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oracles to be delivered to minds weighed down with wine. See how much wrong drunkenness does, opposing fasting. But again fasting, having corrected so great an evil, using the same days, again recalled the law. It has left us a memorial for the security of life and conduct, perhaps through this also indicating a certain mystery: that the first lawgiving will be made void, being shattered because of the unbelief of the former people; but the second was effective, being given everywhere, as the second people faithfully received the second law, and kept it together. And Elijah, having fasted for forty days, and having traveled through the desert on a single meal, did not feel fatigue; for fasting sustained him, lightening the labor; and after fasting he beheld God, as it is possible for human nature to perceive. He did not behold the bodiless one with bodily eyes, but by perceiving the invisible one with his heart, according to the purity of his soul. For blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Thus having fasted, he shut up the heaven against the licentious, and those who squandered their lives in luxury, so that what they did not choose to pursue by their own will, they might learn this through the fasting of famine, being disciplined, and might know how beneficial fasting is, showing its work even in a time of luxury. And Daniel himself, having fasted for three weeks, and not having tasted the bread of desires, having come into the den of lions because of the jealousy of the licentious, also taught the lions there to fast. For the wild beasts were shamed by the faster, becoming tamer than rational beasts, and they shut their own mouths, not daring to touch the holy body. For just as if placing fasting as a weapon by his own body, and fortifying his whole self through it, he deceived the eyes of the lions, showing not a human body, but an angelic body. And the three children in Babylon, not wishing to partake of the unlawful table of the king, but to follow the fast according to the law, entering into the blazing fire of the furnace extinguished the flame, making the furnace dew instead of fire through fasting; and the fire was bold against those inexperienced in fasting—for it consumed all the Chaldeans standing around; but it withdrew from those in the habit of fasting, not being able to touch their bodies. For there was no matter in the body, as fasting had made it spiritual. Likewise 61.790 the Ninevites also, by fasting, repelled death; for having earnestly persevered in fasting for three days, they transformed eternal punishment through a few days, and have left behind eternal praise to the world. See, beloved, how powerful is fasting when performed with prayer and works. For fasting and supplication deliver from death; but righteousness is above both. Fasting is also an abolition of death, and a deliverance from wrath; fasting is a cleansing of the mind, a companion of continence, an exercise of piety, a balance of righteousness. Fasting knows how to make the poor man rich; for it does not allow one to spend unseasonably, providing self-sufficiency of measure; it also knows how to make the rich man a steward of his own money, not permitting him to devour it recklessly; fasting also understands the prime of youth. It teaches a bridle for foods, it bestows continence, and wisely guides towards piety and moderation. It also knows how to make the elderly wise, and to keep the eye of the mind pure. Fasting also keeps the body healthier; for, not being weighed down by foods, it does not receive matter for diseases, but being lightened from edibles, it becomes strong for the reception of spiritual gifts.

