Tonight we explored an often neglected aspect of the spiritual life; or one might better say an essential part of the spiritual life – Fasting. Throughout the spiritual tradition, we have heard the Saints tell us that “prayer without fasting is weak” or that “where there is no prayer and fasting there are demons.”
With the coming of Christ, however, we see a unique and distinctive meaning of fasting emerge. It is not only a discipline to help order the appetites or a form of penitence. It is tied directly to Christ: what we see in His practice and in what He teaches us about it. His own fasting is guided by the Holy Spirit in preparation for embracing the Father’s will, and His desire that it might be accomplished. Beyond this, Christ teaches us that our practice of fasting is forever tied to our desire for Him. He is the Heavenly Bridegroom and each soul the Bride. We see and experience in Him the One alone who can satisfy the deepest desires of the human heart. He is the Bread of Life.
The focus of our discussion this night was on recapturing not only the practice of fasting, but seeing it as something that is to be “loved”, precisely because it draws us to Christ. It is not a discipline but a path to draw nearer to the Beloved.
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Text of chat during the group:
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XV, Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy-One, Part III and Letter Seventy-Two, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XV, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy-One, Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part VI and Hypothesis XIV, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy, Part II and Seventy-One, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part V
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Nine, Part III and Letter Seventy, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part IV
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Nine, Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Eight, Part II and Letter Sixty-Nine, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Eight, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Seven, Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part IV
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Seven, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Six, Part II
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