John Chrysostom, On Fasting Sermons 1-7

strengthened, fasting perfected priests, fasting illumined Moses, fasting served as priest with Aaron, fasting was a fellow general with Jesus the son of Nave, fasting armed Gideon, fasting made Samson brave, fasting conceived Samuel, fasting fought with Saul, fasting blessed Isaiah, fasting gave speech to Jeremiah, fasting sanctified Zacharias, fasting made John wise, fasting aided Peter, fasting rewarded Paul, fasting sealed the world, fasting trampled the power of fire, fasting wasted a nation of lions, fasting extinguished the pride of dragons, fasting dried up rivers; fasting is the restoration of paradise, fasting is the chief of the things that have been said, having fortified the body of Christ, it strongly received the attacks of the devil. Fasting is the companion of virgins, fasting is the increase of households, fasting is the advocate of penitents, fasting is the yoke-fellow of prayer, fasting is the beginning of wealth, fasting is the consolation of the poor, fasting is the helper of the weary, fasting drives away sleep, and brings on a hymn, fasting gives us water to drink, and prepares for us a spring of immortality. O fasting, that prepares our souls for piety with bread, and with salt cleanses the stench of our sins; O fasting, that for forty days set the air in degrees, and through them leads us to the heavens; O fasting, that through the mouth of those who fast sings of mercy and judgment to God, as we have now heard of the things that have been said. For David, the choir of the holy prophets, perfectly outlining for us the judgment to come, a just judgment mixed with mercy, said to God: Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord. Fasting shares the life of the Cherubim, fasting shares the tent of the Seraphim, fasting settled Enoch in paradise, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

On Fasting. Sermon 5. Today, beloved, let us worship the physician. For behold, fasting is at hand, which grants salvation to souls and bodies, as providing a wondrous resurrection, as an oil for us to be anointed for spiritual struggles. Prayer and fasting is the work of angels, fasting is the gate of paradise, fasting is the purification of sinners, fasting is boldness towards God, fasting is purity of heart, fasting is the chief of all the good things given to us by God, fasting is the sanctification of the soul, fasting is health of the body, fasting is the security of the house, the pedagogue of the young, the guardian of infants, the moderation of the old, the good order and stability of women. But when it is accompanied by prayer and fasting and almsgiving, then the worker of piety is found rich towards God. For he who gives to the poor lends to God. Have you seen God become a surety for men? For this reason also the prophet, reproaching the Jews for not observing the fast with all their strength, said: It is not this fast that I have chosen, says the Lord, for a man to humble his soul. For what is the benefit of fasting with the mouth, and murdering in deeds? What is the benefit of abstaining from foods, and being defiled by fornication? You do not eat meat, but you devour the flesh of your brother. What is the gain of not rejoicing in wine, and being drunk with money? What is the benefit of not eating bread, and being drunk with anger; what is the gain of being withered by fasting, and reviling one's neighbor? What is the advantage of abstaining from foods, and seizing what belongs to others? What is the need to dry up the body, and not to feed the hungry? What is the advantage of crushing one's members, and not pitying widows and orphans? What is the profit of living in cares and anxieties, and storm-tossed orphans

