Fasting, from the Stories of the Desert Fathers

[Shin]

Concerning Abba Arsenios, Abba Daniel told us that "the Elder stayed with us so many years, and we would give him only one basket of wheat for the entire year; we, too, ate from it when we went to his cell."

The Elder ate fruit -- Abba Daniel continued -- but once a year, in the autumn. He would say to us of his own accord, "Bring me some fruit," and we would take it to him. Only then did he taste of the fruit, giving thanks to God. Behold and see how he overcame self-gratification by continence, but also counteracted vainglory and pride by partaking of fruit only once a year.

Abba John the Short said: "If the Fathers of Sketis would eat bread and salt, they compelled themselves even to do this; that is to say, they did not even eat these things without restraint. For this reason they had the strength to fulfill the commandments of God."

It was said of Abba Markarios that whenever he had occasion to eat with the brothers, he set the following rule for himself: "If there is wine, drink it for the sake of the brothers; but for every cup of wine, you will not drink water for a whole day." The brothers would give him wine for the sake of refreshment, and the elder would drink it with joy in order to goad himself.

But his disciple, who knew about the matter, said to the brothers, "In the Name of God, do not give him wine! For otherwise he will torture himself in his cell."

When the brothers learned of this, they did not offer him wine anymore.

An Elder said: "I have seen Elders, in this desert, who have lived here for seventy years and have not eaten anything other than plants and dates."

St. Makarios of Alexandria did not practice just one form of asceticism, but different kinds: if he heard that a certain struggler had performed one kind of asceticism, he was eager not only to succeed in it, but to surpass that individual. When he learned from someone that the Tabennesiotans ate uncooked food throughout the Great Fast, he forbade himself to use fire in preparing food for seven years; he would eat only raw vegetables and, if he could find any, moistened legumes.

Subsequently he heard from someone else that a certain Elder ate only one 320 grams of bread; he thus broke up the ration of hard bread that he had, placed the bread in a jar, and decided to eat every day only as much as his hand could extract from it. He used to relate to us jokingly: "I got hold of quite a few morsels, but I could not remove them all, since the neck of the jar was too narrow. The tax-collector -- that is the weakness of the flesh -- does not permit me to forgo food completely."

After that for three years he imposed this abstinence on himself: he would eat for or five 27 grams of bread and drink a corresponding amount of water.

[RachelKH]

I am much too weak to be so good.  Only occasionally can I even fast from all food and drink but water for a whole day.  I need to much more discipline myself.

[Shin]

Aside from the other virtues which she possessed, St. Synkletike did not lack that remedy which is salvific for the body; that is, she so loved fasting, that she did not reckon any of the other ascetic practices to be its equal.

She believed that it was the safeguard and foundation of the other virtues; and if ever, out of necessity, she ate something more than she was accustomed to eating, she suffered the opposite of what happened to those who eat; that is to say, her face turned yellow and she became debilitated.

Just as, therefore, men prune unfruitful branches from trees with many branches, so also she would remove the thorny growths out of her mind (inappropriate thoughts) with prayer and fasting; and if any thorny growth flourished for just a short while, she would impose different punishments on herself and would test her body with a variety of labors.

When the Enemy stirred up warfare against her, she would begin by invoking her Master, in prayer, as an ally; and next she would apply strict asceticism against the Enemy. Thus she used to eat bread made from bran and this with great abstemiousness and care, and she would frequently drink no water at all. And against sleep she would struggle assiduously, lying outstretched on the ground. When the Enemy, overcome by these weapons, retreated, she would then moderate the severity of her ascesis. She did this, lest the members of her body should all disintegrate together from excessive and very severe ascesis and else she fall into danger; for this debility, too, is evidence of defeat.

St. Synkletike... did everything with discernment (discretion). She strove against the Enemy with prayer and ascesis; and yet, she looked after her body, in order to preserve the tranquility of her soul.

- From the Life of St. Synkletike

[Shin]

I am much too weak to be so good.  Only occasionally can I even fast from all food and drink but water for a whole day.  I need to much more discipline myself.

I am too weak too! I post these stories partly to help inspire myself, and to perhaps by inspiring others gain God's mercy and extra grace to practice it myself.

Also, Thanksgiving is coming, it's good to remember to be careful.

Martin does Ireland have anything similar going on around this time of year to Thanksgiving?

[martin]

No Shin.  Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here but when my father worked for the US Navy who were based here he used to to be given some nice gifts to bring home for the family such as Lobster and fresh salmon and plenty of candy for us young ones. 

[Shin]

No Shin.  Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here but when my father worked for the US Navy who were based here he used to to be given some nice gifts to bring home for the family such as Lobster and fresh salmon and plenty of candy for us young ones. 

It's a really splendid holiday Martin. There's nothing like people everywhere being thankful.

[martin]

I'm just thinking how much thanks we owe for the desert fathers lives. All the reparation they did surely must have won so many graces for us all.

Penance! Penance! Penance! was the cry of the Angel of Fatima.
It's so tempting to think of penance in a sad and discouraging way but has anyone noticed that when they do some little act of self denial that it actually brings with it a peace that's out of proportion to the merits of the act itself?  Encouraging thought that the Lord rewards in the spirit what we forego in the flesh for His sake and even then is really for our own sake that it needs to be done.

[Shin]

I'm just thinking how much thanks we owe for the desert fathers lives. All the reparation they did surely must have won so many graces for us all.

Penance! Penance! Penance! was the cry of the Angel of Fatima.
It's so tempting to think of penance in a sad and discouraging way but has anyone noticed that when they do some little act of self denial that it actually brings with it a peace that's out of proportion to the merits of the act itself?  Encouraging thought that the Lord rewards in the spirit what we forego in the flesh for His sake and even then is really for our own sake that it needs to be done.

