If our home country is the place that gathers its children on one land that they fervently love, the religious life too gathers them this year to pray and fast together offering a harmonious chant for the Egyptians’ fervent spirituality and strong relationship with God that they constantly seek to enhance since ancient times. Next Monday, Muslims are to start fasting of the holy month of Ramadan and Christians are to begin the fasting of the Great Lent, Both will fast till sunset so that all hearts would rise up to heaven. No wonder, for Egyptians have always sanctified their spiritual life, called for good deeds and believed in life after death, so they were and will always be keen on practicing fasting and prayers and good deeds and they will always consider them as basics of their life.
Value of Fasting
Fasting has always been of great value to people as it is one of the basics of any religion. The origins of fasting are dated back to Adam and Eve, our ancestors who were asked by God not to eat from the tree in heaven. God also sent his prophets calling people to practice fasting as Bible said, “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart,With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”, “Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly”. Jesus Christ practiced fasting, “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”, and taught us, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” and that how fasting with prayer is so powerful that they conquer devil, ” This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting”. In Quran the necessity and importance of fasting are focused on, ” O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.”, “And to fast is better for you, if only you knew”. Hadith also mentioned fasting saying, “Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.”
Accepted fasting is accompanied by repentance; abstaining from evil and wickedness. It is full of merciful deeds and giving to the needy. Therefore, God, glory be to His name, said, ““Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?”. Therefore fasting and virtues come together and it helps man control his body and increase his willpower. Hence, he rises above materialistic matters and grows in spiritualties and turns from being a person who is controlled by his physical desires to someone who controls them and cares for his spiritualties and relationship with God. Here, I remember the words of H. H. Pope Shenouda III, “Fasting is a period in which the spirit rises and attracts the body with it. Therefore, fasting cannot be accompanied by sins or it will not be a true fasting. Fasting does not aim at abstaining from food only but from doing evil deeds as well. It helps man to walk in the good path in which he overcomes his evil thoughts, stops holding grudges, and controls his tongue. In the same time, he focuses on doing good deeds, offering love and supporting people. For it is said that true fasting is the prison of vice that is tongue control, anger management and desires subduing. In order to overcome one’s weaknesses, he has to accompany his fasting with praying, so his fasting would rise to God a sacrifice of love that offers him the power he lacks to become a spiritual person.
Many happy returns on the commencement of Ramadan and the Great Lent. May God accept our prayers and fasts and keep Egypt and the whole world in peace…. Stories of Beautiful Egypt can never end…
General Bishop
President of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center