A special word must be said about fasting during lent. Generally
speaking, fasting is an essential element of the Christian Life. Christ
fasted and taught men to fast. Blessed fasting is done in secret,
without ostentation or accusation of others (Mt 6:16; Rom 14).
It has as its goal the purification of our lives, the liberation of our
souls and bodies from sin, the strengthening of our human powers of love
for God and man, the enlightening of our entire being for communion
with the Blessed Trinity.
The Orthodox rules for lenten fasting are the monastic rules. No meat
is allowed after Meatfare Sunday, and no eggs or dairy products after
Cheesefare Sunday. These rules exist not as a Pharisaic “burden too hard
to bear” (Lk 11:46), but as an ideal to be striven for; not as
an end in themselves, but as a means to spiritual perfection crowned in
love. The lenten services themselves continually remind us of this.
Let us fast with a fast pleasing to the Lord. This is the true fast: the casting off of evil, the bridling of the tongue, the cutting off of anger, the cessation of lusts, evil talking, lies and cursing. The stopping of these is the fast true and acceptable. (Monday Vespers of the First Week)
The lenten services also make the undeniable point that we should not
pride ourselves with external fasting since the devil also never eats!
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