The first commandment of God to man: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…” The first sin: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

(1) Fasting reminds us of Adam’s disobedience. He was given one rule- “don’t eat from this tree” – and he disobeyed it. When we fast, we strive to undo the negative effects of sin.

(2) Fasting is an exercise of the soul. Like a spiritual push-up or a sit-up, the exercise of abstaining from certain foods is a way of strengthening our willpower to do good and to abstain from evil.

(3) Fasting teaches us to live simply. There are many things in life that we believe we must have, but in reality we are kidding ourselves. We can live without them. In fasting, we simplify our diets.

(4) Fasting is a “spiritual stress test.” Like the physical stress test, which places the body under duress to help identify otherwise unknown ailments, fasting puts stress on a person’s soul, and if he/she is willing to endure the stress, he/she can learn much about his/her inner being. Permit me to use my own experience. Over the years I noticed that during the long fast of Lent I became a rather crabby or perhaps angry person, who found fault all around me. The temptation is to tell myself that my anger exists because I am fasting perhaps too strictly. Over time I began to realize that the anger exists within me… the problem is not the fasting, but rather me. The stress of fasting simply brought to the surface the anger that existed all along. I had to learn to deal with my anger.

Ancient fasting was the complete abstinence from all food and drink. This is the fast that we do on the day we receive Holy Communion; it was the fast done in antiquity for one-three days before Pascha. In monasteries this absolute fast is maintained for one-three days at the beginning of Lent and on Holy Friday. The Moslems do something very close to this on Ramadan, the month in which they eat and drink nothing during the daylight hours.

Over time as the days of fasting increased in number, the severity of fasting decreased. From the original practice of eating absolutely nothing, later consuming bread and water was introduced. From bread and water, boiled vegetables, fruits, etc. were added.

The fasting days are as follows, though the strictness of fasting varies:

(1) All Fridays and Wednesdays, with the exception of certain holiday periods

(2) Nov. 15 – Dec. 24; Aug. 1-14; the Monday following All Saints Day until June 28, Jan. 5, Aug. 29 & Sept. 14

The rules of fasting before Pascha (Easter) in their current form are as follows:

(1) No meat from Meatfare Sunday until Easter (Pascha).

(2) No dairy products from Cheesefare Sunday, the day before Great Lent, until Pascha.

(3) Fish only on designated holidays- Annunciation, Palm Sunday and possibly Lazaros Saturday.

(4) Wine and olive oil (or according to some, any alcohol and any vegetable oil) only on Saturdays and Sundays and on designated feasts- Annunciation, the Forty Martyrs - March 9, and Archangel Gabriel- March 26.

Fasting is also about abstinence from sin. When we fast, we are called to be careful about the words we speak and the things that we watch on television and in the movies. We are called to forgive one another. Fasting is a multi-dimensional and deeply beneficial practice.

Personal: It’s all in your mind! If you have made up your mind that you cannot fast, then you can’t. Without the desire, fasting is an exercise in frustration. I suggest that you work your way into fasting in small steps. Start with Holy Week and the first week of Lent and then when you get used to it, you can work your way up.

Of course fasting is difficult, both physically and socially. Do as much as you can. Be flexible and discreet. It is often better to compromise your fasting than it is to make your “suffering” the topic of discussion.

Fasting is not always pleasant, but it is beneficial!