“Fasting is the coercion of nature and the cutting out of everything that delights the palate, the prevention of lust, the uprooting of bad thoughts, deliverance from dreams, purity of prayer, the light of the soul, the guarding of the mind, deliverance from blindness, the door of compunction, humble sighing, glad contrition, a lull in chatter, a means to silence, a guard of obedience, lightening of sleep, health of body, agent of dispassion, remission of sins, the gate of Paradise and its delight.”
St John Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”
In our Syriac tradition, fasting and prayer are inseparable and in the Maronite Church, they are done throughout the year to remind us of our humanity and sanctify us in the lead-up to great feasts. Saint Maroun, Saint Nehmetallah and Saint Charbel all fasted as a powerful means of mortification.
Why Fast
“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
Saint John Chrysostom wrote that “fasting is medicine.” When undertaken in a spirit of prayer, fasting and abstinence are a remedy for our spiritual afflictions, helping us to strengthen our will, recognise our faults, control our carnal appetites and bring us closer to holiness. To combat sins of the flesh, the Church often employs fasting from meat and dairy; by giving up “the flesh” and controlling what we eat and drink, we acquire the willpower to resist evil and to do good, to link our thoughts and emotions to the Heavenly, and to control our worldly desires and ambitions.
Jesus fasted to teach us how to defeat the temptations of the devil. Saint Ephrem the Syrian states: “Though He could have overcome by any means, He revealed for us the strength hidden in fasting, Overcomer of All. For by means of it a man can overcome that one who with fruit overcame Adam.”
By fasting, we acquire the willpower to combat evil and to do good, to link our thoughts and emotions to the Heavenly, for by being able to control what we eat and drink, we’ll be better able to control our worldly desires and ambitions.
The Maronite Church Fasting and Abstinence Guidelines
“It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.” Romans 14:21
“Fasting” is restricting intake of food and drink, either completely or in part. As Maronites, we fast from midnight to noon, with no intake of food and drink, with the exception of water. “Abstinence” is the exclusion of specific food and drink. As Maronites, periods of abstinence require we do not eat meat, dairy products or eggs.
Fasting and Abstinence during the season of Great Lent
- Fasting from midnight to midday on all weekdays. No food or drink is to be consumed, with the exception of water.
- Abstaining from consuming meat or dairy on the Fridays of Lent.
- Abstaining from meat throughout the first and last week of Lent (Holy Week).
- No fasting or abstaining on Saturdays and Sundays, with the exception of Easter Saturday (Saturday of the Light), where fasting and abstinence are to be observed.
- No fasting or abstaining on the following feast days if they fall within the Lenten Season: Saint John Maroun (March 2), The Forty Martyrs (March 9), Saint Joseph (March 19), Saint Rafqa (March 23), The Annunciation (March 25).
Fasting and Abstinence every Friday of the year
Abstinence is observed every Friday of the year, except:
- The Fridays between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost Sunday;
- The Fridays between Christmas Day and the feast of the Epiphany;
- When a feast falls on the Friday.
Fasting and abstinence in our Maronite tradition is highly encouraged for the following feasts
- 15 - 23 December — Christmas abstinence
- 6 - 14 August — Feast of the Assumption abstinence
- 20 - 28 June — Feast of Saints Peter and Paul abstinence
Receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord in the Eucharist is always permitted. It is important to note that food and water are always permitted when needed to take medicines, or in cases of illness or old age. A person who cannot fast or abstain may choose another form of penance, particularly in the case of pregnant or nursing women. The law of abstinence binds all Catholics from ages seven to 60, and the laws of fasting for those between 14 and 60 years of age. But judgment is needed and if you are older, you can always keep these rules.