Page 45 - AlNashra issue 2 - 2023

life is now hidden with Christ in God... You have If you are to define fasting, it can be defined as

taken off the old man and his deeds with him, a time when the Lord to act (Psalm 119:126),

and put on the new man, the one who walks to when both time and place are sanctified, as well

true knowledge in his renewal in the image of as everything that we try to offer to the Lord.

his Creator… (Col. 2: 20- 21; 3: 1-10). We can also define the term as empathizing for

If we meditate on these passages, along with another person and a manifestation of love, and
many others in the Bible, we notice that they this is established in Christian texts since the first
explain to us what it means to be Christians. centuries. For centuries, the faithful have believed
Each of us, being baptized in the name of the that fasting is a manifestation of love from the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, says, “I am fasting person to another human being. In this
a Christian.” The first person, in Arabic the affix context, we have a useful teaching of St. John
pronoun of the adjective “Christian,” means that Chrysostom: “For the value of fasting consists
every baptized person is affiliated with Christ, not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing
meaning that he or she has become, in their from sinful practices. For let not the mouth
only fast, but also the eye, and the ear, and the
entirety, of Christ’s essence. As for affiliation feet, and the hands, and all the members of our
with Christ, it is a journey achieved daily, and bodies. Let the hands fast, by being pure from

each of us achieves it through our death from rapine and avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing
the world and its pillars, which are different from running to the unlawful spectacles. Let the
sins, and they drive us to Jesus Christ so that eyes fast, being taught never to fix themselves
we may dwell in Him and become part of His rudely upon handsome countenances, or to busy
creation: This is the path of light. Fasting is an themselves with strange beauties. For looking
important pillar in our Christian life because it is the food of the eyes, but if this be such as
helps us fight the good contest, that is, to fulfill is unlawful or forbidden, it mars the fast; and
the meaning of being Christians, as we seek to upsets the whole safety of the soul; but if it be
let our light shine before men so that they may lawful and safe, it adorns fasting. For it would be
see your good works and glorify our Father in among things the most absurd to abstain from
heaven.
lawful food because of the fast, but with the eyes

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