Bishop of Corfu, Mr. Nektarios: Humans that are away from God cannot understand the importance of fasting

WebTeam 16/03/2019

123 1 minute read

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, his Eminence, the Bishop of Corfu, Paxoi and Diapontian Islands, Mr. Nektarios did the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Church of Saint Theodoroi in Magoulades village.

In his preaching, the Bishop of Corfu narrated shortly the miracle of the kollyva of Saint Theodoros the Tyron, noting that the Saint served his fellow people not only while being alive but also after his death. For this reason, when the Emperor Ioulianos the violator ordered all the food to be sprinkled from the blood of idolatrous sacrifices at the beginning of fasting, Saint Theodore appeared to Archbishop of Constantinople Eudoxius and advised him to boil wheat so that the Christians would eat , which happened. When someone reads it who does not have a living communion with God and has no idea of the Divine Grace, this fact, he instantly characterizes it as a fairy tale. There is no doubt that people who are far from God can not understand the importance of fasting.

Moreover, the Eminence emphasized that fasting is the command of the Lord. He Himself stayed in the wilderness and fasted for forty days. The Fathers of our Church stress that fasting is not a body-killing, but passion-killing. In other words, it is a spiritual exercise, part of the stage of spiritual struggles and always accompanied by prayer and charity. Fasting is not only limited to abstaining from some foods, but is mainly associated with the severing of the passions and the cleansing of all human senses, namely hearing of the eyes and the mouth. It is not meant that an Orthodox Christian fasts from various foods and at the same time breathes and criticizes his brother. This is not fasting, but mockery against the Lord, and as we know, God cannot be mocked.

In his closing, Mr. Nektarios wished to the faithful ones, to be strengthened for the rest of the Holy Lent with the embassies of Saint Theodoroi.