by Prince Mathew
Preface for Meditation:
Fasting is the root by which all the fruits of sanctity are sustained and on
this same root grows purity and rejoices patience. Fasting dispels immodesty,
controls the lust and offers the body as a holy temple of God. Therefore, the
Church exhorts the faithful to love and practice this highly acceptable form of
Christian life so that it may lead them to the great eternal fast which is going
to happen in the eternal bride chamber of life. Through it, the strength of the
soul is confirmed, the riches of the body are increased and good aspirations
aroused in the heart.
The prayers of the The Holy Lent highlight Moses, Elijah and Jesus as the great
champions of fasting. According to the scripture they observed fasting for
forty days and it was these three who are seen in unusually bright light on the
transfiguration mount. When the Jews under captivity in Babylon were released
and were about to go back to Jerusalem around two and half millennia ago, they
declared a fasting to ensure God’s protection in their journey. (Ezra 8: 21&22)
It is recorded in the book of Ezra that they did not ask the King to send
soldiers to ensure their security so that the gentiles could not laugh at the
shallow nature of their faith.
In our transient journey in this planet to eternity our ultimate trust and
security is to be in God who strengthens us to conquer all kinds of evil and to
progress. Through fasting we humble ourselves and surrender fully to God who
empowers us to face all challenges and sinful tendencies. Fasting must be
undertaken voluntarily and it must be of divine dispensation’. This is the
primary teaching of our Church on Fasting. Fast is of free will and it is the
voluntary fast which is accessible and permanent. Fasting becomes highly
acceptable when it is joined with humility of hearts, charity towards all men
and continuous prayers. The Lenten prayers and liturgy of our Church extols this
kind of fasting by giving the Old Testament figures as good examples (Moses,
Daniel, Elijah etc.).
Bible Reading Passages:
Evening
Morning
Bible
Verse for the day:
"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and
then he will render to everyone according to his deeds." St. Matthew 16:27
Second Friday of The Holy Lent
* St. Matthew 16: 21-28
* Exodus21: 20-27
* Job 25: 1-6
* Acts 11:1-18
* Romans 1:16-25
* St. Matthew 5: 38-48
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