Nader Habib looks at fasting's role in Christianity According to Father Istephanos Nerouz, pastor of the Virgin Mary Church in Shoubra's Wogouh neighbourhood, "fasting was the commandment that God gave our father, Adam." By this, Nerouz means, "Adam was permitted to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden, except for one specific tree that bore a particular fruit, and represented both good and evil." In Christianity, fasting is not obligatory. The church ordained it over time as a reminder of certain historical events, or of those who fasted and received benediction for their sins from God. In this respect, Nerouz says, "Christ was a leading example for his followers when he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights when he retired to the wilderness." The Holy Bible, Nerouz says, "tells us that the devil approached Jesus, who was hungry, and said, 'If you are the son of God, turn this stone into bread.' To which Jesus replied: 'It is written that Man survives not by bread alone, but by every word that God utters'." And so, while Adam sinned and ate a forbidden fruit, Jesus was able to resist the temptation, and his disciples followed his lead. The benefits of fasting, Nerouz says, are both material and spiritual. For one, it offers a healthy respite from certain ailments for some of the body's organs. In Christianity, the faithful break their fast with food that is free from animal fat, or derived from living creatures, which can lead to high levels of cholesterol. Fasting is also an opportunity to lose weight and maintain a lean and graceful body. On the spiritual level, fasting elevates the spirit, since both body and spirit are in harmony. In this respect, Jesus said: "Toil not for perishable food, but for food that lasts till the eternal life". By abstaining from food, a person triumphs over body and matter; this is the wisdom of fasting. Fasting is also aimed at soliciting God's mercy; by fasting, man becomes closer to the Almighty. But for our fast to be accepted in the eyes of God, Nerouz says, the following conditions must be met: prayer and lamentations for our exposed and hidden sins must accompany the fast; the worshipper must also adhere to silence, by secluding him/herself for the longest periods possible, and staying away from all sources of evil desires; and last but not least, alms should be provided for the needy and the poor. Nerouz warns against turning fasting into an act of hypocrisy, by pretending to fast in public while breaking it in private. On the other hand, boasting about it is also wrong, since fasting is a private contract between the individual and his creator.
