Fasting for the Orthodox Christian is not an end in itself. We do not fast for the sake of fasting.

On the contrary, fasting is a means to an end, and that end is union with God.

In Eden, man’s first betrayal of that union and communion with God was the result of eating — that is, eating improperly and without a proper mindset. When we eat for the sake of eating, or eat for the sake of pleasure alone, we are not eating rightly. We are not eating to the glory of God, and we are not eating with union with God in mind.

There’s nothing inherently sinful about food (although it could be argued some “mutant” food products in our modern era are without warrant and improper), and we shouldn’t feel “bad” about eating and enjoying that which we eat. However, the proper context must always be on the forefront of our minds.

As Fr Schmemann once wrote (may his memory be eternal), “Man is what he eats.”

Fasting must be done in the right way and for the right purpose, and must be ever accompanied by fasting of the eyes, the heart and the mind, among others. It must always be combined with prayer as well, as the Scriptures are clear on this. No outward action ever has meaning without the actions of our hearts.