The Holy Apostle Onesimus.
Fast-free week.
2 Timothy 3:1-9; Luke 20:45-21:4.
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9
St. Paul warns Timothy in our epistle today of the difficulties of the last days (that’s now, after Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension), stating that men will change from being lovers of God to lovers of themselves. This self-love, philautia in Greek, becomes a type of base operating system, which unless combatted through spiritual warfare and ascetic and spiritual discipline, continues to dominate our lives and steals our focus.
The first step of overcoming any type of addiction is to become aware of it, in other words, to “admit you have a problem.” Fasting helps in this process. When we sacrifice something with the intention of coming closer to God we reorient our intentions, take a practical step in saying a small “no” to ourselves and our own preferences, and get a deeper insight into our own thinking. It was when Christ was fasting in the desert that He encountered the temptations of the evil one and overtly chose love of God over philautia, love of self.
As we prepare for the Great and Holy Fast, take some time to meditate upon the connection between fasting, freedom and love. See the “giving up” of the fast not as a bunch of meaningless “nos” but as practice in saying a deeper “yes” to love and the Lord!