There is heroism above heroism and asceticism above asceticism.
St. Epiphanius of Cyprus invited Hilarion the Great to dinner and, in order to show the greatest hospitality to his distinguished guest, placed fried chicken on the table and offered it to him. Hilarion said to him: “Forgive me, but ever since I was tonsured a monk, I have eaten nothing butchered.” To that Epiphanius replied: “And I, ever since I was tonsured a monk, have never lay down in bed until I first forgave my enemy.” Amazed, Hilarion said: “Your virtue is greater than mine, O holy master!”
This is a great lesson for all of us. Fasting is an admirable thing but it is more admirable to forgive insults. Through fasting, man is preparing for charity but, by forgiving insults, man shows charity. Fasting precedes forgiveness but fasting alone does not save without forgiveness.
St. Nikolai Velimirovich
Commentery from Fr. Simeon
When we become Orthodox, particularly when we come from a Western background, it is easy to fall into the trap of reading the rules, then following the rules, yet somehow missing the spirit of the rules. The result is what I call “Olive Garden Orthodoxy”; it looks good, it can even be quite tasty. However, if you offer it to an Italian grandma as “authentic”, she’ll look at you like you have three heads.
Fasting is a critical piece of our Orthodox spirituality, and it is important that we learn to control our stomachs and not be ruled by them. After all, our ancestors, Adam and Eve, failed to control their stomach. However, it is one of the areas where I find “Olive Garden Orthodoxy” the most. We become obsessed with the rules and following them perfectly while omitting the rest of the disciplines that are associated with Orthodoxy – forgiveness, mercy, and obedience.
If we fast and practice all the externals, without also mastering the internal transformation and learning forgiveness, mercy, and obedience, our Orthodoxy will never develop the fullness of Orthodoxy.
July 6 (19), 2026
Venerable Sisoes the Great of Egypt