John Chrysostom, On Fasting

each one to devote himself to fasting in accord. But let prayer also be joined to the fasts; fasting indeed exhorts, but prayer has its season; fast, because you have not sinned, and because you have sinned, fast, and again that you may not sin, fast, and that what you have received may remain. For there are so many kinds of fasting. Has someone sinned, and fasted, punishing himself, that he might escape punishment? Let us therefore also fast, beloved, that desires may not rise up against us. You see the fast following upon sin, that is, the one after the sin, becoming a conversion in terms of punishment. But the fast preceded the sins, not to take away the sin that was committed, but to prevent the one to come; Another fast is that of one seeking to receive the law of the law. For he who asks for the law fasts, as Moses fasted, and received the law. Again another fasts, that he may not fail in those things of which he was deemed worthy. But the Church fasts together for the grace and the economy. She recognizes Jesus in deed, crucified with him who was crucified, suffering with the Lord, that she may also be glorified with him, not that we should mourn for the Lord; for the Son of the living One lives; but that we may confess the grace of the economy. Even if we mourn that the Jews crucified him, we do not mourn for him, but for the audacity of those who dared. For he rose from the dead, he stood in glory, in which he pre-existed with the Father, he was with the Father from whence he also was. The victory of Jesus is not worthy of mourning. But let us fast, caring for ourselves, and hastening to be partakers of his sufferings; let us act as is worthy, brethren. Who has been deemed worthy to be a partaker of the sufferings of Christ? Great is the mystery. Let us hasten to the good things, and not turn aside to evil things. Jesus is crucified, the Son of the immortal one; he hung his body on the cross, not for himself, but for you. You ate from the tree, he fasts on the tree; you took from what was not owed to you; he laid down his body in place of what you took. You were defeated by a harsh desire; he drinks vinegar instead of pleasure. Do not become a stranger to the kingdom. You knew that he was crucified, you knew that he died for you, confess that he lives. For the living one make the confession, bear witness to the one who bore witness, die for the one who died. But if he so demands death, do not shrink away; small is the death of fasting. You do not have great achievements? The death of fasting. You do not have great achievements? Grant him the small things; with gladness run to him for the feasts, with joy receive the fast. Spiritual fasting is a delicacy. But perhaps I cry out in vain; for just as time has changed the complexions of those hastening to the table. But this is not of those who love the fast in which they stand. For it was not fitting for you to be annoyed at being drawn away from the table of the Lord. But the sight met us unexpectedly, as the light of the lamp met us. The hidden conscience was convicted, that we are held by force; and so we do not stand firm. How long shall we make a game of the truth? how long shall we make a business of the things of the Lord? or have you not heard the psalm saying, and at the same time obeying it, If you speak truth, judge 62.738 uprightly? If you are true to the fast, have joy in the fast; but if you are grieved, you wrong yourself; if you toil, you are not gladdened; if you pursue as one deprived of good things, you do not obtain good things. Jesus was crucified for you, and was not displeased, but rather even hastened to suffer; but you do not endure even a small fast for your own salvation? O man, I do not have such strength, that I might cry out as much as I ought. Jesus is crucified; see, and beat your breast, bring down a tear from your eyes. He was crucified for you; be crucified with him, be glorified with him, not that you may die, but that you may be delivered from death. This day of preparation is the day on which the cross was set up for you; and you, be crucified with him, die with him. For on behalf of God the

