What role does fasting play in a Christian’s liturgical life? As Lutherans, we might be quick to begin our answer by confessing that fasting is not necessary for salvation. Of course, this is true, but it also isn’t the full answer. While fasting does not make men righteous before God, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good and salutary practice and a tradition that we should be interested in following as modern day Christians.
So, then, why should we fast? Well for one, Jesus assumes that we will. In the Sermon on the Mount, he says, “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16). In this way, Jesus teaches that fasting is much like praying. It is not the exception to the rule but merely a common practice for common Christians. Again, while we wouldn’t say that praying merits your salvation, it is obvious that fasting doesn’t, either. However, praying is something Christians do. So fasting should be also.
It is also a deeply Lutheran practice, with Luther himself writing in the Small Catechism, “fasting and bodily preparation are indeed fine outward training.” Moreover, the Lutheran Confessions state the importance of fasting for Christians (Augsburg Confession XXVI.33-39 and Apology of the Augsburg Confession VI and XII). In all of these places, it is stressed that while fasting is good for us spiritually, it does not forgive our sins or gain us spiritual merit. Instead, it should be viewed as a potentially useful and God-pleasing venture. After all, denying ourselves certain foods and limiting our eating is just the first step in denying ourselves other things like anger, lust, envy, and pride.
Yet if Jesus has spoken well of it and Lutherans have long practiced it, why are we as twenty-first-century Christians so reticent to adopt this practice? Well for one, we live in an increasingly consumerist society. As a culture we are beyond gluttonous, obsessed with snacks, convenience food, and sugary desserts. We have even now gotten to the point where we are too large, we eat too much, and are chronically ill because of it. Often as Lutherans, we tote the fact that fasting does not have to be part of our Christian practice just to excuse our lack of self-discipline and laziness, as restraining from food and the joy of eating is not something many of us are familiar with.
However fasting can and should be a deeply reverent and beneficial practice. It declares our inadequacies (both physical and spiritual) and shows us our absolute dependence on God for all things in life. Without him and his provision of daily bread, where would we be?
Seasonal Living in the Liturgical Year
Another way to approach this topic is to reflect upon the trend towards more intentional and slow living within the broader culture. In recent years both of us at All the Household have certainly noticed a return to seasonal living across society. Perhaps you’ve noticed it, too. Sure, we have access to out-of-season foods at the market year-round, but more and more dietitians and health experts have noted that there are profound benefits to eating more seasonally. Thus, many have returned to this older way of living: they purchase what’s in season, preserve what they can, and accept that summer and winter offer different diets. This sort of seasonal living seems to us to be a beautiful acceptance of what God provides in each (literal) season of life.
In a similar way, Christians have historically lived seasonally according to the liturgical calendar. This calendar has rhythms of its own and rhythms that have historically affected Christians’ diets:
for example, the joyous times of Christmas and Easter bring feasting! If you know the recipes, you’ve doubtless noticed the amount of heavy cream, eggs, and cheese in Eastern European Easter Pascha or the decadent candied fruits in the German Christmas “Stollen” bread.
During other times, we are more reserved in our eating. The periods of celebration are preceded by preparation, seasons like Lent and Advent that are dedicated to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. As we fast, we can let the feeling of hunger encourage us to pray. We can spend the time and money that we would normally spend on shopping, preparing, and eating food reading God’s Word and giving to the poor. Fasting simply enables us to refine the other tools in our spiritual toolbox and to focus on the ways that we know our Lord spiritually blesses and nourishes us.
So let’s take a look at the history of fasting to see how it has played a key role in the devotional life of Christians.
An Overview of Historic Fasting
As mentioned above, we know from Scripture that Jesus himself fasted, and so did Moses (Exodus 24:18), John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and many other prophets, apostles, and disciples. Devout Jews in the first century fasted twice every week: on Monday and Thursday. Early Christians assumed this practice but observed two different days of fasting: Wednesday and Friday. This distinguished Christian fasting from the Jewish practice and honored two important days: the day of Jesus’ betrayal and the day of his death. This is recorded in sources as early as the Didache, a Christian document dating back to the first centuries of the Church.
By fasting during times of penance and reflection, Christians were able both to imitate Christ’s trial in the wilderness (Matthew 4) and to refocus their minds and bodies on steering clear of temptations and recommit to living in the patterns of a Christian life. This is why fasting is usually a custom that accompanies the penitential seasons and days of the church year.
