Fasting holds significant importance in both Christian and Judaic traditions, rooted in ancient biblical practices and evolving through history. In the Hebrew Bible, the only annual fast explicitly commanded in the Law was on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, requiring Israelites to "afflict their souls" through total abstinence from food and drink from evening to evening for atonement. Beyond this command, individuals and communities fasted voluntarily for repentance, mourning, seeking divine aid during crises, or preparing for sacred tasks. Prophets like Isaiah sharply criticized fasting done without sincerity, emphasizing that the "true fast" involves acts of justice, charity, and helping the needy.
Jesus taught His followers how to fast – not to be seen by others like the hypocrites, but in secret for God. He also indicated Christian fasting would occur after His physical departure. The early Church adopted fasting, observing weekly fasts, often on Wednesdays and Fridays, and using it to prepare for sacraments and missionary work. Church Fathers like Augustine and Chrysostom stressed that fasting is a spiritual discipline for self-control, a "distancing from sins," and must be joined with prayer and charity.
Historically, Christian fasting evolved from widespread, often rigorous communal practice in the early and medieval periods to more varied observance. While Eastern Orthodoxy maintains a frequent and strict fasting calendar, Western Christianity saw changes, particularly with the Protestant Reformation rejecting mandatory fasts and emphasizing voluntary discipline. The Catholic Church significantly reduced obligatory fasts to only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday in the mid-20th century, while still encouraging voluntary fasting for spiritual growth. In Judaism, Rabbinic tradition added minor fasts commemorating national tragedies alongside Yom Kippur.
Across both faiths, fasting serves multiple purposes including repentance, intensifying prayer, seeking guidance, expressing sorrow, gaining self-mastery, and cultivating compassion. The consistent message is that its value lies in inner sincerity and accompanying virtues, not merely outward abstinence.
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