Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

45On Fasts 89 90Quintessence of Religious Doctrinescertain fishes and flesh. During the Passover the Israeliteswere to keep away from eating leavened bread. Elijah, thegreat Jewish prophet observed fast for forty days. Joshua,the son of Nun, was able to keep the celestial bodies still, bythe power he gained through prayer and fasting.3. Was ordered, practised and taught by our Lord.Ref: (a) Mt. 4:2. And when he had fasted forty days andforty nights, he was afterward an hungered. (K.J.V.)(b) Mt. 9:15. And Jesus said unto them, Can the childrenof the bride chamber mourn, as long as thebridegroom is with them? But the days will comewhen the bridegroom shall be taken from them andthen shall they fast. (K.J.V.)CommentEven Jesus our Lord observed fast for forty days. It was thespiritual strength that He gained from this fast, which fortifiedHim to have decisive victory over the seductive strategy ofSatan. In His teachings, Jesus further emphasised that onecould cast off the evil spirits with the power of prayer andfasting.4. And was observed by the Apostles and accordingly confirmed,ordered and practised by the Church as part of Her discipline.Ref: Acts. 13:2. While they were serving the Lord andfasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart forme, Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which Ihave called them”. (G.N.B.)CommentFrom the book of Praxis or The Acts of the Apostles, it canbe gathered that the Holy Apostles also observed fast liketheir Master. One of the sources of their spiritual strengthwas fasting. In line with the Apostolic tradition and with thelessons that She learned from the Semitic cradle of training,the S.O.C. vouches on the efficacy of fasting and theinexorable value of it, in spiritual life.5. But physical or bodily fasting without spiritual abstinence fromevil is not enough at all.Ref: (a) Mt. 6:16. “And when you fast do not put on a sadface, as the hypocrites do, they neglect theirappearance so that everyone will see that they arefasting. I assure you, they have already been paidin full. (G.N.B.)(b) vide. Is. 58:77(c) vide. Num. 7:7CommentAbstinence from food alone, without spiritual nourishments,like prayer and meditation will emaciate both the body andthe soul equally. On the contrary physical abstinence fromfood coupled with spiritual exercises would fortify the personobserving fast.6. The intentions of fasting are the following: To instruct to valuemore of matters spiritual than worldly, to subdue bodilytemptations and foster the soul, to defend the soul from bodilydesires and to awaken and orient it to things divine. And to bea weapon to have victory over Satan. As love of the stomach isthe mother of many a sin, abstaining oneself from food is a wayto prevent the evil arising from consuming food.Ref: (a) Phil. 3:19...They worship their stomach and bragabout the disgusting things they do. (L.B.)(b) Mt. 17:21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but byprayer and fasting. (K.J.V.)CommentThe purposes or intentions and the merits of fasting arebrought out here. Fasting, on the whole, brings in spiritualorientation and equilibrium besides victory over carnaldesires. In the prayers of the S.O.C. it is extolled thatobservance of fasting is a sure device to gain victory overSatan and his primrose ways, which lead to eternaldamnation. Fasting uplifts a person from the terrestrial realmto the celestial plane.