To Love Fasting: The Monastic Experience

by Adalbert de Vogüé

1994 SAINT BEDE'S PUBLICATIONS SOFTCOVER

Genres: Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Christianity, Spirituality

Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

Adalbert de Vogüé OSB was a Benedictine monk widely regarded as the authority on the Rule of St Benedict.

Reviews

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Though many people, myself included, are interested in fasting for its physiological effects, I have particularly refrained from considering it in my review of this book because, though the action might be the same, the reasons, motivations, and mindsets are very different. For my own benefit and sanity, therefore, I think best to keep them separate for this discussion.)


In 2023 when I was travelling through Lebanon (and getting more sick than a dog** from eating dodgy fish in Sidon) I had the chance to meet a hermit. We had been staying in the monastery of Quozhaya (for spiritual reasons, but also, as it happened, for convalescing) which was drenched in either the long purple shadows of the mountains or the blinding light that comes from being situated too close to the sun.

On one of the less explosive** daylight hours we took a gentle hike to visit the hermit (I should probably now more accurately describe him as an anchorite, seeing as the monks would bring him supplies and food and he because he was very much confined to one location rather than moving around). He sat with us for hours on the dusty back steps of his cave that sloped the mountain and spoke to us in softly latino'd french, and though I don’t remember most of the conversation (perhaps I lost it while sitting on the toilet**) I do remember him telling me that a) it was impossible to truly have Christian conversion without “the experience of a long night of the soul,” and that b) he had been living so long in this solitary state that he had no desire for anything else and described his daily life as being punctuated by prayer, prayer, prayer, a bit of fasting, and a bit of eating.

Adalbert de Vogüé was himself a Benedictine monk, and lived in community with his brothers till the end of his life praying, studying, and writing. The rhythms of his life were more than just guided by Offices and Liturgical seasons; these were, for the monks, their raison d’être.

Vogüé makes frequent and heavy reference to The Role of Saint Benedict (La Règle de Saint Benoît) which was a latin 6th century text that set out the rules of living religious life in community. Though “La Règle” was not the only of these texts in existence, it seems to have usurped all of the others even up until today. And herein lies the caveat of this book; Vogüés recommendations for fasting are tailored to, and suited for, men like him. Just like some of us can be Christians even without having experienced a Long Night of the Soul, some of us can (and should) live Christian lives not in religious communities. The vocation of a Religious is very particular but also the only experience that Vogüé can use for illustration and what he described is utterly impractical or unhelpful for the rest of us.

I was left with the distinct impression that the regular and heavy fasting that Vogüé encourages is particularly adapted for the religious—and even then some of these are even too extreme for those that live in monastic communities as opposed to alone. Regular laypeople are ill-suited because of their worldly responsibilities, stresses, and social obligations.




The habit of fasting goes back to the very origins of The Church. The pre-Church Jewish Church, even. And fasting is present in basically all major world religions. The Jews (pharisees) fasted twice a week and in the early apostolic days of the church the Christians went a bit woowoo and instead of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays “as do the hypocrites” they shifted everything to Wednesday and Friday (Friday because of The Passion, and Wednesday is thought to be related to Judas’ betrayal apparently).

There are also different types of fast. For example, The Regular Fast; The Liturgical Fast, and The Fast Related to Hardship and Sorrow. In the first century there was “The regular fast of the first real monks, Jewish ascetics living in lower Egypt, described by Philo in his Therapeutae, [who] ate once a day only after sunset or every three days or even every six, this latter being motivated by the mental and spiritual benefit they became addicted to. Their “love of learning” pushed them to eat every three days and then only with bread and salt and hyssop.”

It took some time to get to a consistent liturgical decision on what constitutes a fast day and what constitutes a feast day or when they should fall (4-7th centuries, mostly) and Vogûé seems to take this to its very extreme so as to treat every day as a fast day unless absolutely and horribly necessary. How fasting was carried out was also debated; from cutting out certain food sources, to time restricted OMAD ad libitum (Vogüé’s personal favourite), to multi-way stretches with only water. Whichever one you subscribe to it’s pretty obvious that what most Catholics practice is a poor show, and what most other Christian denominations (apart from Orthodoxy) practise is… well… absolutely nothing.

Despite precisions and debates, what is blindingly obvious is that in our current day, modern man has grown soft. Now even the Good Friday and Ask Wednesday fasts are two big loopholes and a Cahtolic man can essentially have three normal meals if he is tactical.

Even if enforced, personally, or by the church, Vogüé spends a lot of time exalting the spiritual benefits of the fast (which he insists must always be accompanied prayer, almsgiving, and other acts of charity), and even while insisting that the disciplined force of will is what makes it valuable, also pretty much denies and downplays all negative sensations linked with fasting.

In any case he reminds his reader that this wisdom seeking is spiritual in nature, and certainly that makes the whole fasting experience more profound. More practically, fasting gives us back hours that can be spent on studying, prayer, and work.

“The contemplative motivation which motivates this enthusiastic discipline is not to be neglected” as they “found so much delight in feasting on wisdom”

“One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”...


While I was reading this text I came across another entry written in the fourth century where a writer known as Pseudo-Anathanasius (what a title) considers fasting as the highest aesthetic virtue; tempering lusts, offering purification, and therefore being particularly salutary for virgins: ...“Fasting… cures disease, dries up bodily humours, puts demons to flight, rids impure thought, makes the mind clearer and the heart purer, the body sanctified, and raised a man to the throne of God”


**even this is a euphemism for how sick we were

[booklady]

First encountered To Love Fasting: The Monastic Experience in 1998 and have gone back to it on other occasions. I've always meant to read it cover-to-cover. The fact I've never actually finished the book hasn't bothered me because every time I pick up this little gem, I come away with a renewed desire to incorporate fasting into my spiritual practices. Health issues are the main reason I have given for what is actually a lack of self-discipline. Even so, this book is the best motivation I've ever encountered to keep returning to fasting, however basic/simplistic my efforts.

Maybe this be the Lent I actually make some progress!

[Todd Scull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fasting has become quite popular lately. Benedictine monastics have been integrating fasting into their lives since the sixth century, and de Vogue does an excellent job explaining this often misunderstood practice in its monastic context.

At a little over a hundred pages with indices of scriptural citations and proper names, it is useful as a primer for monastic and non-monastics. For me, the most valuable portion of the book was de Vogue's personal account of his returning to the traditional monastic fast as a benedictine.

[Ann Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying this is a super niche book - so if you are not very interested in fasting and Catholicism/monasticism this book is not for you. The author, a Benedictine monk and hermit reclaimed the rule of one meal a day. He found it fruitful and in fact enjoyable. He seeks to explain the history and tradition of monastic fasting, and why it has relaxed so much it has all but disappeared. It was a little dry but instructive nonetheless.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and practical.

[Henry]

Helpful book about the traditional one-meal-a-day fast of the Benedictine monks. Written by a French monk who revives the practice and then even manages to go beyond what St. Benedict recommends. Great sourcebook on Christian fasting.

[John Daabool]

...