συμφώνου σχολάζειν ἕκαστον ἐν νηστείαις. Ταῖς νηστείαις δὲ συναπτέσθω καὶ εὐχή· ἡ νηστεία μὲν προτρέπεται, ἡ εὐχὴ δὲ καιρὸν ἔχει· νήστευσον, ὅτι οὐχ ἥμαρτες, καὶ ὅτι ἥμαρτες νήστευσον, καὶ πάλιν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτῃς νήστευσον, καὶ ὅπως διαμείνῃ ἃ ἔλαβες. Τοσαῦτα γὰρ εἴδη νηστείας. Ἥμαρτέ τις, καὶ ἐνήστευσεν ἑαυτὸν κολάζων, ἵνα διαφύγῃ τὴν κόλασιν; νηστεύσωμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπαναστῶσι καθ' ἡμῶν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι. Ὁρᾷς δὲ τὴν νηστείαν ἑπομένην τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, τουτέστι, τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, γινομένην ἐν λόγοις τιμωρίας ἐπιστροφήν. Ἀλλ' ἡ νηστεία προηγεῖτο τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, οὐχ ἵνα ἀφέλῃ τὸ γινόμενον ἁμάρτημα, ἀλλ' ἵνα κωλύσῃ τὸ μέλλον· Ἄλλη νηστεία ἐστὶν, ὁ ζητῶν νόμον νόμου λαβεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ αἰτῶν νόμον νηστεύει, ὡς Μωϋσῆς ἐνήστευσε, καὶ ἔλαβε νόμον. Πάλιν ἄλλος νηστεύει, ἵνα ὧν κατηξιώθη, τούτων μὴ ἀποτύχῃ. Ἡ δὲ Ἐκκλησία ὁμοῦ νηστεύει, τὴν χάριν καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν. Τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιγινώσκει πράγματι, τῷ σταυρωθέντι συνεσταυρωμένη, τῷ Κυρίῳ συμπάσχουσα, ἵνα καὶ συνδοξασθῇ, οὐχ ἵνα τὸν Κύριον πενθῶμεν· ζῇ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ ζῶντος Υἱός· ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν χάριν ὁμολογῶμεν τῆς οἰκονομίας. Εἰ καὶ πενθοῦμεν ὅτι ἐσταύρωσαν αὐτὸν Ἰουδαῖοι, οὐ δι' αὐτὸν πενθοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τόλμαν τῶν τολμησάντων. Ἀνέστη γὰρ ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἔστη ἐν δόξῃ, ἐν ᾗ προϋπῆρχε παρὰ τῷ Πατρὶ, συνὼν ἦν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ὅθεν καὶ ἦν. Οὐκ ἔστι πένθους ἀξία ἡ νίκη τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ἀλλὰ νηστεύσωμεν ἑαυτῶν κηδόμενοι, καὶ κοινωνοὶ σπεύδοντες αὐτοῦ εἶναι τῶν παθημάτων· ὥσπερ ἀξίαν πράττωμεν, ἀδελφοί. Τίς κατηξίωσε κοινωνὸς εἶναι τῶν παθημάτων Χριστοῦ; Μέγα τὸ μυστήριον. Σπεύσωμεν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ μὴ ἐκκλίνωμεν εἰς κακά. Ἰησοῦς ἐσταύρωται, ὁ τοῦ ἀθανάτου Υἱός· ἐκρέμασε τὸ σῶμα ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλὰ διὰ σέ. Ἔφαγες σὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, νηστεύει αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου· ἔλαβες ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ὤφειλέ σοι· ἐπέθηκεν αὐτὸς σῶμα ἀνθ' ὧν ἔλαβες. Ἐπιθυμίαν ἡττήθης χαλεπήν· πίνει αὐτὸς ὄξος ἀντὶ ἡδονῆς. Μὴ ἀλλότριος γένῃ τῆς βασιλείας. Ἔγνως ὅτι ἐσταύρωται, ἔγνως ὅτι ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἀπέθανεν, ὁμολόγει ὅτι ζῇ. Ὑπὲρ ζῶντος ποίει τὴν ὁμολογίαν, μαρτύρει τῷ μαρτυρήσαντι, ἀπόθανον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀποθανόντος. Εἰ δὲ οὕτω ἀπαιτεῖ θάνατον, μὴ ἀποπηδήσῃς· μικρός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς νηστείας θάνατος. Οὐκ ἔχεις μεγάλα κατορθώματα; ὁ τῆς νηστείας θάνατος. Οὐκ ἔχεις μεγάλα κατορθώματα; χάρισαι αὐτῷ τὰ μικρά· μετ' εὐφροσύνης πρόσδραμε αὐτῷ ἐπὶ ἑορτὰς, μετὰ χαρᾶς δέξαι τὴν νηστείαν. Τρυφή ἐστιν ἡ νηστεία πνευματική. Ἀλλὰ τάχα εἰκῆ κράζω· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἤλλαξεν ὁ χρόνος τὰ χρώματα τῶν σπευδόντων ἐπὶ τράπεζαν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαπώντων νηστείαν ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκασιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀκόλουθον ἄχθεσθαι ὑμᾶς τὸ τῆς τραπέζης Κυρίου ἀποσπᾶσθαι. Παρὰ προσδοκίαν δὲ ἀπήντησεν ἡ θέα, ὡς ἀπήντησε τοῦ λύχνου ἡ αὐγή. Ἠλέγχθη ἡ λανθάνουσα συνείδησις, ὅτι βίᾳ κατεχόμεθα· καὶ οὐκ ἄρα ἑστήκαμεν. Ἕως πότε τὴν ἀλήθειαν παίζομεν· ἕως πότε τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου πραγματευόμεθα; ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας τοῦ ψαλμοῦ λέγοντος, ἅμα δὲ αὐτοῦ ὑπακούοντος, Εἰ ἀλήθειαν λαλεῖτε, εὐ 62.738 θείας κρίνατε; Εἰ ἀληθεύεις ἐπὶ τὴν νηστείαν, χαρὰν ἔχε ἐπὶ τὴν νηστείαν· εἰ δὲ ἀλγεῖς, ἀδικεῖς σεαυτόν· εἰ πονεῖς, οὐκ εὐφραίνῃ· εἰ διώκεις ὡς ἀγαθῶν ἀπεστερημένος, οὐ τυγχάνεις ἀγαθῶν. Ἰησοῦς ἐσταύρωται διὰ σοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἔσπευδε τοῦ παθεῖν· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ μικρὰν νηστείαν ἀνέχῃ διὰ τὴν σεαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν; Ὦ ἄνθρωπε, οὐκ ἔχω δύναμιν τοσαύτην, ἵνα κράζω, ὅσον ὀφείλω. Ἰησοῦς ἐσταύρωται· ὅρα, καὶ ὑπότυψον τὸ στῆθος, κατάγαγε δάκρυον ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. Ἐσταύρωται διὰ σέ· συσταυρώθητι, συνδοξάσθητι ἐκείνῳ, οὐχ ἵνα ἀποθάνῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα θανάτου ἀπαλλαγῇς. Αὕτη ἡ τῆς παρασκευῆς ἡμέρα, ἡμέρα ἐστὶν ἐν ᾗ ὁ σταυρὸς ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἐπάγη· καὶ σὺ συσταυρώθητι, συναπόθανε. Ὑπὲρ Θεοῦ γὰρ ὁ