Fasting, coupled with prayer, is one of the most powerful spiritual weapons we have in our struggle against the devil, sin, and the passions. This is undoubtedly why the Holy Church, as a loving Mother, consecrates several periods of fasting throughout the year, including the 43-day Fast of the Nativity, which we just began. The power of fasting comes from its connection to self-denial, the practice of saying “no” or “not now” to our impulses. …

Fasting is as old as the human race. Fasting was practiced by pagan religions, Judaism and Christianity, and it was generally considered an important element of religious life, although with different practices and understanding. In the ancient religions of the East fasting meant a complete abstention from good for a certain period of time — one day or more. The origin of fasting as a moral discipline, especially among the old pagan religions is very …

I once visited a Coptic Orthodox parish for a weekday meeting. Before the meeting began, a “praise and worship team” came into the church with their instruments and began singing a couple of Protestant songs. As odd and surreal as it was to hear these songs in a holy place in which mystical and spiritual hymns are chanted, this is not our present focus. [1. This is not directed at any particular parish, because these songs …

Although all life should be holy, God has appointed for us holy days and times. If we are trained to keep these days holy, we will take them as examples for the rest of the days… Because man perhaps cannot practically be permanently cautious or in steady enthusiasm all the days of his life, God laid stress on certain days. He said in the Book of Leviticus that they are the proclaimed day of the …