Historically, there has almost always been some kind of engaged fast in preparation for the historical celebration within the Holy Orthodox Church of the Resurrection(Pascha) of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ either by catechumen or full-fledged member! While church historians love a good debate regarding the particulars of when it began and what it included, the fact that there was some kind of fast associated with the feast is generally settled, there was one. For some it included a rigorous one day, all day fast before the feast, for others a more lengthy and slightly less-intense extended fast. It included fasts that involved the complete abstinence of all food all the way to lesser fasts or small abstinences that restricted only some or certain foods. Over the first few centuries, different churches in different parts of the world experienced at least as many variances of fasting. However, as the church matured she continually sought out the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom saw fit to unify the pre-Resurrection fasting of the faithful throughout the whole world.
It was then revealed in time to the Bride of Christ, through the life of the Holy Church across the globe that it would be good and holy for all Orthodox Christians to fast in loving unison, in preparation for this most Holy and Honored Feast of Feasts. The church, very “organically” if you will, settled on a fast (errr abstinence) of a forty-day period leading up to the Great and Holy Week before the celebration of the Resurrection. That is, by the action and revelation of the Holy Spirit, the Forty Day Fasting period came out of a Holy accord within the church, whereby Orthodox Christians all over the world began to embrace this extended fast, which was already well known to the Holy Fathers even in the third and fourth centuries. The forty-day period may be likened also the Lords forty-day fast in the wilderness!
Now in regards to the why, let’s be clear, there is no single answer, if someone tries to give you only one as the foundation and whole, I would reject it for being the "only reason," for since all human beings are different, struggling with different and varied passions, the Lord may choose to allow the fast to work differently for each of us and that must be allowed. The fast allows us so many opportunities to grow in our faith and also in our appreciation of the abundance of God’s Grace and earthly bounty! For he or she who truly engages the Holy Fast, they will be:
- Tempering their earthly wants and engaging real freedom (taking only what they need, leaving what they don’t, rather than simply taking by animal impulse alone),
- Reflecting on Eden where our diet was simple and good,
- Reflecting on God Whom is the giver of all good things,
- Creating opportunity to necessarily try and experience new and varied foods and experiences guided by temperance rather than consuming through the monotony of impulse eating,
- Replacing some of the time spent eating with prayer and reflection,
- Engaging ascetical practice with millions of their Orthodox brothers and sisters at the same times and moments,
- Purifying their bodies of some luxury in order that the luxury and Joy of the Great and Holy Feast may be experienced in all its glory,
- Opening themselves up to, by removal of some things unnecessary, to the filling of a void that can and will be filled with God’s Grace and the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
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