The Bible & Church Fathers on 'Why We Fast'
Days 27, 28, & 29 in 'The Art of Dying Well' by St. Robert Bellarmine
When the disciples fell asleep in the Mount of Olives after our Lord asked them to pray and ‘keep watch’ on the night he was betrayed, he rebuked them (or ‘called them out’) stating that their spirits were willing but their flesh was weak. In other words, their bodies were weak but their spirits were weaker. St. Bellarmine with all of the holy fathers teach that the purpose of fasting combined with prayer is to strengthen our spirits so that they can govern our bodies rather than the other way around. Indeed this is actually how we will live in the Eschaton or at the Resurrection of our bodies at the Return of Christ to our world. Our bodies will be glorified and perfectly obey our spirits, and we will become completely holy, purified, and in harmony with God’s will. So fasting has a future or eschatological dimension and even brings the future into the present moment! Fasting is ultimately a way to prepare our lives to live well in the present, die well in the future, and to have a foretaste of the New Heavens and New Earth when the Lord returns. For those who avoid fasting, they ultimately miss out on the ‘joy of fasting’ and allow their bodily desires to overwhelm them.
DAY 27: The Biblical Foundation for Fasting (Chapter 8 in the Art of Dying Well)
Bellarmine writes,
“The Prophet Joel speaks: "Be converted to me with your whole heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning."
The Prophet Jonah… testifies that the Ninevites, in order to appease the anger of God, proclaimed a fast in sackcloth; and yet, there was not then any positive law on fasting.
The same may be learned from our Lord: "When you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face, that you appear not to men to fast, but to your Father who is in secret: and your Father who sees in secret, will repay you" (Matthew 6: 17-18).”
…Fasting is most useful in preparing the soul for prayer, and the contemplation of divine things. Thus Moses for 40 days prepared his soul by fasting, before he presumed to speak with God: so Elijah 40 forty days, that thus he might be able, as far as human nature would permit, to hold converse with God: so Daniel, by a fast of 3 weeks, was prepared for receiving the revelations of God.
…St. Paul teaches us in his Epistle to the Galatians; and for this reason he says himself: "But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway." (1 to Cor. ix. 27.)
…St. Luke speaks, when mentioning the prophetess Anna: "And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day." (chap. ii. 37.)
DAY 28: The Church Fathers on Fasting
Bellarmine continues in chapter 8 on commentary from the Church Fathers:
“The Church has appointed "fasts" on the vigil of great festivals, that Christians might be more fit for celebrating the divine solemnities.
The holy fathers also everywhere speak of the utility of fasting. I cannot forbear quoting the words of St. Chrysostom (Homily in Genesis): "Fasting is the support of our soul: it gives us wings to ascend on high, and to enjoy the highest contemplation!”
In the office for Prime the whole Church sings, "Carnis terat superbiam potûs cibique Parcitas." (Moderation in food and drink, tames the pride of the flesh.)
The great Council of Nicea I (325 AD) in the V. Canon, calls the fast of Lent, "a clean and solemn gift, offered by the Church to God."
St. Leo, in his second sermon on fasting saith, "For the sure reception of all its fruits, the sacrifice of abstinence is most worthily offered to God, the giver of them all."
St. Basil: "Penance, without fasting, is useless and vain; by fasting satisfy God." (De Jejunio)
St. Chrysostom: "God, like an indulgent father, offers us a cure by fasting."
St. Ambrose also says: "Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of our crimes, and the remedy of our salvation."
St. Jerome, in his Commentary on the third chapter of Jonas, remarks: "Fasting and sackcloth are the arms of penance, the help of sinners."
St. Augustine likewise says: "No one fasts for human praise, but for the pardon of his sins." So also St. Bernard in his 66th Sermon on the Canticles: "I often fast, and my fasting is a satisfaction for sin, not a superstition for impiety."
Tertullian says: "Fasting obtains of God a knowledge even of His mysteries.’”
DAY 29: Fasting from Indulgent Foods (Meats & Desserts) & Sinful Attachments
“Many fast on all the days appointed by the Church, viz: the vigils, the ember-days, and Lent: and some fast of their own accord in Advent also, that they may piously prepare themselves for the nativity of our Lord; or on Friday, in memory of our Lord's passion… The chief end of fasting, is the mortification (discipline) of the flesh, that the spirit may be more strengthened. For this purpose, we must use only spare and unsavory diet. And this our Mother Church points out since she commands us to take only one "full" meal in the day, and then not to eat flesh or white meats, but only herbs or fruit. (Fish & Shellfish was generally allowed in the Western Tradition during the 40 Days of Lent; Only Shellfish in the Eastern Tradition w/ fish allowed on certain Feast days such as Annunciation).
Now, those do not certainly observe this, who, on their fasting-days, eat as much in one meal, as they do on other days, at their dinner and supper together: and who, at that one meal, prepare so many dishes of different fishes and other things to please their palate, that it seems to be a dinner intended, not for weepers and fasters, but for a nuptial banquet that is to continue throughout most of the night! Those who fast thus, do not certainly derive the least fruit from their fasting. (In other words, Bellarmine is saying that those who take fasting less seriously will have little benefit from it).
[The Lenten Fast is also useless for those who] do not abstain from games, parties, quarrels, dissensions, lascivious songs, and immoderate laughter; and what is still worse, commit the same crimes as they would on ordinary days…. On the days of their fasting, which were days of penance, they wished to do their own will and not the will of God… they added sin to sin, and impiously attacked their neighbors. These and other such sins ought those pious people to avoid, who wish their fasting to be pleasing unto God, and useful to themselves: they may then hope to live well, and die a holy death.”