Fasting: The Shepherd of Hermas on Fasting and Charity

The Shepherd of Hermas (2nd century) offers a distinctive early Christian teaching on fasting. The angel in the vision instructs Hermas: "On the day you fast, taste nothing except bread and water. Calculate the cost of the food you would have eaten that day, and set aside that amount. Give it to a widow, an orphan, or someone in need." This connects fasting directly to acts of mercy.

The Shepherd continues: "If you perform your fast in this way, your sacrifice will be acceptable to God, and this fast will be recorded. The service done in this way is beautiful, joyful, and acceptable to the Lord." Here fasting is not primarily about self-denial but about redirecting resources from self to others.

Practical application: On your next fast day, calculate the cost of the meals you skip. Set aside that exact amount and give it to someone in need or to a charitable organization. This ancient practice transforms fasting from a private discipline into an act of communal solidarity.