Holy Resurrection
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Fasting Subdues the Body for Inward Progress, Not Because Food Is Unclean
3:16
What the video says
The speaker addresses common justifications for not observing the Church's appointed fasts. He explains that fasting was established not because foods are unclean, those who teach that are heretics, but as ascetic labor to subdue the body for inward spiritual progress.
If inward progress is obligatory, then fasting as its necessary means is also obligatory, a truth confirmed by conscience. Excuses such as compensating by other means or fasting only when one chooses are unfounded, since no one masters the flesh without fasting and the Church is one body with common rules. The health exemption is real but applies to very few; ultimately the only cause for not fasting is unwillingness, and no one enters paradise against his will while the unwilling are still cast into hell.
Key moments
- Jesus' words that nothing entering from outside defiles a man, and Paul's statement that food does not commend us to God, are cited by those who reject the Church's fasts.
- Fasting was established not because foods are unclean but to subdue the body through ascetic labor for inward progress; those who call foods unclean are heretics.
- If inward progress is obligatory, then fasting as its necessary means is also obligatory, which conscience confirms.
- Excuses like compensating by other means or fasting only when one chooses are unfounded: no one masters the flesh without fasting, and separating from the Church's common rules contradicts her constitution.
- Only one who leaves the Church can abandon her common rules; a member cannot act independently of them.
- Those whose health is truly harmed by fasting are released from dietary restrictions, since fasting aims to kill passions not destroy the body, but such people are very few.
- The only real cause for not fasting is absence of willingness; no one enters paradise against his will, but the unwilling are still cast into hell.
The speaker addresses common justifications for not observing the Church's appointed fasts. He cites Jesus' words that nothing entering from outside defiles a man and Paul's statement that food does not commend us to God as texts used by those who reject the fasts. The speaker explains that fasting was established as ascetic labor to subdue the body for inward spiritual progress, not because foods are unclean; those who teach that foods are unclean are heretics.
If inward progress is obligatory, then fasting as its necessary means is also obligatory, a truth confirmed by conscience. Excuses such as compensating by other means or fasting only when one chooses are unfounded, since no one masters the flesh without fasting and the Church is one body with common rules. Only one who leaves the Church can abandon her common rules; a member cannot act independently of them.
The health exemption is real but applies to very few people, because fasting aims to kill passions not destroy the body. The speaker concludes that the only real cause for not fasting is absence of willingness, adding that no one enters paradise against his will while the unwilling are still cast into hell.
Main points
- Jesus' words and Paul's statement are cited to reject fasts; the speaker refutes this interpretation.
- Fasting is ascetic labor to subdue the body for inward progress, not because food is unclean; calling food unclean is heresy.
- Inward progress is obligatory, so fasting as its necessary means is also obligatory, confirmed by conscience.
- Excuses like compensating by other means or choosing when to fast are unfounded; no one masters the flesh without fasting, and the Church requires common rules.
- Health exemptions exist for very few; the only real cause for not fasting is unwillingness, and the unwilling are cast into hell.