Why break the fast?

mikeforjesus

This is from the sayings of the desert fathers , from the CD An Altar to the Lord I think

Another time Abba Arsenius said to Abba Alexander,
'When you have cut your palm-leaves, come and eat with me,
but if visitors come, eat with them.' Now Abba Alexander
worked slowly and carefully. When the time came, he had
not finished the palm leaves and wishing to follow the old
man's instructions, he waited until he had finished them.
When Abba Arsenius saw that he was late, he ate, thinking
that he had had guests. But Abba Alexander, when at last he
had finished, came away. And the old man said to him, 'Have
you had visitors? "No, 'he said. 'Then why did you not come?
'The other replied, 'You told me to come when I had cut the
palm-leaves; and following your instructions, I did not come,
because I had not finished.' The old man marvelled at his
exactitude and said to him, 'Break. your fast at once so as to
celebrate the synaxis untroubled, and drink some water,
otherwise your body will soon suffer.'

(Do you think im allowed to post this?)

Now I want to know how to know if you have fasted too much?
Not that I have fasted much... but I am already skinny and I think I might get sick from fasting... but that could be a lie from the devil.. have you read Spirituality of Fasting (if thats the name of the book ) by H.H Pope Shenouda III .. the devil can make you think you are missing some nutrients or something I think.

dumbegyptian1

the kind of fast they are referring to is when you don't eat anything at all, not the kind of fast that we do where we just cant eat meat.

why

pregnant women sometimes break the fast...for the good of the baby...mainly to eat diary products that will put milk in their breasts

Unknown

Don't break your fast. I doubt you'll get sick but if you really are, then don't worry about it..just try to do what you can or make up for it another way..

hope4pure

my mom broke the fast because shes on a low carb high protein diet!!!---- NOW THAT'S PATHETIC!
i first argued with her but then she told me it wasnt any of my buisness. but i just thought it was sooo terrible that she did so!
the cases that are OK is probably pregnancy and extreme sickness... other than that , just don't make excuses it's either u do it or u dont!

Unknown

I think I got to add to that, I was talking to one of my friends, she is younger than me though, I asked her, are you fasting? and she answered I started fasting a few weeks ago, and I looked suprised, but she also asked, Are you fasting with milk? and as usual I'm not used to that, so I said, "huh" she said "It's when you fast with milk?" and as usual, I was still suprised, I said, "soy milk?" she said, "no, regular" I was said, "no" another reason to break the fast if something happened, like one time I threw up, I know I shouldn't have said that, but you can break the fast or even start late as a matter of fact, because you may be still young, or too young, you can fast 2 weeks probably, but I think it all depends on the ways your parents teach you! Hope that helped a little!

Forever,
Coptic Servent

hope4pure

[quote author=MarMar91 link=board=1;threadid=2905;start=0#msg44836 date=1135531468]
ya, i know someone who is a a diabetic for example, but they have an absolution from abouna not to fast...




yea actually my dad is and he also has some heart problems... so he is ALWAYS on this very special diet and the fast just doesnt cut it!

mikeforjesus

I eat weet bix ? cereal with soy milk but I dont know if its right.. seems ok to me.

mikeforjesus

An old man was asked, 'How can I find God?' He said, 'In fasting, in watching, in labors, in devotion, and, above all, in discernment. I tell you, many have injured their bodies without discernment and have gone away from us having achieved nothing. Our mouths smell bad through fasting, we know the Scriptures by heart, we recite all the Psalms of David, but we have not that which God seeks: charity and humility.' The Desert Fathers

From
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/watchfulness.html

As long as the flesh is in full health, let us observe abstinence at all times and in every place. When it has been tamed (which I do not suppose is possible this side of the grave), then let us hide our accomplishment. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston; Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), STEP 14: On That Clamorous Mistress, the Stomach

From
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/abstinence.html

So what if its in bad health?

mikeforjesus

I think fasting maybe does not benefit me as much as it does for some other people.. because I do not have a big appetite alot of the times I think maybe... so it won't be a practice of much self-control maybe...
people you'se to tell me when I was a child... you need to eat more ... I think...

Marianne87

Fasting is not at all about food...so don't use that as an excuse...we start the fasting with food because it's something you practice more than once in your daily life...so it's easier for you to have self control over something you do everyday...than to have on something bigger and bigger...like sinning and all of that. So if you practice to have self control over that...you can practice to have self control over other things. Since you already have self control over your eating...go ahead and practice over big issues in your life.

mikeforjesus

but then do you think maybe I do not need to fast from food if I already have self-control over it?

Marianne87

Well do you have self control over much bigger issues in your life?
Answer that and maybe you would get the answer to your question...If not then you have to keep on practicing it with the food and then move upward. If yes...then it wouldn't harm you to fast.