Lecture 4 — Fasting

^6:16^ And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. [n. 603]

^6:17^ But you, when you fast anoint your head, and wash your face; [n. 607]

^6:18^ That you appear not to men to fast, but to your Father who is in secret: and your Father who sees in secret, will repay you. [n. 609]

603. When you fast. After he has defined the manner of praying and giving alms, here he defines the manner of fasting. And first he excludes the unfitting manner; second, he adds the truth at but you.

Concerning the first he does three things:

first, he teaches us to avoid the example of the manner of hypocrites;

second, he shows this example;

third, he assigns the reason of his teaching,

604. The second is at they disfigure;

the third, at amen.

605. Fittingly enough after prayer he treats of fasting, for prayer is thin when not accompanied by fasting. And it is not because prayer is the raising of the mind to God, but the more the flesh is strengthened, the more prayer is weakened: prayer with fasting is good (Tob 12:8). And everywhere that it reads that some solemn prayer is done, mention is made of fasting (cf. Dan 9:3); or sanctify a fast (Joel 2:15).

Therefore he says when you fast. Chrysostom: he does not say, do not be, for it is impossible for those fasting not to fall into feelings of sadness, just as on the other hand, those who fast are made happy by eating and drinking. But he says, do not become, that is, do not exert yourself to show your sadness externally, but by inward sorrow for sins: worldly grief produces death (2 Cor 7:10); do not give yourself over to sorrow, nor afflict yourself by your own counsel (Sir 30:21).

606. Like the hypocrites, that is, by this intention. Hypocrites are called so from simulators, who simulate the person of a just man, as was explained above. But when they become sad, he adds they disfigure their faces. Jerome: this they disfigure was improperly set down as metaphorically, for ‘exterminare’ properly means ‘to put outside the boundaries’: hence it is taken from those exiled from a nation. Hence it is said that Saul banished magicians and diviners from the land. But here it is properly said that they destroy. Or it could be said that they disfigure their faces, by placing them beyond the common manner. So that they may seem: this is their prayer; a man is known by his look, and by the encounter of his face (Sir 19:29).

Note that, according to Augustine, here glory is not only sought in resplendence of clothing, but even in shabbiness of clothing; and according to him this is more dangerous, for the fact that others deceive by splendid clothes and the like, cannot harm since it is recognized, but when it is sought from the squalor of the body it can be a danger because if a man is not spiritual he can easily be led into error. Nevertheless Augustine says that such a man can be detected from his other acts, for if in one area he pursues the abjection of the world and in another he acquires profit, he is a faker. But if some hypocrites make use of shabby clothes to hide their malice, should those who do it for the sake of God abandon it? It should be said no, for as the Gloss says, the sheep should not abandon its fleece although the wolf sometimes disguises himself in it.

607. Amen. He assigns the reason for his teaching: for it is stupid to lose an eternal reward for the sake of men’s praise: I, God . . . am your great reward (Gen 15:1).

But you. Here he sets down the proper mode of fasting. And concerning this he does three things: first, he sets down the mode; second, he assigns the reason; third, the benefit. Therefore he says but you, like in: let your garments always be white and do not let oil be lacking on your head (Eccl 9:8). And Augustine here raises the question that although the custom among many is to wash their face every day, nevertheless to anoint one’s head is considered lasciviousness: does the Lord then want this? Likewise, Chrysostom says that fasting should be done secretly; but whenever we see someone anointed we say that he is fasting.

608. Jerome responds to these objections three ways. He says, and I believe this is the most literal, that the custom in Palestine at that time was that men anointed their heads and washed their faces every day. Hence it said these things: I have nothing but a little oil to anoint myself (2 Kgs 4:2). Hence that custom is considered necessary. Therefore the Lord wishes to say that the man who fasts should not change his mode of living, which is that he anoint his head and wash his face.

Or otherwise, according to Chrysostom, the Lord speaks by way of excess, as he also did above at but when you give alms. Because, if it were fitting, you should do all things together with the hypocrites. Third, according to Augustine and also Chrysostom, the Lord speaks by way of likeness. And this is the mystical interpretation. By the head two things are understood: the head of the man is Christ (1 Cor 11:3). But you anoint the head when you show mercy to your neighbor, as below: whatever you did to one of these little ones, you did to me (Matt 25:40). Or, according to Augustine, the head of the man is his reason, or spirit, which is a man, as though, ‘You should so afflict your flesh that your inward spirit is renewed through devotion’: though our outward man is corrupted, what is inward is renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16). Our outward man, that is, the flesh, exposed to evils, is corrupted; what is inward, that is the soul, fortified in hope of the future, is not affected by human frenzy; it is renewed day by day, i.e., it is a friend made constantly purer by the fire of tribulation.

609. But he says wash your face, i.e., your conscience. For as man is made agreeable because of a respectable face for men, so is a pure conscience before God: Those who love a pure heart . . . will have the king as a friend (Prov 22:11); is this the fast that I chose? (Isa 58:5). And he says, anoint your head, and not wash it, for Christ does not need cleansing, like our conscience.

Lest you appear. This is the reason, to be understood of individual fasts, not of group fasts. **But your father who is in secret **of eternity: hidden from the eyes of all (Job 28:21). Or **in the secret **of your conscience, for God lives in us by faith.

610. Will repay you. He will repay each according to his works (Rom 2:6), as he searches the hearts and depths (Ps 7:9).