Fasting is useful at any time for those who raise it, because the demons do not dare to attack the fasting person, but the guardians of our life – the Angels – are more active with those who have cleansed their souls by fasting. But it is much more useful now, when a sermon about it is proclaimed throughout the entire universe. And there is not a single island, nor solid land, nor city, nor people, nor remote land, where this preaching is not heard; on the contrary, the military camps, and the travelers, and the seafarers, and the merchants, all the same hear and joyfully accept the command. Therefore, let no one exclude himself from the list of fasting people, in which all kinds of people, all ages, all differences of rank are entered. Angels in every church record the fasting. For the sake of the short-term enjoyment of food, see to it that you do not lose the angelic record, and before the one who recruits soldiers, do not be found guilty of escaping from the military ranks. There is less danger if someone is accused of fleeing from battle without a shield than when it turns out that he has abandoned the great weapon of fasting. Are you rich? Do not overdo [18] the fast, without deigning to give him a place at your meal; do not send him away from your house, dishonorably forcing him to suffer contempt from voluptuousness, lest the fast in time slander you before the Lawgiver of fasts, and as a punishment impose on you a greater abstinence from food, either because of a bodily ailment or some other sad circumstance. Poor man, do not mock fasting, for it has long been in your house and at your table. And it is as natural for women to fast as it is to breathe. Children, like flowering plants, let them be watered with the water of fasting. For the elders, the work is made easy by an old acquaintance with fasting, because the labors established by long-term habit become less boring for those who practice them. For travelers, fasting is an advantageous companion; For just as luxury forces one to burden oneself with burdens and carry with one what is necessary for enjoyment, so fasting makes them easy and free in action. Moreover, when a long march is prescribed, soldiers store up what is necessary, and not what serves luxury; And for us, who go out against invisible enemies and, after defeating them, hasten to our fatherland, is it not much more proper than those who live in a military camp to be content with what is necessary? Suffer evil, for a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3), and strive lawfully, that you may be crowned, knowing that everyone who strives will abstain from all (1 Cor. 9:25).

But we must not ignore what has come to my mind now, while I have said this, namely, that the worldly soldiers, according to their labors, are given the provisions of life; and spiritual warriors, the less food they have, the more merit they have. For as our helmet is of different natures with perishable things: the substance of the latter is brass, but ours is made of the hope of salvation (1 Thess. 5:8); and their shield is made of wood and leather, but we have a shield of the stronghold of faith; we are also clothed with the armor of righteousness (Eph. 6:14), and they wear some kind of mail; and our sword for defense is the sword of the Spirit, and they defend themselves with the sword of iron; Thus, obviously, it is not the same food that gives strength to both, but we are strengthened by the dogmas of piety, and for these we need the feeding of the belly. And so, since the returning circle of time has brought to us these much-desired days, let us all receive them with joy, as our ancient educators, through whom the Church has raised us up for piety. Therefore, intending to fast, do not be discouraged in the Jewish way, but show yourself cheerful in the Gospel way (Matt. 6:16), not lamenting the poverty of the stomach, but rejoicing in your soul over spiritual delights. For you know that the flesh lusts after the spirit, but the spirit lusts after the flesh [19] (Gal. 5:17). Since these are opposed to one another, let us take away from the flesh its boldness, and let us increase the strength of the soul, so that, with the help of fasting, we may gain victory over the passions, and be crowned with crowns of abstinence.

Therefore, prepare yourself to become worthy of the most venerable fast, do not spoil tomorrow's abstinence with today's drunkenness. This is a bad reasoning, this deceitful thought: "Since a five-day fast is foretold to us, today we will plunge into drunkenness." No one, intending to enter into a lawful marriage with an honest woman, brings concubines and lewd women into his house beforehand, because the lawful wife will not tolerate cohabitation with the depraved. Therefore, in anticipation of fasting, do not introduce drunkenness to you, this prostitute of the people, this mother of shamelessness, ridiculous, frenzied, prone to disorder of all kinds; for fasting and prayer will not enter into a soul defiled by drunkenness. The Lord accepts the fasting person inside the sacred fences, but does not admit the drunkard as filthy and alien to the holy. If tomorrow you come, emitting the smell of wine, and rotten wine at that, then shall I impute to you your drunkenness during Lent? Reason not about the fact that you have not poured wine into yourself recently, but about the fact that you have not yet been cleansed of wine. Where shall I rank thee? To the drunkards or to the fasting? The previous drunkenness attracts you to itself, and the present non-eating testifies to fasting. Drunkenness contests you as its slave and will not rightly depart from you, presenting clear proofs of your slavery, namely, the smell of wine, which remains in you as in a barrel. Thus, the first day of Lent will not be real for you, because the remnants of ecstasy are stored in you. And where the beginnings are worthless, there, obviously, everything loses its value. Drunkards... The kingdom of God is not inherited (1 Cor. 6:10). If you start fasting drunk, what is the use to you? For if drunkenness shuts up the doors of the kingdom before you, will it be profitable to fast? Do you not see that those who are experienced in riding the horses appointed for the hunting [20] of horses, when they are waiting for the day of the race, prepare for this by not giving them food? And you deliberately burden yourself with overeating. So much surpasses the dumb in gluttony! A burdened womb is not only incapable of running speed, but also of sleep, because being constrained by the multitude of food taken, it does not allow you to lie still, but forces you to often toss and turn from one side to the other.

