fruits of sin. For this body is from the same earth, and unless it is cultivated with the same diligence as the earth, it will never produce the fruit of righteousness. What we said before this was not said in order to deter those who want to benefit from fasting, but as a warning to those who do not want to harm themselves with it, for just as fasting benefits those who begin it wisely, so it harms those who begin it foolishly. Therefore, those who are concerned about the benefits of fasting must beware of its harm, that is, vanity, and we must divide the bread that we eat at the end of the fast appointed for ourselves into days of not eating food, so that, eating a small portion every day, we can subdue the wisdom of our flesh and have a strong heart in the most useful prayer, so that in this way, by the power of God, having been preserved from exaltation, we will have care all the days of our lives to remain in humility, without which no one can ever please God. If we tried in humility, then there would be no need to punish us, for everything evil and sorrowful that happens to us happens to us for our praise. If an angel of Satan was allowed to attack the apostle, so that he would not become arrogant, “and play dirty tricks on him” (2 Cor. 12:7), how much more so, when we are exalted, Satan himself is allowed to trample on us until we humble ourselves. Our forefathers owned houses, had wealth, had wives, cared for children, and at the same time, because of their insatiable humility, they talked with God, but we withdrew from the world, despised wealth, left our homes and, thinking that we were with God, were mocked by demons for our exaltation. He who exalts himself does not know himself, for if he saw his own madness and weakness, he would not be exalted, but how can he who does not know himself know God? If he could not know his own madness, in which he remains, then how will he be able to know the wisdom of God, from which he is far and alien? He who knows God contemplates His greatness and, reproaching himself, says like blessed Job: “I heard Thee first by the ear, but now my eye has seen Thee: therefore I have reproached myself, and I have fallen, and I consider myself earth and ashes” (Job 42:5, 6). So those who imitate Job know him. Therefore, if we also desire to see God, let us reproach ourselves and be humble, so that we not only see Him before us, but, having Him living and resting in us, enjoy Him; for in this way our foolishness will be made wise by His wisdom and our weakness will be strengthened by His power in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us abundantly worthy of this gift, so that He may be glorified in us and our enemy Satan, our rival, may be most put to shame by us. For to Him (Jesus Christ) belongs glory and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: