Episode 46: And When You Fast

In the name of the Glorious Trinity.

Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever.

Amen. Glory be to the Everlasting

mercies which sent you to us. Oh, Christ the light of the

world and the life of all give us wisdom by a law and Enlighten

our impulses, by your knowledge, sanctify, ourselves by your

truth, and Grant that we may be obedient to your words and may

fulfill your Commandments at every hour.

Oh, you who enlightens the rationale with the knowledge of

your greatness do in light or my Lord are thoughts that we made?

Meditate upon your holy and divine scriptures at all times

O, Lord of all Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever.

What is the first thing that comes to mind or the most common

reaction? When we have added a few pounds

of kilograms on our weight, and there is a wedding or a, a

specific, a special event coming up.

Yeah, we begin to abstain from not only specific food but also

and more importantly, the eating habits and we do this to deprive

the body from storing fat. Now I'm no dietitian but you

know, the drill. You know what I'm talking about?

What happens when you produce specific symptoms pertaining to

specific food, specific activities, or habits, Etc.

You begin to abstain in order to be healed to be released, for

example, I've been suffering with acid reflux for over 30

years now and I know that each time I drink sodas It aggravates

it it comes back. So what I do I need to abstain

to cut out sodas or fizzy drinks or citrus fruits in order to

avoid the discomfort of my acid reflux.

You know, it's the same with our spiritual disease, has a

spiritual symptoms, our spiritual weight of sin as we

have begun our period of fasting, that is preparing our

minds, our hearts, our souls to receive and celebrate one of the

greatest events in the history of mankind, past present, and

future along with the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus

Christ, being the resurrection of Christ, When we fast during

Lent, we are preparing ourselves to celebrate to receive the

resurrection of Christ. Now, keeping in mind that

without the crucifix, there would be no Resurrection.

Hence, we worship extol and Revere the cross of Our Lord by

performing its sign upon ourselves.

When we fast, we begin to deprive the flesh, the body that

is week, according to st. Paul.

According To Jesus Christ week because of evil greed,

selfishness, wanting desires, or unnoticeable or heading demonic

strongholds, AKA addictions Etc. and when we do, We deprive the

body when were fasting were depriving the body from its

Comfort, its joy, and its pleasures.

Allowing the spirit that is willing to overcome the fleshly

desires and to supersede them with spiritual and virtuous

Deeds. People ask, why do we fast from

food? Let me ask.

Why did God say to Adam and Eve do not eat?

Well, it was so that Adam and Eve were Bound by commandment

which extended to relationship with God is creator.

You see, when we withhold food and drink, that means abstain,

when we abstain from food and drink, we are reminded of the

effect of Disobedience to God. You know, our minds taken us

back to that first original sin sin that causes death and

destruction to enter into the world singing, the fall and

Corruption of men. However, Let not food be the

major factor of our fasting. Abstaining not merely from food

but rather from our habits carelessness.

Foolishness selfishness ignorance.

Arrogance immorality. Why?

Because we have D and J awaiting us.

Now I'm not going to talk too much about dnj, that's going to

be our next episode. So I'm going to mention D and J,

but I'm not going to elaborate. I want you to listen to next

week's episode, and we're going to talk about the D and G.

So, we abstain from our sins, our foolishness our weakness

because we have D and G, awaiting us. so in John,

chrysostom writes in one of his homilies Very nicely.

Put actually, do you fast. Are you fasting?

My question Orson, John chrysostom's question, to all of

us today is, are you fasting or do you fast?

He goes on to say, prove it by your works and that goes

hand-in-hand with James Chapter 2 Verse 18.

James 2:18

For a man may say to you you and I have faith, I have Works.

Show me your faith without works and I shall show you my faith by

my works. And one of the Deeds of Faith

along with praying reading scriptures attending church is

fasting. So when you fast, you need to

make yourself content and you to be portraying that period of

fasting and I'll and Jesus gives us a method of that by our

works, our Deeds He goes on to say is it is said by what kind

of works. All you know what Deeds are you

talking about? What are you referring to?

And he lists some, he goes on to say, if thou seest, the poor

man. If you see a poor man, take pity

on him. You know, during Lent, one of

the greatest Deeds, one of the obligations, the

responsibilities, the duties, the gifts, the blessings of a

Christian is to have pity on his brother, man, who is in need.

If you see a poor man, take pity on him.

Proverbs 18 7, sorry, Proverbs 1917 reads, he that follows the

Lord, God shows mercy upon the poor and he is rewarded.

According to his works. Why?

Why is that? If I want to prove and make

evident that I follow the lord God I must show Mercy on the

poor because that's what he did, praise His name.

He showed Mercy on our pitifulness when he took flesh

and came down and walked Among Us and died for us.

So John goes on to say if you see an enemy be reconciled to

him. Matthew 5:44 but I say to you

Matthew 5:44

love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, listen,

you cannot eat meat until the Lord.

Returns you can be total vegan until the Lord returns.

You can fast. All the faster are in the

liturgical calendar of the church until the Lord returns.

But if we cannot show love it, only becomes a diet, a spiritual

diet to, no avail That's why Saint, John chrysostom rights.

If you see your enemy and in particular during Lent, because

this is the time we want the body to be deprived from from,

you know, despising people and from being so arrogant, and we

want the body to be humbled and to show love to the enemy's

According To Jesus Commandments. But I say to you, this is Jesus

speaking again, not one of the church fathers, Not one of the

sayings, not a Prophet. This is Jesus Christ, Our Lord,

Our God, our savior, our life Giver for the fender forgiver of

our sins. Now, you must be taken heed

right now. When you hear the name, Jesus

Christ and I always always mentioned this in my sermons

when we hear the name, the precious Majestic dominant name

of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must stop and take heed and this

is what he is commanding, but I say to you, love your enemies.

And pray for those who persecute you.

What great time, then during fasting, can we attempt and try?

strive struggle to fulfill this commandment and we can do it

through Christ Saint, John, chrysostom goes on to say, if

you see a friend, gaining honor, envy him, not congratulate him

complimenting, encourage him, maybe learn from him or her.

Maybe consult your friend, you know, how did you make so much

money? That's what that's what it

always boils down to, right wealth, glamour know what about,

you know, how you know what is it?

Take you and and what did you go through, to what extent did you

go through to, to be so humbled, and to begin?

In to fulfill the Commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:26, and let not us. Be vainglorious looking for

Galatians 5:26

vainglory. Despising one another and

envying, one another. So, John goes on.

If you see a handsome woman or a handsome man pass her or him,

bye. You know what he's talking about

in Matthew 5:28, I think this is what he's quoting, but I say to

Matthew 5:28

you that whoever gazes as a man or a woman with a rose sexual

desires, now, you know, scriptures don't command us that

we should not gaze at one another and look at one another.

It's just like when Jesus says when you want to do your good,

don't do it to be seen by men. Not just be so conspicuous so

that no one can see you. It's impossible.

Sometimes, but don't do your good intentionally to be seen

and applauded and rewarded by men when you gaze at a woman or

a man don't gaze for sexual desires.

Because at once that person has committed adultery with her or

him in his heart, or her heart. during the lent, this period of

Lent beloved, especially my young beloved Youth and you know

the the younger age and maybe I shouldn't have even said that

but any person but let's talk about the younger age for now,

you know, social media tick tock, I cannot fathom it mind

boggles me. I don't understand.

I don't understand how a sister could be filming herself,

dancing in the most sexual perverse and and connotated way.

So that the whole world can watch and see and witness that

is evil beloved. That is evil. so during this

time of Lent, if you're struggling with pornography,

which is now so normal, you don't need to maybe buy

magazines now, it's on tick-tock.

It's on the social medias. It's on the internet so readily

available. And today readily available for

the children as well. God have mercy.

If you're struggling with this demonic act demonic possession,

which is AKA addiction. If you're struggling, this is

the time to deprive the body and Saint John, chrysostom is going

to tell us how to to deprive the desires of the body.

He goes on full, let not the mouth only fast but also the eye

and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our

bodies. Let the hands fast by being pure

from wrapping that is stealing. And greediness, I will add to

this gentleman. Let your hands cease and be

deprived. Let your hands be cut off.

From the evil acts of sexual desires.

Use your hands for the glory of God.

Use your hands to help others. Use your hands to do.

Good, Matthew 5:30. If your hand causes you to sin

Matthew 5:30

in any way, shape or form, my beloved brothers and sisters,

cut it off and throw it away. Now 11 helpful, hint is, what is

causing your hand to sin? Is it social media?

Is it the internet? Is it Hollywood?

Is it one of the shows that you watch or what you see on, on the

web, cut it out, throw it away. Because it is better to go into

the kingdom of heaven with one hand, missing paraphrasing.

Turn to have both hands, then to have both ends and to be thrown

in the fiery. Hell, this is the time beloved.

This is how we need to fast, not because I like chocolate so

much, I'm don't fool yourself. I don't know who's come up with

these ideas of fasting and I'm going to give you the the proper

way of fasting. I don't lie, I love drinking

Coke Coke so I'm going to stop drinking Coke, that's my fast

know that does not cut it. You can stop drinking any drink,

but if your hand is still sinning, well, you're fasting

becomes null and void. Let the feet fast by ceasing

from running to the unlawful events and places.

Rave parties. Where it seems that all those in

are in some sort of a drug effect that trance and they like

worshipping the DJ, not the dnj, the DM Jays next week's episode.

No, this is the DJ, the DJ that stands on a platform and has his

or her hands stretched out and he's asking everyone to jump up

and down and everyone is like, you know, you look at it, it's

like they were worshiping this DJ You know, let your feet steer

away from these places during the time of Lent and Beyond, not

only during time of lent, you know, this is the period where

we, where we are in complete and, and, you know, struggling

and training ourselves. So that after we have fulfilled

this period, we continue, we continue with the Holiness, the

Peace of Mind, the, the comfort and the ink.

Encouragement of the spirit that we receive.

We continue with that beloved. Galatians 5:19-21.

Galatians 5:19–21

Listen to this young brothers and sisters for the works of the

flesh are known which are fornication.

Impurity whoredom the worship of Idols.

Witchcraft hate, contention rivalry rage, insulins

dissensions divisions, Envy murder drunkenness.

Ealing. You know what that word is.

Is talking about the Rave parties.

Enjoying oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with

drinking and dancing and drugs. I'll add to that.

And Paul goes on to say and all such things, those who are

committing these things, as I said to you from the first, I

say now also that day shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

during the time of Lent, we must refrain We must train ourselves

to say. No, stop our feet from walking

to such places beloved. That's why during Lent?

We do, not bless weddings. We do not perform officiate

wedding ceremonies not. Because marriage is a sin, know

it's amazing. Gift of God.

But the celebrations that take place after the wedding

ceremony, the drunkenness. The nudity, and that's what we

need to call it. Now the nudity, The immorality

that happens at times beloved. That's why we don't offer the

sacrament of baptism during Lent not because baptism is a Bad

Thing costly. Only in extreme cases only in

extreme cases, life and death cases.

We will Minister the secret sacrament of baptism.

The reason why the church refrains from that is because

after baptism It's one more time dancing and drinking.

And I'm sorry to say at times hiring belly dancers.

Are you serious? Your child has received the

grace that greatest gift of the Holy Spirit.

Which is the sacrament of baptism being born in you being

put to death with Christ in baptism.

Being given you life being clothed with Christ being

counted. As one of the sheep of the flock

of Christ, we celebrate with belly dancing.

Let the eyes Saint. John chrysostom goes on to say,

let the eyes fast being taught never to fix themselves, rudely

upon handsome, countenance, or to busy themselves with strange

Beauties. That's what it's all about

today. Beauty, You know, we, we inject

our faces to look beautiful to enhance.

Our Beauty. Are you telling me?

That the beauty that God has given you.

I'm talking to Christians who claim that they believe in God

and they love Jesus. And they follow Jesus, that

you're not content with the lips that God has created you with,

you need to get them blown up, you're not content with the

facial. What's the word?

Facial aspects are? No, you're not, you're not

content. You need to enhance them because

God got it wrong. Is that the message that we are

giving? Well, proverbs 31:30 those who

Proverbs 31:30

spent so much money on such a wasteful want beauty is false.

And favor is empty but a woman or a man, that is in the OR of

the Lord God shall be praised. So, during this time of Lent,

beloved, if you have entered this spiritual warfare, Or

you're contemplating entering this spiritual warfare because

when Jesus fasted there was a war that was a contest between

Satan and Christ. Praise be to his name, he

overcame. So, if you are in the period of

fasting, you offering your fast. Keep in mind.

Not just what goes in your mouth?

Jesus says that actually doesn't defile you but what comes out

will defile you Again you can fast from poultry, you can fast

from dairy products but if you're not fasting from your joy

and your drinking and your and your you know, going out

enjoying yourself having so much fun.

Well then the body is not really deprived is it It's a total

deprivation beloved. you know, you you abstain from from the

joy that you have on a daily basis and that is the deed that

proves that you truly are offering a period of fast

abstinence from food and from Deeds, as well.

So how do we fast? Well, Jesus commands in Matthew

6, 16. And when you fast I'm is we must

fast. When you fast do not sad and do

not be sad like the Hypocrites for they, distort their faces

and they may be said, they may be seen of men to fast verily.

I say to you, they have gotten their reward.

When you fast of complain, don't whinge if you're going to

complain and whinge or just don't do it, you have free will

the church encourages the church, you know, cries out the

period of Lent to her children and the church truly would like,

every person that is a member of the flock of Christ to offer

this fasting. So that it becomes a public fast

as well, but we don't have power.

We I don't have we don't have you know, we have forced people

into it but if you out of your free will, I so serious about

your current situation and where you stand in the Holiness that

we have been called to because of our sins and you want to

fast, Jesus puts it very beautiful, do it.

Wholeheartedly and not to be seen by people be prepared, for

a war of Temptations, beloved equipped yourselves with the

Holy scriptures, that was Jesus armor.

Against Satan. And by the way, Satan had the

same weapon it has been said it is been written.