Fasting protects infants, chastes the young, makes the old man venerable: for gray hair adorned with fasting is more worthy of respect. Fasting is the most decent adornment of women, a bridle in the flower of years, the protection of marriage, the educator of childhood. Such are the services of fasting for each individual house. But how does it regulate our life in society? At once a whole city and a whole people are brought to the deanery, silences the shouts, pacifies strife, silences reproach. What teacher by his arrival stops the noise of children so instantaneously, as the coming fast calms the excitement in the city? What kind of lover of intemperance appeared during the fast? What kind of dissolute assembly was formed by fasting? Tender smiles, prodigal songs, frantic dances suddenly depart from the city, banished by fasting, as if by some strict judge. If all had accepted him as an adviser in their affairs, there would have been nothing to prevent a profound peace in the whole universe: nations would not have rebelled against one another; armies would not engage in battle with each other. When fasting reigned, then weapons would not be forged, no judgments would be held, and others would not be kept in chains; in a word, there would be no robbers in the deserts, no slanderers in the cities, no robbers in the sea. If everyone were disciples of fasting, then, according to the words of Job, there would be no voice at all gathering tribute (Job 3:18). Our life would not be so deplorable and full of despondency if fasting were the main ruler of our lives. For, as is evident, he would teach everyone not only to abstain from food, but also to completely withdraw and alienate ourselves from the love of money, covetousness, and every vice, after the destruction of which nothing would prevent us from leading a life of deep peace and serenity of soul. Now those who reject fasting and pursue luxury as the bliss of life, have introduced this great swarm of evils and, moreover, damage their own bodies.

Notice the difference between faces, how they will appear to you tonight and how they will appear to-morrow. Today, the faces are swollen, red, moistened with fine sweat, the eyes are just as moist and impudent, because of the inner obscuration they are devoid of the fidelity of sensation; but tomorrow the faces will be calm, sedate, will take on a natural color, will be full of intelligence and complete clarity of consciousness, because there will be no cause within that darkens natural actions. Fasting is likening oneself to angels, cohabiting with the righteous, teaching a chaste life. He made Moses a lawgiver. The fruit of fasting is Samuel. While fasting, Anna prayed to God: Adona'i Lord Elo'i Sava'of! If I look upon Thy servant, and give me the seed of a man, I will give it before Thee as a gift: he shall not drink wine or strong drink until the day of his death (cf. 1 Sam. 1:11). He milked the great Sampson; and until he was separated from him, his enemies fell by the thousands, the gates of the city were torn open,21 and the lions could not withstand the strength of his hands. But when drunkenness and fornication took possession of him, he was caught by his enemies and, deprived of his eyes, was exposed to the ridicule of the children of foreigners. Elijah, who fasted, shut up heaven for three years and six months. Since he saw that much impudence is born from gluttony, he of necessity imposed on them an involuntary fast, a hunger, with which he stopped their sin that had already spread beyond measure, by fasting, as if by cauterization or cutting, interrupting the further spread of evil.

Receive him, poor people, as your companion and companion. Accept it, slaves, as a respite from the uninterrupted labors of service. Receive it, you rich ones: it will heal you from the harm caused by gluttony, and through a change it will make more pleasant what is neglected out of habit. Receive it, you sick people: it is the mother of health. Receive it, you who are healthy: it is the guardian of your bodily strength. Ask the doctors, and they will tell you that an excess of health is the most dangerous; For this reason the most experienced by fasting destroy the superfluous, so that under the burden of fattened flesh the strength is not broken. For, by abstaining from food, deliberately destroying what was beyond measure, they give the nourishing power some scope, support, and the beginning of a new increase.

