In the early Christian church, traditions began to evolve surrounding the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Many of the customs embraced strict observances of fasts and prayer in remembrance of the God-Man.
One of these traditions is the 40+ day Nativity Fast. It is a long season, from November 15 – December 24 each year. And it is a time of repentance and formation new habits which help to remove the carnality of man and increase the spiritual.
Just like beginning to exercise for health after years of being a couch potato, it takes effort. It isn’t comfortable. It isn’t meant to be.
Taking away comforts and pleasures is not a form of punishment. Rather, like learning how to overcome bad habits, it is a time of renewal. Increasing dependence upon God rather than the pleasures and distractions of the world.
Why do we need to change who we are?
In the words of James Clear, of Atomic Habits fame,
“Your identity emerges out of your habits. You are not born with preset beliefs. Every belief, including those about yourself, is learned and conditioned through experience.
“More precisely, your habits are how you embody your identity. When you make your bed, you embody the identity of an organiazed person. When you write each day, you embody the identity of a creative person. When you train each day, you embody the identity of an athletic person.” Atomic Habits, page 36
And if you practice each day to become a person more aligned with spiritual practices that bring you closer to deification, you embody the identity of a Saint.
It is a matter of choice which way you decide to set the direction of your life.
Fasting…
The ancient Christian tradition of fasting during specific times of the year harken way back to the early first and second centuries. Christ fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) before beginning His earthly ministry. Christians began fasting after His Resurrection on Wednesdays (in remembrance of the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot) and Fridays (in remembrance of the death and burial of Jesus) throughout the year. (Didache 8:1)
Even the weekly Wednesday and Friday fasts train us to grow stronger in this habit of disengagement by doing so in smaller ways. Like training for the Olympics of the spiritual life.
The Nativity Fast and the Lenten, or Great, Fast mark the times in the Church calendar where the Christian can pause in their connection with their worldly ways, and remember the real reason why we are here. This detachment removes the clutter and distractions around us and force us to reconnect with our Creator.
Even the weekly Wednesday and Friday fasts train us to grow stronger in this habit of disengagement by doing so in smaller ways. Like training for the Olympics of the spiritual life.
Those who choose to give up trivial things, like chocolate and drinking sodas, may gain some benefit over their struggles with their physical being. But in the long run, the habits they have of scrolling through social media sites, like YouTube, or distracting searches on one subject that become a rabbit hole into subjects not on their radar does not displace the time-sucking elements from their lives.
[Fasting] mark[s] the times in the Church calendar where the Christian can pause in their connection with their worldly ways, and remember the real reason why we are here.
The “I have no time!” cry when faced with the idea of increasing prayer or reading the Bible usually means that something more pressing (i.e. “interesting”) has pulled them away from the need to detach and reattach to God.
These times of fasting throughout the year and seasons gives us the reason to slow down, unplug, and reorient our lives back to God.
The purpose of fasting…
It’s not just about reduction in specific types of foods. Some cannot fast at all in this way because of weaknesses in the body. But they can still fast.
Fasting in its fullest intent is about giving up things that keep us attached to this world. Our comforts, conveniences, addictions.
“Beware of limiting the good of fasting to mere abstinence from meats. Real fasting is alienation from evil. ‘Loose the bands of wickedness.’ For give your neighbor the mischief he has done you. Forgive him his trespasses against you. Do not ‘fast for strife and debate.’ You do not devour flesh, but you devour your brother. You abstain from wine, but you indulge in outrages. You wait for evening before you take food, but you spend the day in the law courts. Woe to those who are ‘drunken, but not with wine.’ Anger is the intoxication of the soul, and makes it out of its wits like wine.” St. Basil, in his homilies on the Holy Spirit
Fasting is for the good of our souls. It is to humble us, purify us, set us within the boundaries of our own limitations. It drives us along a path toward holiness that we cannot attain on our own impulses.
And in the humility of our own weaknesses, we are able to then clearly see our own faults. Without the distractions of our passions and emotions, we will continue to be preoccupied with the concerns and worries of this world.
It’s another opportunity…
The time for the Nativity Fast is upon us. Perhaps this year, we can renew our determination to grow closer to our God. Practice the good habits of fasting.
Work with your parish priest, good friend, or godparent to set up reasonable and actionable Rules that will prevent you from not seeing the things to which you are blind – like spending hours of YouTube shorts, being a news junkie, or playing beloved video games. (And who, living in our modern society, isn’t addicted to at least one of the latest technological innovations?)
Having someone looking over your shoulder during this time and hold you accountable will help make those habits of sanctity become a reality in your life.
God is waiting. Take this opportunity to make yourself available using this most ancient tool of Fasting. It is more than just reducing food to the body. It is reducing the evil that is within your soul.
Take back control of your whole self, and then give it all to Him.
“A life of fasting, properly understood as general self-limitation and abstinence, to the annual practice of which the Church always calls us…, is really that bearing of the cross and self-crucifixion which is required of us by our calling as Christians. And anyone who stubbornly resists this, wanting to live a carefree, happy, and free life, is concerned for sensual pleasures and avoids sorrow and suffering that person is not a Christian. Bearing one’s cross is the natural way of every true Christian, without which there is no Christianity.” Archbishop Averky of Syracuse (of Blessed Memory)