Throughout the year, our Coptic Orthodox Church has many days of Fasting; everyone in our Church should be fasting during these special days. Fasting is when you don’t eat certain foods. The Holy Bible gives us many examples of fasting and how important it is for ALL OF US to fast together. “So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23 The people of Nineveh fasted After Jonah was saved from the BIG fish, God told him to go to a place called Nineveh. Jonah obeyed and told all the people that if they don’t start obeying God the city will be destroyed. The people believed Jonah, so they all fasted and asked God to forgive them. God heard their prayers and saw that they weren’t doing bad things anymore and forgave them. (Jonah 3:5-10) The people of Nineveh were saved by their prayer and fasting. Queen Esther and the people fasted In the Holy Bible, there is a story about Queen Esther; she had a problem that needed to be solved. She told all the people to fast and pray. “Fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise” (Esther 4:16). Everyone obeyed and fasted with her, she did not fast alone. By their prayer and fasting the problem was solved! Fasting is something that God commanded us to do and Jonah and Queen Esther show us how powerful fasting is. Every fast in our church has a reason. Did you know that throughout the year our Church fasts every Wednesday and Friday (except for 50 days after the Resurrection Feast)? It was on Wednesday when Judas betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ and on Friday, our Lord Jesus Christ was on the cross. This is why we fast on these days every week. In the church history also, we know this famous story about the move of the “Mokkatam Mountain” by fasting & prayer: there once was a ruler who challenged the Pope with the verse in the Bible that by faith, we can move mountains. The Pope asked the WHOLE congregation to fast and pray for three days and the miracle happened, the mountain has moved & the sun rays were seen from underneath. Other examples of people who fasted are found in the Holy Bible:
1- Moses fasted for forty days & forty nights before he received the Commandments from God (Deuteronomy 9) 2- Elijah also fasted for forty days &forty nights before he had a revelation from God (I Kings 19) 3- Daniel & the 3 Young Youths fasted in the King’s Palace (Daniel 2) 4- Our Lord Jesus Christ fasted forty days & forty nights to teach us to fast (Matthew 2) Should fasting be only in secret? Fasting can be in secret if it’s an individual fast which means the person decided upon the guidance of his/her father of confession to offer a fast before an interview or before making a major decision in life. There is another kind of fast that can be revealed and be known by everybody which is called corporal fast or church fast or congregational fast. This kind of fast the believers practice it together. For example, Great Lent, Apostles fast, etc. There are many examples of the congregational fast in the Holy Bible; 1- God’s people fasted in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. “Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dust on their heads” Nehemiah 9: 1 2- God’s people fast in the days of Joel the prophet. "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, and call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.” Joel 2:12&15 3- The apostles fasted together. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:2-3 Here we how important for the apostles to fast together before laying of hands of the apostleship. Corporal or congregational fasting is evident and biblical teaching. It demonstrates unity of the members of the Body of Christ. During this fast nobody is more distinguished than the other, but everyone still keeps the depth and the level of his fast in secret. Orthodox Christians have fixed times for fasting. Each time has a significant spiritual meaning. Having fixed times for fasting is a biblical teaching "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.” Zechariah 8:19 Here we find God has assigned fixed times every year to be for certain celebrations. Orthodox Christians have a fasting system that is biblically supported In our Orthodox church, we abstain from eating for a certain time then after which the person eats vegetarian food (void of animals’ fats). What are the biblical references to eating vegetarian during fasting? 1- The food which God gave Adam and Eve in Paradise was vegetarian. “Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food”. Genesis 1:29 2- Meat was only allowed to be eaten after the flood and coming out of Noah’s Ark. “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” Genesis 9:2 3- In The wilderness of Sinai, God gave His people vegetarian food. ‘The manna”. “The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.” Numbers 11:7-8 God did not allow them to eat meet except when they wailed and groaned and were low in spirit. 4- Daniel and the three youths ate vegetarian, God blessed those foods so their health was better than all the kings’ servants. The Orthodox Christians do not abstain from eating meet and its product during fasting as unclean foods but as an ascetic (disciplined) practice. The Orthodox Church ABSTAINS from eating animal products only during fasting but The Church does NOT PROHIBIT it. Who have the authority to regulate the fasting and its time and length? The Church (the Holy Synod consisting of the patriarch and the Bishops) is given full authority to make these decisions decide. Who gave the church that authority? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself when He said "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 * What foods we should and should not eat during the fast? Even kids can fast, talk about fasting with Abouna so he can tell you how you should fast. WE SHOULD ALL FAST TOGETHER!!
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December 2017
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