This year is one where the Eastern and Western celebrations of the resurrection of Christ are not on the same day (Western Easter is on April 8, Eastern Pascha (Easter) is on April 15). So, for those who celebrate Easter on April 8, Happy Easter! For those celebrating Pascha, Happy Feast Day (Palm Sunday). This year I have been pondering the Lenten season, the 40 days prior to Easter.
In the Orthodox tradition, Lent is a ‘fasting season’. What does this mean? To put it in the most general sense, we avoid eating certain foods. You may wonder what this accomplishes. In the simplest sense, it is discipline. When I fast, I am attempting to gain control over my passions by attempting to control (with God’s help) what I put in my body. The struggle between what we should do and what our bodies (or passions) want to do, not just in the area of food, but in many other areas of our life, is the struggle we must endure every day. St. Paul talks of this struggle in Romans 7:17-25 (ASV):
17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not.
19 For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise.
20 But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.
21 I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
You may think controlling what you eat sounds simple, but look around our society in America today. In the realm of food, there is a lot of ‘passion’ with the Food Channel, diets, and all the pills and procedures surrounding eating. As a society, we allow food to control and dominate our bodies. Think for a moment about all of the advertising (radio, print, television) done to promote food. We most definitely do not ‘eat to live’ but ‘live to eat’.
In the nearly 3 years I have been in Orthodoxy, I have discovered through these periods and and seasons how much food has controlled me. I’m going to give you a little insight into my own life and struggle. About four years ago, I weighed over 250 pounds. It was certainly not healthy for me, and I can say without a whole lot of thought one of the greatest ‘joys’ in life for me were all the good foods I could eat, or imagine eating. It certainly didn’t hurt to have a wife and daughter who are good cooks. The bottom line of it all is: I had no discipline whatsoever in regards to what went into my mouth. I ate what I wanted and how much I wanted. I made no effort to try and determine if I was full or not. If something was made or came around I wanted, I would have it.
These days? I have gotten down to around 200 pounds. It’s certainly better than what I was, but I think I still could lose some weight (just for a point of reference, I weighed 150 pounds when I graduated from high school 23 years ago). Many days it’s a struggle between what I ‘want’ to eat, and what I need to eat. I have to remind myself to listen to my body, and determine if I really need to eat that second or third serving. While the days and seasons of fasting have helped to bring this reality home to me, I have been able to begin expanding these thoughts and concepts into my daily life. I know it’s not going to be easy, and there will be days when I will ‘blow it’ and overeat. All I can do is ask God to help me get back on the path and work towards a more perfect future.