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διανοίαις οἴνῳ βεβαρημέναις λόγια παραδίδοσθαι. Βλέπε πόσον ἀδικεῖ ἡ μέθη ἀντιπίπτουσα τῇ νηστείᾳ. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν νηστεία τοσοῦτον κακὸν ἐπανορθώσασα ταῖς αὐταῖς χρησάμενος ἡμέραις, πάλιν ἐπανεκαλέσατο τὸν νόμον. Μνημόσυνον ἡμῖν καταλέλοιπε πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν βίου καὶ πολιτείας, τάχα διὰ τούτου γινομένου καὶ μυστήριόν τι ἐντεινόμενος. ὅτι ἡ μὲν πρώτη νομοθεσία ἀργήσει, συντριβομένη διὰ τὴν τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ ἀπιστίαν· ἡ δὲ δευτέρα ἐνήργησε πανταχοῦ διδομένη, τοῦ δευτέρου πιστῶς δεχομένου τὸν δεύτερον νόμον, καὶ συμφυλάττοντος. Καὶ Ἠλίας δὲ τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας νηστεύσας, καὶ μιᾷ τροφῇ τὴν ἔρημον διοδεύσας, οὐκ ᾐσθάνετο καμάτου· νηστεία γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐβάσταζε, τὸν πόνον ἐπικουφίζουσα· καὶ μετὰ νηστείαν Θεὸν ἐθεάσατο, καθὼς οἷόν τε τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν κατανοῆσαι. Οὐ σωματικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸν ἀσώματον ἐθεάσατο, ἀλλὰ καρδίᾳ τὸν ἀόρατον κατανοήσας, κατὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς καθαρότητα. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Οὕτω νηστεύσας, τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀπέκλεισε κατὰ τῶν ἀκολάστων, καὶ τρυφῇ τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον καταδαπανώντων, ἵν' ὅπερ οὐχ εἵλοντο ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει μετερχόμενοι, τοῦτο διὰ τῆς τοῦ λιμοῦ νηστείας μάθωσι παιδευόμενοι, καὶ γνῶσι, πῶς ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν ἡ νηστεία, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τρυφῆς τὴν ἐργασίαν ἐπιδεικνυμένη. ∆ανιὴλ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς τρεῖς ἑβδομάδας νηστεύσας, καὶ ἄρτον ἐπιθυμιῶν μὴ γευσάμενος, εἰς λάκκον λεόντων διὰ ζῆλον τῶν ἀκολάστων παραγενόμενος, καὶ λέοντας ἐκεῖ νηστεύειν ἐδίδαξεν. Ἐδυσωπήθησαν γὰρ τὸν νηστευτὴν οἱ ἄγριοι θῆρες, ἡμερώτεροι τῶν λογικῶν θηρίων γενόμενοι, καὶ ἀπέκλεισαν τὸ ἴδιον στόμα, τοῦ ἁγίου σώματος ἅψασθαι μὴ κατατολμήσαντες. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅπλον τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι παραθέμενος τὴν νηστείαν, καὶ ὅλον ἑαυτὸν δι' αὐτῆς ὀχυρώσας, ἀπεπλάνησε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν λεόντων, μὴ σῶμα ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλὰ σῶμα ἀγγελικὸν ἐπιδειξάμενος. Καὶ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, μὴ βουληθέντες τῇ παρανόμῳ τραπέζῃ τοῦ βασιλέως κοινωνῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τῇ κατὰ νόμον νηστείᾳ ἐξακολουθῆσαι, εἰς τὴν ἐξαφθεῖσαν πυρὰν τῆς καμίνου εἰσελθόντες ἔσβεσαν τὴν φλόγα, δρόσον ἀντὶ πυρὸς τὴν κάμινον διὰ νηστείας ἐργασάμενοι· καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀπείρων τῆς νηστείας τὸ πῦρ κατετόλμησε πάντας γὰρ τοὺς περιεστῶτας Χαλδαίους κατεδαπάνησε· τοὺς δὲ ἐν συνηθείᾳ τῆς νηστείας ὑπανεχώρησε, τοῦ σώματος αὐτῶν ἅψασθαι μὴ δυνάμενον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὕλη τις ἦν ἐν τῷ σώματι, τῆς νηστείας πνευματικὸν αὐτὸ ἐργασαμένης. Ὁμοίως δὲ 61.790 καὶ Νινευῗται νηστεύσαντες τὸν θάνατον ἀπεκρούσαντο· τρεῖς γὰρ ἡμέρας νηστείᾳ ἐκτενῶς προσκαρτερήσαντες, τὴν αἰώνιον κόλασιν δι' ἡμερῶν ὀλίγων μεταποιήσαντες, αἰώνιον ἔπαινον τῷ κόσμῳ καταλελοίπασιν. Ὁρᾶτε, ἀγαπητοὶ, πόσον ἰσχύει νηστεία μετ' εὐχῆς καὶ ἔργων ἐκτελουμένη. Νηστεία γὰρ καὶ δέησις ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται· δικαιοσύνη δὲ ὑπὲρ ἀμφότερα. Νηστεία καὶ θανάτου ἀναίρεσις, καὶ ὀργῆς ἀπολύτρωσις· νηστεία κάθαρσις διανοίας, ὁμοδίαιτος ἐγκρατείας, γυμνάσιον εὐσεβείας, ζυγὸς δικαιοσύνης. Οἶδε νηστεία πλούσιον τὸν πένητα ἀπεργάζεσθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἀκαίρως δαπανᾷν συγχωρεῖ, τοῦ μέτρου τὴν αὐτάρκειαν παρεχομένη· οἶδε καὶ τὸν πλούσιον οἰκονόμον τῶν ἰδίων χρημάτων κατασκευάζειν, μὴ ἀδεῶς συγχωροῦσα καταπιάζειν· ἐπίσταται καὶ νεότητος νηστεία ἀκμήν. ∆ιδάσκει χαλινὸν τῶν βρωμάτων, περιτίθησι τὴν ἐγκράτειαν, καὶ σοφῶς ἡνιοχοῦσα πρὸς εὐσέβειαν καὶ σωφροσύνην. Οἶδε καὶ πρεσβυτέρους σοφίζειν, καὶ καθαρὸν τὸ τῆς διανοίας φυλάττειν ὄμμα. Νηστεία ὑγιεινότερον διατηρεῖ καὶ τὸ σῶμα· οὐ γὰρ βαρυνόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν βρωμάτων ὕλην δέχεται νοσημάτων, ἀλλὰ κουφιζόμενον ἀπὸ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων, εὔρωστον γίνεται πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τῶν χαρισμάτων.