Thus, the benefits of fasting are open to every kind of life, to every state of the body: fasting is equally appropriate everywhere — both in homes and in marketplaces, and night and day, in cities and in deserts. Therefore, let us joyfully accept fasting, which on so many occasions brings us its blessings, let us accept, according to the word of the Lord, not complaining, as hypocrites (cf. Matt. 6:16), but guilelessly showing spiritual joy.

And I think it will not be so much difficult for me to persuade you to accept fasting, as to keep it, so that anyone today does not fall into the disastrous consequences of drunkenness; for many people observe fasting both out of habit and out of shame before one another. But I am afraid of drunkenness, which the wine-hunters cherish as a kind of paternal heritage; for some fools, as if preparing for a long journey, are loaded with wine today for the five days of fasting. Who is so foolish as to go mad like drunken men before he has yet begun to drink? Do you know that the belly does not keep the pledge given to it? It is the most unfaithful ally in the treaties. This is a storehouse that does not save anything. If much is invested in it, then the harm retains in itself, and does not preserve what is invested. See that when you come back from drunkenness tomorrow, you will not be told what you have read today: "I have not chosen such a fast, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 58:6). Why do you unite the incompatible? What kind of communication is fasting with drunkenness? What does drinking wine have in common with abstinence? What is the foundation of the Church of God from an idol (2 Corinthians 6:16)? For the temple of God is those in whom the Spirit of God dwells, and the temple of idols are those who, through drunkenness, receive into themselves the impurities of intemperance. Today is the threshold of Lent. But he who is defiled on the threshold is not worthy to enter the sanctuary. No servant, desiring to gain favor with his master, uses his enemy as an intercessor and conciliator. Drunkenness is enmity against God, and fasting is the beginning of repentance. Therefore, if you want to return to God through confession, flee from drunkenness, so that it does not separate you from God even more.

However, for a laudable fast, abstinence from food alone is not enough; but let us fast with a pleasant fast, pleasing to God. True fasting is the shunning of evil, the abstinence of the tongue, the suppression of anger in oneself, the excommunication of lusts, backbiting, lies, and perjury; abstaining from this is true fasting. This post is a great thing. Let us delight in the Lord (Psalm 36:4) in the instruction of the words of the Spirit, in the reception of salvific laws, and in all the teachings that serve for the correction of our souls.

Let us guard against that fast in secret, for deliverance from which the prophet prays, saying: "The Lord will not kill the souls of the righteous with hunger" (Proverbs 10:3); and, "Not seeing the righteous man is forsaken, asking for bread from below his seed" (Psalm 36:25). For he did not say this about sensual loaves, knowing that the children of our patriarch Jacob went to Egypt for loaves, but he speaks of spiritual nourishment, by which our inner man is perfected. Let not the fast come upon us, with which the Jews were threatened: "Behold, the days are coming, saith the Lord, and I will send upon this land a famine, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). This famine was sent upon them by the righteous Judge, when He saw that their minds were tormented by hunger from not tasting the teachings of the truth, and their outer man was becoming excessively fat and white. Therefore, in all the following days, the Holy Spirit will treat you with morning and evening joy.

Let no one arbitrarily deprive himself of the spiritual feast. Let us all partake of the sober chalice, which Wisdom has dissolved and equally offered us, so that each one may draw as much as he can contain. For dissolve thy cup, and sacrifice thy sacrificial [22] (Prov. 9:2), that is, the food of the perfect, those who have senses, is taught by long teaching in the discernment of good and evil (Heb. 5:14). Having been nourished by this abundantly, that we may be found worthy of the joy of the bridal chamber in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion for ever, Amen.

Discourse 3. On the words: "Take heed unto thyself" (Deut. 15:9)

God, Who created us, has given us the use of the word, so that we may open to each other the counsels of the heart, and that each of us, according to the sociability of nature, should convey his thoughts to his neighbor, as if from certain treasuries, bringing them out of the mysteries of the heart. If we lived with a soul uncovered by anything, we could immediately understand each other, according to the same thoughts. But since thoughts are produced in us by the soul, which is covered with a veil, that is, by the flesh, words and names are needed to reveal what is hidden in the depths. Therefore, our thought, as soon as it receives the sound that signifies it, is transported in the word, as in a boat, and having crossed through the air, passes from the speaker to the listener. And if it finds deep silence and silence, then the word takes refuge in the ears of those who learn, as in a calm and serene harbor. But if confusion arises in the hearers like a fierce storm, the word, scattered in the air, will be shipwrecked.