Fasting: John Cassian on Moderation in Fasting
Teaching on Fasting from John Cassian: John Cassian on Moderation in Fasting
This is a spiritual discipline on moderation and balance, drawing on Ecclesiastes 7:16, Proverbs 25:16 and 1 Corinthians 9:27.
John Cassian (d. 435), who carried the wisdom of the Egyptian Desert Fathers to Western monasticism, warned against extremes in fasting. In his "Conferences," he reported the teaching of Abba Moses: "Unreasonable fasting and excessive abstinence weaken the soul and make it useless for prayer. The body must be given what it needs so that the spirit can do its work."…
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