ostonvasi wrote:
Moses, your last post reminds me of a line in the Princess Bride- "I do not think it means what you think it means."
If I can comment on my own post... it is a great responsibility, when quoting a saint, to get not just the words right but the meaning as well.
I get frustrated when people throw quotes around. This one said this. That one said that. Who was he talking to when he said it? How many people were listening? Did he mean for it to be a blanket statement or was it personal advice, because, good advice for one person could be bad advice for another.
I trust that most people are not getting fasting advice from the posts on these forums. But if they are, I feel confident to be in a position to speak. Although there are fasting guidelines- fasting is a gift we offer. Fasting is a discipline and an expression of love. Fasting is not so that we suffer but so that we learn to depend on God. Each will offer what they can to the best ability that they can. If it is out of duress, then it is a diet- a menu. If it is an offering, then it is to spiritual growth.