ἐδυνάμωσε, νηστεία ἱερεῖς ἐτελείωσε, νηστεία Μωϋσῆν ἐλαμπαδούχησε, νηστεία σὺν τῷ Ἀαρὼν ἱεράτευσε, νηστεία Ἰησοῦ Ναυὴ συνεστρατήγησε, νηστεία τὸν Γεδεὼν ὥπλισε, νηστεία τὸν Σαμψὼν ἠνδρείωσε, νηστεία τὸν Σαμουὴλ ἐκύησε, νηστεία σὺν τῷ Σαοὺλ ἐπολέμησε, νηστεία τὸν Ἡσαΐαν εὐλόγησε, νηστεία τὸν Ἱερεμίαν ἐστόμωσε, νηστεία τὸν Ζαχαρίαν ἡγίασε, νηστεία τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐσόφισε, νηστεία Πέτρῳ ἐπήρκεσε, νηστεία Παύλῳ ἐβράβευσε, νηστεία τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐσφράγισε, νηστεία δύναμιν πυρὸς κατεπάτησε, νηστεία ἔθνος λεόντων ἐμάρανε, νηστεία γαυρίαμα δρακόντων κατέσβεσε, νηστεία ποταμοὺς ἐξήρανε· νηστεία τοῦ παραδείσου ἀποκατάστασις, νηστεία ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις κεφάλαιον, τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀχυρώσασα, τὰς προσβολὰς τοῦ διαβόλου σφοδρῶς ὑπεδέξατο. Νηστεία παρθένων συνόμιλος, νηστεία οἴκων αὔξησις, νηστεία μετανοούντων συνήγορος, νηστεία προσευχῆς ὁμόζυγος, νηστεία πλούτου ἀρχὴ, νηστεία πενήτων παράκλησις, νηστεία καταπονουμένων βοηθὸς, νηστεία ὕπνον ἐλαύνουσα, καὶ ὕμνον ἐπάγουσα, νηστεία ὕδωρ ἡμᾶς ποτίζουσα, καὶ ἀθανασίας πηγὴν ἡμῖν καταρτίζουσα. Ὢ νηστεία, ἡ ἄρτῳ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν εὐτρεπίζουσα, καὶ ἅλατι τὴν δυσωδίαν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡμῶν ἀποσμήχουσα· ὢ νηστεία τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας τὸν ἀέρα βαθμώσασα, καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰς οὐρανοὺς δι' ἐκείνων ἄγουσα· ὢ νηστεία διὰ στόματος νηστευόντων ἔλεον καὶ κρίσιν τῷ Θεῷ κελαδοῦσα, ὡς νῦν ἠκούσαμεν τῶν εἰρημένων. ∆αυῒδ γὰρ, ὁ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν ὁ χορὸς, δικαιοκρισίαν ἐλέῳ μεμιγμένην, τὴν μέλλουσαν κρίσιν ἀρτίως ἡμῖν ὑπογράφων, ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Ἔλεον καὶ κρίσιν ᾄσομαί σοι, Κύριε. Νηστεία τῶν Χερουβὶμ ὁμοδίαιτος, νηστεία τῶν Σεραφὶμ σύσκηνος, νηστεία τὸν Ἐνὼχ εἰς παράδεισον ᾤκισεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

Περὶ νηστείας. Λόγος εʹ. Σήμερον, ἀγαπητοὶ, τὸν ἰατρὸν προσκυνήσωμεν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐφίσταται ἡ νηστεία, ἡ ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων σωτηρίαν χαριζομένη, ὡς ἀνάστασιν παρεχομένη παράδοξον, ὡς πρὸς πνευματικοὺς ἡμᾶς ἀγῶνας ἔλαιον ἀλείφεσθαι. Εὐχὴ καὶ νηστεία τὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἔργον, νηστεία παραδείσου πύλη, νηστεία ἁμαρτωλῶν καθάρσιον, νηστεία παῤῥησία πρὸς Θεὸν, νηστεία καθαρότης καρδίας, νηστεία πάντων τῶν παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδομένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν τὸ κεφάλαιον, νηστεία ἁγιασμὸς ψυχῆς, νηστεία ὑγεία σώματος, νηστεία οἴκου ἀσφάλεια, νέων παιδαγωγὸς, νηπίων φύλαξ, γερόντων σωφρονισμὸς, γυναικῶν εὐκοσμία καὶ κατάστασις. Ἀλλ' ὅτε τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ νηστείᾳ καὶ ἐλεημοσύνῃ συμπάρεστι, τότε πλούσιος κατὰ Θεὸν ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐργάτης εὑρίσκεται. Θεῷ γὰρ δανείζει ὁ παρέχων τῷ πένητι. Εἶδες Θεὸν ἐγγυητὴν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων γενόμενον; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ὡς μὴ τελοῦσι τὴν νηστείαν ἐξ ὅλης δυνάμεως, ὀνειδίζων ἔλεγεν· Οὐ ταύτην τὴν νηστείαν ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην, λέγει Κύριος, τὸ ταπεινοῦν τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, νηστεύειν στόματι, καὶ φονεύειν τοῖς ἔργοις; τί τὸ ὄφελος, βρωμάτων ἀπέχεσθαι, καὶ τῇ πορνείᾳ μιαίνεσθαι; Κρέας οὐκ ἐσθίεις, ἀλλὰ κατατρώγεις σάρκας τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. Ποῖον κέρδος, οἴνῳ μὴ εὐφραίνεσθαι, καὶ μεθύσκεσθαι χρήμασι; τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἄρτον μὴ ἐσθίειν, καὶ μεθύειν θυμῷ· ποῖον κέρδος, νηστείᾳ μαραίνεσθαι, καὶ λοιδορεῖν τὸν πλησίον; τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια, ἐγκρατεύεσθαι βρωμάτων, καὶ ἁρπάζειν τὰ ἀλλότρια; τίς ἡ ἀνάγκη, τὸ σῶμα ξηραίνειν, καὶ πεινῶντας μὴ τρέφειν; τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια, τὰ μέλη συντρίβειν, καὶ χήρας μὴ ἐλεεῖν καὶ ὀρφανούς; τίς ὄνησις, ἐν φροντίσι καὶ μερίμναις διάγειν, καὶ ὀρφανοὺς χειμαζομένους