On the Christian Practice of (Corporate) Fasting

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Fasting is a part of Christian praxis. When asked why His disciples did not fast, Christ corrected the questioner by indicating that His disciples were not fasting while He was with them, which is to say that they would fast after He had departed. Many modern Christians have removed fasting from their practice of the faith. We need to address this lapse.

This year, let us observe Allhallowtide in a slightly modified form[1]: All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) should be observed with the customary festivities, but followed by a church service and a vigil[2]; All Souls’ Day should be observed with fasting, prayer, and meditation[3]; All Saints’ Day should be observed with feasting and celebration. The knowledgeable reader will note that the two days have been swapped; this keeps them within the Allhallowtide period, while more reasonably ordering the observances.

The overall focus of the season (an admittedly short one) is the faithful departed, the inevitability of death, and the necessity of repentance — both personal and corporate or national. The fast should begin with the vigil and continue through the morning or afternoon of the final day of the season. There are many possible readings, but all should include Psalm 106, as a form of corporate or national repentance. Let us make this a day to seek God’s forgiveness so that He may relent, turn, and bless us.

We know, obviously and of course, that such observances do not justify us or deserve God’s blessing, but we also know that such practices are part of the Christian faith, which should not be neglected, and God does reward faithfulness — both individual and national. Personal piety is good, but the Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation; we must join together with our brothers and sisters in corporate piety, and also seek to attain to the level of national piety. God has not empowered me to declare national holidays, and so I cannot command your participation, only invite it, but I do so in the very strongest of terms. We desperately need God to remember us and turn His face to us.

This year — the first of what I hope will be many —, I will decline to offer any specific prayers (beyond Psalm 106); however, I will strongly suggest praying prayers that take the form of the language of the aforementioned Psalm: Both we and our fathers have sinned… We have many corporate or national sins of which we can — and must — repent (e.g., abortion, lack of storge, wrongful warfare); pick one or several and focus your prayers there. Do not forget or be remiss with regard to repenting of your personal sins, but this season should remain one focused on corporate and national repentance; open with the Lord’s Prayer to repent of your personal sins, and then move on to the corporate and the national.

May God hear our prayers, turn His face to us, and bless the work of our hands. Amen.

  1. Largely, but not exclusively, to bring it in line with right theology. ↩︎

  2. The vigil may, of course, be observed all night or for only part of the night, as circumstances, et cetera, permit. ↩︎

  3. Christian meditation, naturally, not the abomination that is Eastern meditation. ↩︎