So Satan new scripture in you and I are.

So sometimes illiterate Be prepared with holy scriptures.

Read the lives of the Saints. They give you a lot of Courage

beloved. They went, they were people like

you and I who said, no, to the world, totally turned their

backs to the world and lived a life of fasting and prayer and

total isolation, and total sacrifice to God.

Read these stories and see how they overcame the desires, their

fleshly desires. So, what is the method?

According to the Church of fasting, we wake up in the

morning. By the way, fasting means

abstinence not just, not eating particular foods, but abstinence

no eating, no drinking. You know, some say and ask when

Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights, did he not drink.

Well, according to his flesh he would have needed to Consume

liquid because, you know it's been said that a person can go

for four days maximum I believe without drinking water without

liquid. That's why the scripture say he

fasted 40 days and 40 nights and he hungered meaning not he

thirsted he hungered so he must have been drinking liquid.

But regardless beloved you know let's not let's not swallow the

camel and sift the net so when you Wake up in the morning and

you offer your fast. Obviously you prepare yourself

hygienically you. Go into your room, you pray and

you beseech. The Lord to make you worthy to

offer this fast because fasting is a gracious gift from God.

We are not worthy but we ask God to make us worthy to offer our

fast to help us to strengthen us.

And to always reveal our shortcomings, our sins, our

folds, our transgressions. After you have prayed, we

abstain. That means we don't drink or we

don't eat. Now, there are two methods one,

the traditional forefathers method is that they would

abstain from the time that they would wake up till evening

prayers Vespers. So till the time, I'm of sun and

sunset. I know some people, you know,

may be fasting for the first time.

This may be too difficult for them.

Well, why don't you do this? Wake up in the morning, proposal

hygienically after your fast until lunchtime, don't eat, or

drink until lunchtime. And when you do pray before you

eat Lord, he my prayers and accept my fast.

Help me to overcome my sins. Lord, forgive me, Lord.

Jesus Christ, son of God. Help me a sinner.

Forgive me for all my transgressions.

Give me strength to continue. Lord to continue to focus on

you. Those who want to go the full

day until sunset. Well, you do the same but I

encourage you to attend the festivities will be Vespas every

day where you pray with the community, the church community

and ask the Lord to receive and accept and forgive our sins and

trespasses but on a Sunday below.

Ovid on a Sunday. We cannot abstain because we

need to partake in the Holy Eucharist.

So I encourage you on a Sunday to attend church services to

receive the Absolution that the church has been authorized to

bestow upon her children to partake in the all, sanctifying

all healing body and blood of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus

Christ. So this will go on for 49 days

until the Feast of the Ian of Our Lord.

So again it's usually from Sunset to Sunset.

So let's say, for example, Sunset Monday to Sunset Tuesday.

All right, so Sunset Monday, we break our abstinence our fast,

we eat food, and then we have a service of Thanksgiving until

the next Sunset. Now, this is how the church

encourages but again, Every person is different.

I understand if you've never fasted, try it one day a week,

then the next week, do it for two days and the following week,

do it for three days. I assure you, I assure you

through experiences of other people that have began fasting

for the first time that after a while it becomes easier because

the Lord strengthens and the Lord will give you strength.

Now during fasting, they must be a lot of Prayer, beloved

continuously, asking the Lord to help you to overcome this

battle, because Satan will intensify his attacks on on you

and most importantly, again, attend browser service.

Now, I want to finish by sharing a cannon, which is a prayer that

is prayed every morning before the the matins in the church and

the Canon canonical prayer. And you know, Ian Would you to

pray this? It goes like this.

In the mid night, I rose up to praise you for your just

Judgment at night. Let us sing.

Praise to the Vigilant one who does not sleep whom Angels serve

at night. When the voices of All Sorts are

silenced our prayer, Delights You O.

Lord, who is pleased with the penitent and his those who are

for their repentance. Once he hears and does not turn

away. He listens and redeems and saves

here O Lord our prayer and in your mercy grant our petitions

because you alone are full of mercy and pardon debts.

It's a beautiful prayer, you can recite before you go to sleep.

And when you wake up again, we thank God and we open the day

with the Lord's Prayer and continue to communicate with the

Lord during this period of fasting.

Beloved, I pray that the gracious Lord God, grants us the

victory that he son through, which he conquered Satan and all

Temptations through this time of fasting.

Beloved, we are a sitting Target, Keep in mind that we

have Victory through Christ, Our Lord and our savior.

And if you have any struggles, any any issues or you're facing

difficulties, you know I strongly consult strongly,

advise you and encourage you to seek your spiritual counsel has

advised your Parish priest. Let us all offer this fast to

our Lord, so that he may forgive us.

And have mercy upon us. Praise and glory.

Be to his name now on at all times and forever.

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