Escaping from Pharaoh: Fasting is a means and not an end

Fasting is a means and not an end. It is “a tool for training those who desire self-restraint.” Without fasting, it is almost impossible to conquer the passions and attain dispassion.

You must not fool yourself. You will not escape from Pharaoh—that is, the devil—and you will not see the heavenly Passover unless you constantly eat bitter herbs and unleavened bread, the bitter herbs of toil and hard fasting, and the unleavened bread of a mind made humble.

Based on Saint John of the Ladder

A monk serving the meal in refectory

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