God does so much to encourage us if we only remember it!

[Shin]

'Abba Poemen said, "David, when he was fighting with the lion seized it by the throat and killed it immediately. If we take ourselves by the throat and by the belly, with the help of God, we shall overcome the invisible lion."

He also said, "There are three things which I am not able to do without: food, clothing, and sleep; but I can restrict them to some extent."

They said of Abba Pambo that as he was dying, at the very hour of his death, he said to the holy men who were standing near him, "Since I came to this place in the desert and built my cell and dwelt here, I do not remember having eaten bread which was not the fruit of my hands and I have not repented of a word I have said up to the present time; and yet I am going to God as one who has not yet begun to serve him."

Abba Silvanus and his disciple Zacharias went to a certain monastery one day. They were given something to eat a little before taking the road and when they got outside his disciple found some water beside the path and wanted to drink. The old man said to him, "Zacharias, it is a fast today." The latter said to him, "But, Father, have we not eaten?" The old man said to him, "What we have eaten came through charity, but, my child, let us keep our own fast."

Amma Syncletica said, "Just as the most bitter medicine drives out poisonous creatures, so prayer joined to fasting drives evil thoughts away."

She also said, "Do not let yourself be seduced by the delights of the riches of the world, as though they contained something useful on account of vain pleasure. Worldly people esteem the culinary art, but you, through fasting and thanks to cheap food, go beyond their abundance of food. It is written: 'He who is sated loathes honey." (Prov. 27:7) Do not fill yourself with bread and you will not desire wine."



- the Sayings of the Desert Fathers

[Shin]

The Blessed Synkletike said: "If you have resolved to fast, do not plead illness as an excuse or give up fasting on account of it, for even those who do not fast often fall into the same or more grievous diseases. If you have begun something good, do not desist from it just because the Enemy thwarts you through illness; let him, rather, be foiled through your patient endurance."

- from the Life of St. Synkletike

'We should laud remiss and indolent souls who are easily exhausted in the struggle for good, as well as those souls who are easily discouraged and fall to despair. Indeed if such souls display even the smallest good deed, we must praise it and marvel at it, giving them encouragement in their struggle for the good. Contrarily, the most serious and greatest of their faults we must characterize, in front of them, as the least and unworthy of note. For the Devil, who wishes to destroy all things, or rather to succeed at our spiritual destruction, resorts to the following ruse. On the one hand, with accomplished and ascetic monks, he tries to cover their sins and to make them forget them, so as to create pride in these men. On the other hand, he constantly exposes the sins of neophytes whose souls have not yet been strengthened in the ascetic life, before them and exaggerates these sins, so as to drive such neophytes to despair, until they abandon their ascetic efforts.

For this reason, then, these still irresolute souls we must care for with tenderness and remind them continually of the boundless compassion and kindness of God. Among other things, we must emphasize that our Lord is merciful and long-enduring and that he annuls his righteous judgments against wrong-doers, as long as they surely repent.'

St. Synkletike

"The better athletes become, the stronger are the adversaries against whom they contend."

St. Synkletike

"Oh how happy should we be, did we but take as much pains to gain heaven and please God, as worldlings do to heap up riches and perishable goods! By land they venture among thieves and robbers; at sea they expose themselves to the fury of winds and storms; they suffer shipwrecks, and all perils; they attempt all, try all, hazard all but we, in serving so great a master, for so immense a good, are afraid of every contradiction."

St. Synkletike

"We must be continually upon our guard, for we are engaged in a perpetual war; unless we take care, the enemy will surprise us, when we are least aware of him. A ship sometimes passes safe through hurricanes and tempests, yet, if the pilot, even in a calm, has not a great care of it, a single wave, raised by a sudden gust, may sink her. It does not signify whether the enemy clambers in by the window, or whether all at once he shakes the foundation, if at last he destroys the house. In this life we sail, as it were, in an unknown sea. We meet with rocks, shelves, and sands; sometimes we are becalmed, and at other times we find ourselves tossed and buffeted by a storm. Thus we are never secure, never out of danger; and, if we fall asleep, are sure to perish. We have a most intelligent and experienced pilot at the helm of our vessel even Jesus Christ himself, who will conduct us safe into the haven of salvation if, by our supineness, we cause not our own perdition."

St. Synkletike

"St. Synkletike lived in A.D. 340 and was descended from a family which was glorious and famous due to their wealth and piety. Because she was beautiful and rich, many men asked to marry her. But the blessed woman was more inclined to the desire and love of God. So, having completely left the worldly cares aside, she turned herself to the careful exercise and application of virtue.

She departed to God through the theory of the mind (i.e. seeing Him mentally). At the end of her life, the tempter asked from God to be allowed to hurt her with a bodily disease, as he had also done with righteous Job. But this courageous woman always kept virtue and asceticism accurately and faithfully, although she was eighty years old.

She lived until the age of 84 as a hermitess in a tomb."

- Various Sources

[Shin]

Bringing these stories back to mind for the season.

'Abba Isaiah was once visited by a certain brother. The Abba washed the brother's feet, afterwards putting a handful of lentils into a pot and lighting a fire. When the water began to boil, Abba Isaiah took the pot off the fire. "Abba," said the brother, "the lentils are not cooked yet." And he replied, "Is it not enough for you that you have seen the fire? This, too, is a consolation."

'Abba John the Short said: "If the Fathers of Sketis would eat bread and salt, they compelled themselves even to do this; that is to say, they did not even eat these things without restraint. For this reason they had the strength to fulfill the commandments of God.'

- from the sayings of the desert fathers