True Fasting

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Root and foundation of the pious is fasting according to God, accomplished with reverence and holy prayers and alms.

For God does not desire abstinence from bread and water, but rather abstinence from evil deeds; 'For it is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what comes out of the mouth, those things defile the man' (Mark 7:15).

Let us fast, beloved, a fasting pleasing to God, about which the Lord says, 'But when you fast, anoint your head' (Matthew 6:17) through good works and alms, 'and wash your face' (Matthew 6:17), stripping away all the filth of sin.

There is a fasting that is reprehensible and there is a fasting that is praiseworthy. Many who fasted committed murders, and many who fasted saved others.

The Ninevites fasted and were saved, and through fasting they changed the anger of God. For the prophet says, 'Yet three days and Nineveh shall be overthrown' (Jonah 3:4).

He did not say, 'After three days Nineveh shall be overthrown'; for if he had said, 'After three days,' it would have been overthrown, but 'Yet three days,' this shows, 'So much time I have been patient with you and you did not repent. Yet three days I endure you, and if you do not repent in these three days, then the city shall be overthrown' (Jonah 3:4).

And for so much time they did not repent, except through the three days, that is, through the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jews fasted and took counsel to kill the Apostle Paul. Jezebel proclaimed a fast and killed Naboth and took the vineyard of the poor. What kind of fast is this?

Daniel fasted when he was thrown into the den of lions; for having been thrown into the den, he cried out to Christ, saying, 'Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord; Lord, hear my prayer' (Psalm 130:1).

Seeing the lions on his right and on his left, he cried out again, saying, 'Do not give to the beasts the soul confessing to you' (Psalm 50:7). See that the Lord does not abandon those who hope in him.

The earthly king sealed the den, but the heavenly king sealed …

Greek

Homilia de jejunio (homilia 15) (e cod. Sinaitico gr. 491) Ησυχίου, πρεσβυτέρου Ἱεροσολύμων, περὶ νηστείας. 1 Ῥίζα καὶ θεμέλιος τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἡ κατὰ θεὸν νηστεία, ἡ μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ ἁγίων εὐχῶν καὶ ἐλεημοσυνῶν ἐπιτελουμένη. Οὐ γὰρ ἀποχὴν ἄρτου καὶ ὕδατος βούλεται ὁ θεός, ἀλλ' ἀποχὴν πράξεων πονηρῶν· «Οὐ γὰρ τὰ εἰσερχόμενα εἰς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, ἐκεῖνα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.» Νηστεύσωμεν, ἀγαπητοί, νηστείαν τὴν θεῷ πρέπουσαν, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ κύριος· «Σὺ δὲ ὅταν νηστεύῃς, ἄλειψόν σου τὴν κεφαλὴν» δι<ὰ> καλῶν ἔργων καὶ ἐλεημοσυ νῶν, «καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν <σου> νίψαι», περιαιρῶν πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν ἁμαρτίας. Ἔστιν νηστεία ψεκτὴ καὶ ἔστιν νηστεία ἐπαινετή. Πολλοὶ νηστεύσαντες φόνους εἰργάσαντο καὶ πολλοὶ νηστεύσαντες ἄλλους ἔσωσαν. 2 Ἐνήστευσαν Νινευῖται καὶ ἐσώθησαν καὶ διὰ τῆς νηστείας τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ θεοῦ μετέβαλον. Καὶ ἀπόφασιν ἐξενεχθεῖσαν κατ' αὐτῶν ἡ νηστεία ἐκώλυσεν· φησὶν γὰρ ὁ προφήτης· «Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται.» Οὐκ εἶπεν «μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται»· εἰ γὰρ εἶπεν «μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας», κατεστράφη ἄν, ἀλλ' «ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι», τοῦτο δεικνὺς ὅτι «Τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἠνειχόμην ὑμῶν καὶ οὐ μετενοήσατε. Ἔτι τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἀνέχομαι ὑμῶν καί, εἰ μὴ ἐν ταῖς τρισὶν ἡμέραις μετανοεῖτε, ἔπειτα καταστραφήσεται ἡ πόλις.» Καὶ τοσοῦτον χρόνον οὐ μετενόησαν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν τουτέστιν διὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. 3 Ἐνήστευσαν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ συμβούλιον ἔλαβον ἵνα τὸν ἀπόστολον Παῦλον ἀποκτείνωσιν. Ἐκήρυξεν Ἰεζάβελ νηστείαν καὶ τὸν Ναβουθαὶ ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τοῦ πένητος ἔλαβεν. Νηστεία καὶ φόνος αὕτη ποία νηστεία; Ἐνήστευσεν ∆ανιὴλ ὅτε ἐβλήθη εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων· βληθέντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν λάκκον, ἐβό<α> πρὸς Χριστὸν λέγων· «Ἐκ βαθ<έων> ἐκέ<κραξά σε, κύριε·> κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου.» Βλέπων δὲ τοὺς λέοντας ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων, πάλιν ἐβόα λέγων· «Μὴ παραδῷς τοῖς θηρίοις ψυχὴν ἐξομολογουμένην σοι.» Βλέπε δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλιμπάνει κύ ριος τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπ' αὐτόν. Ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ὁ ἐπίγειος ἐ σφράγισεν τὸν λάκκον, ὁ δὲ ἐπουράνιος βασιλεὺς ἐσφράγισεν

About this text

Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia de jejunio (Greek).

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.