Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!
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Writings n' Speeches
How was Moses able to fast for forty days?
How were the many Christian ascetics able to live a long life in extreme abstinence from food and drink?
For the physical man who does not know about the spiritual life, it is impossible to believe. It is impossible even to prove it to him for the understanding of this is achieved only by experience.
When the torturers of St. Basiliscus detained him for three days without food and water and when they offered him food to eat, he refused saying that he was not hungry.
"I am," says he, "filled with immortal food and do not want to receive mortal food. You are fed by earthly bread, but the heavenly word of God feeds me; wine makes you happy, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit makes me happy; meat satisfies you and fasting satisfies me; physical power strengthens you and the Cross of Christ strengthens me; gold makes you rich and the love of Christ enriches me; clothing adorns you, and good works adorn me; you are made happy with laughter and I am comforted by the Spirit through prayer."
Here is a man, one out of many, and there are many more upon whom the word of the Lord is confirmed. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!" (St. Matthew 4:4).
How were the many Christian ascetics able to live a long life in extreme abstinence from food and drink?
For the physical man who does not know about the spiritual life, it is impossible to believe. It is impossible even to prove it to him for the understanding of this is achieved only by experience.When the torturers of St. Basiliscus detained him for three days without food and water and when they offered him food to eat, he refused saying that he was not hungry.
"I am," says he, "filled with immortal food and do not want to receive mortal food. You are fed by earthly bread, but the heavenly word of God feeds me; wine makes you happy, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit makes me happy; meat satisfies you and fasting satisfies me; physical power strengthens you and the Cross of Christ strengthens me; gold makes you rich and the love of Christ enriches me; clothing adorns you, and good works adorn me; you are made happy with laughter and I am comforted by the Spirit through prayer."
Here is a man, one out of many, and there are many more upon whom the word of the Lord is confirmed. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!" (St. Matthew 4:4).
