The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XV, Part IV and XVI, Part I

We continued our discussion of the fathers’ love for abstinence and fasting. While their feats seem amazing to us as well as how little food they needed to sustain themselves, the importance is what this love of these disciplines show us. They were not embraced simply as forms of discipline or endurance, but rather that which humbled the mind and the body. It is counterintuitive for all of those who live in times of great abundance to imagine that radically limiting both the amount and type of food that we eat could have such great significance for the spiritual life. At one point, the practices are compared to David slaying a lion in the protection of his flock. Fasting allows us to put our trust in God, and so becomes a weapon capable of slaying a far more fierce enemy. Similarly, David rushed out to do battle with Goliath with nothing but a sling and a few stones. Likewise, we rush out in battle, unencumbered by the things of this world caring with us the humble weapons of fasting and constant prayer.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:09:22 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 124, #5   00:12:09 David Fraley: Hello Father!   00:22:14 Maureen Cunningham: What  page   00:22:33 Lilly: Pg 125 #8   00:23:01 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You   00:32:04 Adam Paige: gyrovagues   00:38:26 Bob Cihak, AZ: Waste not, Want not, Skinny not.   00:44:24 Adam Paige: "Prayer, mercy and fasting: these three are one, and they give life to each other. Fasting is the soul of prayer, almsgiving is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated." - St. Peter Chrysologus Sermo 43 (Office of Readings for Tuesday of the 3rd week of Lent)   00:47:54 Forrest Cavalier: In Hypothesis 16 there are stories of extreme fasting, some of which must be miraculous, but not without other imitations that are attested. There are several saints who lived multiple years only consuming Eucharist, including St. Catherine of Sienna and St. Joseph of Cupertino.   01:03:59 Rebecca Thérèse: Yes   01:14:53 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:14:57 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You   01:15:33 Andrew Adams: Thank you, Father!   01:15:55 Troy Amaro: Thank You Father.   01:15:56 David Fraley: Thank you, Father!   01:16:01 Jennifer Ahearn: 🙏 thank you.   01:16:08 Mark: thank you father