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Fasting Inquiry
The Lent fast is upon us and I noticed on some packets of food, like plain potato chips, it says "may contain milk". Is it alright to eat it?
I understand that on some packets of food, even foods that do not have anything to do with milk, it says "contains milk", and I learnt to avoid them all, but the may contain is sending me bananas!!
What do ya'll do?
I understand that on some packets of food, even foods that do not have anything to do with milk, it says "contains milk", and I learnt to avoid them all, but the may contain is sending me bananas!!
What do ya'll do?
Comments
Hope I helped, and have a blessed lent :)
I was also always wondering about honey. Honey comes from a bee like milk comes from a cow, well not exactly (lol) as honey is basically bee spit after they swallow the nectar and mix it with their digestive enzymes. How about honey?
And a blessed Lent to you too!
[quote author=Marieanne link=topic=8814.msg110489#msg110489 date=1265958361]
The Lent fast is upon us and I noticed on some packets of food, like plain potato chips, it says "may contain milk". Is it alright to eat it?
I understand that on some packets of food, even foods that do not have anything to do with milk, it says "contains milk", and I learnt to avoid them all, but the may contain is sending me bananas!!
What do ya'll do?
Just some food for thought:
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:6)
This is not how we should fast (viz. reading ingredients to check to see if there are milk or dairy products). Eat what you want, if you can't seem to abstain from something. Fast instead in words and deeds. Fast from sin. That is the point. Food is merely the means.
Edit: Used the wrong word
My father of confession once told me if I can control the physical, I can control the spiritual when it comes to fasting, as in; carry your cross and follow Me.
i.e.
1/ carry your cross= Physical
2/ follow Me= Spiritual
... so that's where I was coming from.
But thanks Κηφᾶς, GB
I entirely agree with your priest. Fasting is certainly the means to start us on the path of spiritual control (which is why the Church has fasts). I just object to the almost pharisaical approach some people take with it. Reading the ingredients is not what fasting is about. That's all I was trying to get at. But again, I definitely agree with your FoC.
Your verse helped though. Thanks :)
I think its best what you are doing... when I go grocery shopping, its always a scene because I will literally read every little thing in these ingredients.
fasting is about self control, one needs to control everything they eat, and limit everything they eat... lets look at the spiritual aspect of it, the devil will come and tell us, "its fine, you can eat, its only the residue of milk, butter, or whatever" of course me as a smart person I am, I'll respond with, "okay ya satan ya habibi" then satan comes, and tells me, "its okay ya bishoy, its only the egg whites, not egg yokes... and you know the fetary part of the egg is the yoke, plus you did eat the residue of the milk and butter." "of course" I tell him, "wow satan ya habibi, you are right, never thought of it that way!" and satan will keep giving you such ideas and thoughts until you scientifically prove that the church "allows" chicken during fast.
but what if I told him from the beginning, "away with you satan"!?
you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things
we need to control these small things, and be faithful with our fast, so that we may be granted more and more!
I've been reading on many posts how food is not important... if food was not that important, why would the church be so strict about it? why would the church fathers teach how to control our diets... believe it or not, food comes first... and through controlling your food, you control your heart and your needs and actions! after you achieve that, God will grant you the ability to overcome sin easily during fast and out.... and it becomes the fasting of the heart, with no sins!
but to reach all of that, you have to start being faithful in the diet the church told you to follow, that even if your your cutting board was used for something that was not fasting, you would wash it and scrub it, until you are sure no residue is present!
neshkor Allah, akhadna el barka!
lioness of God...
I think its best what you are doing... when I go grocery shopping, its always a scene because I will literally read every little thing in these ingredients.
fasting is about self control, one needs to control everything they eat, and limit everything they eat... lets look at the spiritual aspect of it, the devil will come and tell us, "its fine, you can eat, its only the residue of milk, butter, or whatever" of course me as a smart person I am, I'll respond with, "okay ya satan ya habibi" then satan comes, and tells me, "its okay ya bishoy, its only the egg whites, not egg yokes... and you know the fetary part of the egg is the yoke, plus you did eat the residue of the milk and butter." "of course" I tell him, "wow satan ya habibi, you are right, never thought of it that way!" and satan will keep giving you such ideas and thoughts until you scientifically prove that the church "allows" chicken during fast.
but what if I told him from the beginning, "away with you satan"!?
you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things
we need to control these small things, and be faithful with our fast, so that we may be granted more and more!
I've been reading on many posts how food is not important... if food was not that important, why would the church be so strict about it? why would the church fathers teach how to control our diets... believe it or not, food comes first... and through controlling your food, you control your heart and your needs and actions! after you achieve that, God will grant you the ability to overcome sin easily during fast and out.... and it becomes the fasting of the heart, with no sins!
but to reach all of that, you have to start being faithful in the diet the church told you to follow, that even if your your cutting board was used for something that was not fasting, you would wash it and scrub it, until you are sure no residue is present!
neshkor Allah, akhadna el barka!
In general I agree with you, but don't you think looking at the ingredients to EVERY single thing you buy is a bit much? As Cephas said, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. In any previous post I made I did not intend to make it seem like you might as well not fast. However, I do not think we should get wrapped up in it. As I posted in another thread about fasting, St. John Chrysostom says "What good is it if we abstain from fish and birds yet devour our own brothers?" The food is important yes, but its only a means to an end. If you fast the entire 55 days perfectly and to the letter yet internally you have not changed at all what have you benefited? All you have done is change your diet. Fast from sin, fast from anger, fast from the bad habits we can't seem to let go of.
"Let us fast an acceptable and very pleasing fast to the Lord. True fast is the estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue, abstinence from anger, separation from desires, slander, falsehood, and perjury. Privation of these is true fasting."
St. Basil the Great
Again I am not condoning eating w/e you want during your fast, however if all you have done is change your diet then yes, you might as well not be fasting at all.
Pray for me and my weakness
thats not what real fasting is
I personally dont think its a bit much to look at all ingredients, especially in terms of taste, I taste the slighest bit of milk in potato chips sometimes, and then the daydreaming begins! I know fasting helps us go back to the original diet of Adam and Eve before they sinned**, they didn't have potato chips with milk or lollies with pork gelatine! they had plain fruit, vegetables, sugar cane etc.. until they ate from something they were told not to eat, which was the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they ate and then started to eat of the birds of the air, and animals of the land! fasting allows us to go back to that state of Adam and Eve before they sinned and leaves one on a good canvas for what St. Basil the Great talked about.
you all have valid points.. as I said before, Jesus said "Carry your cross and follow Me" and hints on the order of things..
Carry your cross: physical
Follow Me: Spiritual
**I remember reading this, but I don't remeber who said this or where I read this.... but its somewhere in this forum...