i am free, to choose, to ...obey!

it is sad that today,

many Greeks do not know

the values of Fasting.

 

a simple, small offer we can give,

that actually ends to  benefit us;

why and how?

 

there is one sin which is the worst of all,

the mother of all other sins,

the one that tumbled the biggest angel,

the one that did not allow the first man and the first woman

to admit  their mistake,

the one that made them (us) to disobey the only rule given to them,

"do whatever you please, but DO NOT EAT from that fruit,

for you will then introduce death and suffering to your lives",

the fallen with pride angel, used pride to trick us,

"you will become Gods", he told us,

making us forget that we are by creation already on the path,

to thirst and hunger to become Gods 

in union with our God.

 

we were free to choose to disobey

and we chose to eat the fruit of knowing evil.

 

now, to fight our pride 

and to "repair" the fact that we gave that bite on that sinful fruit,

Church comes with wisdom, offering a simple solution,

fasting:

 

i will not eat WHAT I WANT,

smacking my ego,

but instead i will only eat what i am "allowed" to eat,

depending on the day, the date and that day's feast.

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

there are several levels of fasting for each different time period:

 

- we can eat anything we want, on many days of the year.

 

- there is one week (7 days) of the year, 

  that we we can eat anything we want, 

  except just meat (cow, pork, chicken, etc).

 

- then, anything, except all animal products (meat, eggs, cheese), 

  but we can still have fish and sea products (octopus, squids, etc).

 

- same as above, but even fish is not allowed, 

  though olive oil and rest sea products are allowed.

 

- most strict one, where not even olive oil and all sort of animals 

  are  not allowed.

 

- and there is even a level for those hard, tough Christians to follow,

 if they can, are able and want to do so, 3 specific whole days, 

 without any food nor water! 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ps.

see if you can find any book or video from:

Saint Hieromonk Father Seraphim Rose.