Fasting and Prayer: The Two Wings of the Soul

Fasting and Prayer are the fundamental ascetic disciplines of the Coptic Orthodox life, often described by the Church Fathers as the "two wings" by which the soul ascends to God. Following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who began His ministry with forty days of fasting, the Coptic Church observes over 200 days of fasting annually. This is not a "punishment" or a legalistic burden, but a tool for spiritual liberation. By controlling the belly and the physical desires of the flesh, the believer gains mastery over the passions and opens the heart to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Coptic fasting is unique in its rigor and depth. It involves two components: a period of total abstinence from food and drink (usually until sunset or the end of the Divine Liturgy), followed by a vegan diet that excludes all animal products (meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, and fish). This returns us to the diet of Paradise, as seen in the Book of Genesis, where man lived in harmony with the animals. We reject the "modern" modifications of fasting found in many Western churches; for us, fasting must be a real sacrifice that humbles the body so the spirit may soar. It is a time for increased repentance, almsgiving, and spiritual reading. Prayer is the necessary companion to fasting. The primary prayer book of the Coptic Church is the Agpeya (the Book of Hours), which provides a structure for praying seven times a day. Each hour (Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline, and Midnight) is linked to an event in the life of Christ—from His birth to His crucifixion and resurrection. By following the Agpeya, the believer’s daily schedule is sanctified, ensuring that worldliness does not consume the mind. We emphasize the use of the Psalms, following the ancient monastic tradition that "the monk who does not have a Psalm on his lips is a monk without a sword." This ascetic lifestyle is a direct confrontation with the spirit of the world. We live in a society that encourages self-indulgence and the satisfaction of every whim; the Coptic Church, however, preaches "self-denial" and the "crucifixion of the ego." Fasting and prayer are the weapons we use in spiritual warfare against the "rulers of the darkness of this age." We also practice "Metanias" (prostrations), where we bow our foreheads to the ground in humility, physically expressing our repentance and our total dependence on the Lord. This holistic approach ensures that our faith is not just intellectual, but physical and experiential. Finally, fasting and prayer prepare the heart for the reception of the Holy Eucharist. We never approach the Body and Blood of Christ without first preparing through these disciplines. The Great Lent is the most intense period of the year, culminating in Holy Week (Pascha), where we relive the suffering and victory of our Lord. Through fasting and prayer, we become "partakers of the divine nature," fulfilling the goal of our creation. As the Coptic poet and theologian might say, the person who fusts and prays becomes a living temple where God delights to dwell, and where the light of Christ is never extinguished.