Another very early tradition of fasting is fasting during the Church’s “Ember Days.” Ember Days fall on a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday during four different weeks of the year: one in winter, one in spring, one in summer, and one in fall. This sequence of days is set aside for fasting and prayer that God would bless the fruits of the earth and bring a bountiful harvest. By fasting and praying as a community during the Ember Days, Christians have endeavored to sanctify each season of the secular year.
Additionally, Christians often fast before receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood at the altar. This is called a Eucharistic fast and is not to be confused with the idea of abstaining from receiving the Sacrament. It simply means that one fasts from food before receiving the Bread of Life on Sunday. This can be as simple as skipping breakfast on Sunday morning.
Fasting and Abstinence
So, then, what does fasting look like today, and how exactly do we do it? In the strict sense fasting is forgoing food altogether for a meal or for an entire day (or days). However, there is also abstinence, which means that a person gives up certain types of foods. A common example of this is how some Roman Catholics give up certain types of meat on Fridays during Lent. This kind of fasting might be an easier way to introduce the practice into one’s life, as it doesn’t eliminate food altogether.
Along with strict fasting and abstinence, there is also the tradition of simply limiting the quantity of food that you are used to. With this practice one typically eats one regular sized meal in the evening and restrains their consumption of food in the morning and afternoon. However, the time during the day in which one consumes a regular-sized meal has varied in the time of the Church. In the Middle Ages, monks would have their full meal during the noon hour and then would drink a heavy doppelbock style beer before bed in order to avoid going to sleep with an empty tummy. In some monastic orders, beer was the only thing allowed to be consumed during Lent if those monks performed a strict fast during the entirety of the season.
Another example of the historic Christian practice of fasting can be found in the book Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family, where Maria von Trapp shares how her family would prepare for Lent by making batches of pancakes to use up their eggs, milk, and butter before the fasting season began. They would subsequently abstain from these rich foods during Lent. This custom of eating up the meat, dairy, or sugar from your house in order to better prepare yourself for a longer period of fasting can also be found in other Christians’ celebration of Carnival during the Pre-Lent, Gesimatide, or Shrovetide season of the Church year, which occurs in the weeks leading up to Lent.
Where to Start
If you are interested in starting to fast, a good place to start is to set aside Fridays in Lent as fasting days. This can be done by both abstaining from all animal products (meat, eggs, diary) and only consuming the equivalent of one to two full meals on those days: one regularly-sized dinner, and a breakfast and lunch of fourth- or half-portions. With your observance of this practice on Fridays you can dedicate yourself to remembering Good Friday, the day on which Christ died.
Once you become familiar with abstaining from these particular foods on Fridays, you can try to extend your fast to the entirety of the Lenten season and/or the other penitential seasons and days of the Church year.
To give a bit more details about historic fasting practices: within the Lenten season, fasting is often not practiced on Sundays (in remembrance of our Lord’s resurrection) or on very high feast days, such as the Annunciation. However, a strict fast is typically performed on Ash Wednesday and from Good Friday until Easter Morning out of respect for our Lord.
During fasting seasons, if you find yourself in a position where you do not have any “fasting-friendly” foods at home, the Church has always encouraged one to eat what they have. Likewise, if you are invited to eat at someone’s house during your fast, it is traditional to eat what they serve you, giving thanks for the food that is before you.
Outside of the Lenten season, Christians-especially Eastern Christians-have often fasted in some sort of way on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the rest of the Church year. Again, some exceptions include during the Christmas season, Easter season, and on Major Feasts/Commemorations. Additionally, this practice has typically looked very different for every Christian and every household, but the gist of being more mindful of your food at least one day of the week has been a tradition observed throughout much of Church history.
It should also be mentioned that the Church has never recommended certain people to fast: those who are elderly, those with medical conditions that would put them in danger if they fast, and pregnant and nursing mothers. Children should not be required to fast, either, but may desire to abstain from foods and special treats as they become more aware of the family’s customs and piety.
At All the Household, we have given various examples of historic Christian fasting practices to help you introduce or continue the tradition of fasting with your household. See, for example, our tradition posts for Invocabit, Lætare, Maundy Thursday, and the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.
However you choose to fast, though, we hope that this brief history of fasting and the traditions that we offer can encourage you as you live out the Church’s historic cycles of feasting and fasting. We pray that they would be a blessing to you and would always help to direct our eyes toward Christ our Lord.
Continued Reading
“On Fasting” by the Rev. Dr. Gifford Grobein
“Is there a Lutheran way to fast?” by the Rev. Will Weedon
“When You Fast…” by the Rev. Paul McCain
“Fasting Guidelines” by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Images:
1. The Sermon on the Mount, Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1598, Flanders.
