Homily on Fasting · §1 · Hesychius of Jerusalem

Fasting as root of piety, and its two kinds

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Hesychius, a presbyter of Jerusalem, opens his homily by defining true fasting as abstinence from evil deeds, not merely from bread and water, and then begins contrasting a blameworthy fast with a praiseworthy fast through biblical examples.

Fasting according to God is the root and foundation of the pious, when it is carried out with reverence, holy prayers, and almsgiving. For God does not desire abstinence from bread and water, but abstinence from evil deeds. “For it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—that defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). Let us fast, beloved, a fast that befits God, about which the Lord says: “But you, when you fast, anoint your head” with good works and almsgiving, “and wash your face,” removing every stain of sin. There is a blameworthy fast, and there is a praiseworthy fast. Many who fasted committed murders, and many who fasted saved others.

The Ninevites fasted and were saved, and through fasting they changed the wrath of God. And fasting blocked the sentence that had been pronounced against them. For the prophet says: “Yet three days, and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). He did not say, “After three days, Nineveh will be overthrown.” For if he had said, “After three days,” it would have been overthrown. But he said, “Yet three days,” showing this: “For so long I bore with you, and you did not repent. Yet for three days I bear with you, and if you do not repent within the three days, then the city will be overthrown.” And for so long they did not repent, except through the three days—that is, through the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Jews fasted and took counsel to kill the apostle Paul. Jezebel proclaimed a fast and killed Naboth and took the poor man's vineyard. A fast and murder—what kind of fast is that? Daniel fasted when he was thrown into the lions' den. For when he was thrown into the den, he cried out to Christ, saying: “Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer” (Psalm 129:1-2 [130:1-2]). And seeing the lions on his right and on his left, again he cried out, saying: “Do not hand over to the beasts a soul that confesses you” (Psalm 73:19 [74:19]). See that the Lord does not abandon those who hope in him. The earthly king sealed the den, but the heavenly King sealed

Greek

Homilia de jejunio (homilia 15) (e cod. Sinaitico gr. 491) Ησυχίου, πρεσβυτέρου Ἱεροσολύμων, περὶ νηστείας. 1 Ῥίζα καὶ θεμέλιος τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἡ κατὰ θεὸν νηστεία, ἡ μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ ἁγίων εὐχῶν καὶ ἐλεημοσυνῶν ἐπιτελουμένη. Οὐ γὰρ ἀποχὴν ἄρτου καὶ ὕδατος βούλεται ὁ θεός, ἀλλ' ἀποχὴν πράξεων πονηρῶν· «Οὐ γὰρ τὰ εἰσερχόμενα εἰς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, ἐκεῖνα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.» Νηστεύσωμεν, ἀγαπητοί, νηστείαν τὴν θεῷ πρέπουσαν, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ κύριος· «Σὺ δὲ ὅταν νηστεύῃς, ἄλειψόν σου τὴν κεφαλὴν» δι<ὰ> καλῶν ἔργων καὶ ἐλεημοσυ νῶν, «καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν <σου> νίψαι», περιαιρῶν πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν ἁμαρτίας. Ἔστιν νηστεία ψεκτὴ καὶ ἔστιν νηστεία ἐπαινετή. Πολλοὶ νηστεύσαντες φόνους εἰργάσαντο καὶ πολλοὶ νηστεύσαντες ἄλλους ἔσωσαν. 2 Ἐνήστευσαν Νινευῖται καὶ ἐσώθησαν καὶ διὰ τῆς νηστείας τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ θεοῦ μετέβαλον. Καὶ ἀπόφασιν ἐξενεχθεῖσαν κατ' αὐτῶν ἡ νηστεία ἐκώλυσεν· φησὶν γὰρ ὁ προφήτης· «Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται.» Οὐκ εἶπεν «μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται»· εἰ γὰρ εἶπεν «μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας», κατεστράφη ἄν, ἀλλ' «ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι», τοῦτο δεικνὺς ὅτι «Τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἠνειχόμην ὑμῶν καὶ οὐ μετενοήσατε. Ἔτι τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἀνέχομαι ὑμῶν καί, εἰ μὴ ἐν ταῖς τρισὶν ἡμέραις μετανοεῖτε, ἔπειτα καταστραφήσεται ἡ πόλις.» Καὶ τοσοῦτον χρόνον οὐ μετενόησαν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν τουτέστιν διὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. 3 Ἐνήστευσαν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ συμβούλιον ἔλαβον ἵνα τὸν ἀπόστολον Παῦλον ἀποκτείνωσιν. Ἐκήρυξεν Ἰεζάβελ νηστείαν καὶ τὸν Ναβουθαὶ ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τοῦ πένητος ἔλαβεν. Νηστεία καὶ φόνος αὕτη ποία νηστεία; Ἐνήστευσεν ∆ανιὴλ ὅτε ἐβλήθη εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων· βληθέντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν λάκκον, ἐβό<α> πρὸς Χριστὸν λέγων· «Ἐκ βαθ<έων> ἐκέ<κραξά σε, κύριε·> κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου.» Βλέπων δὲ τοὺς λέοντας ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων, πάλιν ἐβόα λέγων· «Μὴ παραδῷς τοῖς θηρίοις ψυχὴν ἐξομολογουμένην σοι.» Βλέπε δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλιμπάνει κύ ριος τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπ' αὐτόν. Ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ὁ ἐπίγειος ἐ σφράγισεν τὸν λάκκον, ὁ δὲ ἐπουράνιος βασιλεὺς ἐσφράγισεν

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About this text

Hesychius teaches that true fasting means abstaining from evil, joined to prayer and almsgiving, with good and bad fasts from Nineveh to Moses.

Hesychius of Jerusalem (fl. c. 412–450) was a presbyter of the church in Jerusalem, active during the first half of the fifth century. He was known as a biblical commentator and preacher, and he opposed Nestorius during the period of the Third Ecumenical Council. This homily is addressed to a Christian congregation, whom he calls 'beloved,' to exhort them to practice a true, God-pleasing fast.

The homily was probably delivered in connection with a fasting season or commemoration. It survives in a manuscript from Saint Catherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai. Hesychius urges his hearers to understand fasting not as mere abstinence from bread and water but as a practice joined with reverence, holy prayers, and almsgiving, because God desires abstinence from evil deeds.

The homily contrasts a praiseworthy fast with a blameworthy fast through biblical examples. The Ninevites were saved by fasting, while Jezebel and the Jews used fasting to commit murder. Hesychius then presents a long catalogue of biblical figures whose fasting brought deliverance, healing, or divine favor, culminating in Moses, whose fast granted him the unique vision of God. The homily closes by urging the congregation to embrace fasting with joy, to combine it with mercy and peace, and to fast from all evils, not only from foods.

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Translated from PG 93 (Greek)

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