Spring of Spiritual Life Spiritual life is just like physical life, it passes through the four seasons throughout the persons lifespan. This fasting period has many names, for instance we say Holy fast because all its days are precious or we call it the Big fast due to being the longest fast of the year …
THE DEPENDENCE OF THE CREATION ON THE CHILD OF SWADDLING CLOTHES O wise man, come, see the babe in the swaddling clothes, recognize in Him how the whole creation depends on His bidding. Again wonder at Him, while placed in the manger in Ephrathah He was governing the sea and the land together with His …
Fasting is the champion of every virtue, the beginning of the struggle, the crown of the abstinent, the beauty of virginity and holiness, the resplendence of chastity, the commencement of the path of Christianity, the mother of prayer, the well-spring of sobriety and prudence, the teacher of stillness, and the precursor of all good …
+ “The Bible says “He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt10:38). Carrying the cross includes the fatigue of the fast because the fast subdues the wild soul, and crucifies the desires, and by that, the soul will be purified and spiritual wings will grow for …
Fasting is a medicine. But medicine, as beneficial as it is, becomes useless because of the inexperience of the user. He has to know the appropriate time that the medicine should be taken and the right amount of medicine and the condition of the body, which is to take it, the weather conditions and the …
A leader of a community asked Abba Poemen: “How can I gain the fear of God?” Abba Poemen replied: “How indeed can we gain the fear of God when we have bellies full of cheese and jars of salted fish?” Abba Poemen thus teaches us that the ultimate goal of fasting is to help lead …
THE GREAT FAST (LENT) This fasting period has many names. For instance we call it the Holy Fast because all its days are precious or we call it the Great Fast due to it being the longest fast of the year, extending 55 days. It’s also known as the Forty Day Fast, remembering that Christ …
We all know Lent to be a period of asceticism, whereby we limit what we desire to eat for spiritual revival and growth, as quoted by St Isaac the Syrian: “There can be no knowledge of the mysteries of God on a full stomach.” So knowing this, acknowledging that the period of lent is meant …
If there were patron saints for working out during the holy fasting periods, it would have to be Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. During Israel’s exile in Babylon, while being captives, they refused to eat the King’s delicacies opting for just vegetables and water, begging that they may be tested after 10 days on their …
Fasting, neither above nor below your ability, will help you in your vigil. One should not ponder divine matters on a full stomach, say the ascetics. For the well-fed, even the most superficial secrets of the Trinity lie hidden. Christ Himself set the example with His long fast; when He drove out the devil He …
