What has been said about spiritual fasting clarifies the meaning of its liturgical names as the beginning of a pure life, a transformation to incorruption, a feat of patience, a prayerful ascent to God, and the clothe of the soul with joy according to God [17].

He who fasts with all his soul really becomes the best, gentle, loving everyone, touched, bright, youthfully cheerful, the keeper of purity of mind and heart, and willing to do all that is good. From his lips one does not hear the condemnation of others, slander and slander. He reverently works for Christ alone, hates the dark, harmful, and bitter deeds of malice, and during the short days of fasting he is all nourished with the heavenly food of God's grace. Overcoming sinful inclinations and the sleep of laziness opens up to him the freedom to pour out a fervent prayer before God. The whole spirit of the purely fasting person is assigned to God, devotes itself to Him alone, and lovingly opens itself to all those around him, like the bright sun shining on the earth [18].

True fasters are not burdened by fasting, they do not lose heart when they abstain from food and passions [19]. In anticipation of their own forgiveness from God, they are filled with the spirit of forgiveness for others [20] and works of mercy. Contemplation of Christ's sufferings on the Cross wounds them with love for Christ and tears them away from all sinful deeds [21].

Peering into the liturgical depiction of the appearance of a spiritually fasting person, it is impossible not to notice that until the time of fasting, the face of his soul is enveloped in darkness. He is locked in selfishness and passion. Fasting breaks the fetters of passions in him. In this regard, the power of his love freely turns to God and people.

Liturgical writing, obviously, considers the ultimate goal of the mental-bodily fast to be the liberation of man's love for God and neighbor from the bondage of passions.

Let us cite a number of literal excerpts from the Lenten Triodion, illustrating and substantiating this conclusion.

In the words of the holy hymn-singers, "those who have enlightened the flesh by fasting are spiritually strengthened by virtues... making holy love his food" [22]. "Fasting out of malice, they enjoy the love of God" [23], "they are reconciled to Him with all the warmth of their hearts" [24] and "they are assigned to Him" [25] "perfectly" [26]. "Those who pray for the forgiveness of their sins are full of peace with all and love for one another" [27].

Briefly and in general, we can say about the purpose of fasting that it is impassibility and at the same time the radiance in impassibility of love for God and people.

In response to the personal love for God of the fasting, the Lord mercifully forgives their sins [28] and reveals His grace-filled brightness [29] and joy [30] in the Holy Spirit.

The revealed liturgical teaching on the essence of spiritual fasting fits into the following formula:

Spiritual fasting is the displacement from the soul of passionate thoughts, feelings, and inclinations by the grace of prayer and feats of humility and mercy, and at the same time a burning with pure love for God and people.

The Christian accompanies the feat of cleansing himself from the movements of pride, self-isolation and self-interest with the strongest tensions: a) to humility, b) to prayer of repentance, and c) to mercy.

And

Humility is a constant and inseparable companion of believers in Christ always, during Lent it is poured out in lamentations, sighs, weeping before God for sins and supplications for their forgiveness. Like the flowing publican, the fasting pray to God in the spiritual cage in contrition, sorrowful, self-condemned, and humble words. Their inner eyes do not see any other sinners around them except themselves. Those who are contrite in spirit and come without high-wise thoughts about themselves, the Lord does not humiliate, but accepts. He gives them the riches of justification and covers their nakedness with the grace of the Holy Spirit. The humble, in the sense of their inner poverty, have cast down their proud minds and pushed away from themselves self-praise, haughty thoughts about themselves, malice, insolence, and a fierce temper. This exalts them in the eyes of God and leads them to God as if by a ladder. The light of grace shines in humble souls quite obviously, since without it they would not be able to deeply see and feel their sinfulness. That is why they sigh so deeply and with repentant sobs, as it were, strike their conscience [31].