Why does the Church conclude most of her fasts with a relevant feast?

The purpose of fasting is to enable us to enjoy the heavenly feast, or to experience heavenly joy. During our fasts, our minds are immersed in rejoicing in the Lord of Glory, Jesus, who was born to offer us His life as heavenly bread to satisfy our souls. We are occupied with His salvific work by which He granted us the resurrection of our souls, which were undone by death and corrupted by destructive sin.

In his fasts, the true believer does not know frowning but is always smiling as a reflection of his inner joy. The early Church Fathers often stressed the positive side of fasting, which is nothing but opening the way before the human soul to ascend to heaven by the working of grace, to see our Lord by faith and rejoice in Him.

Quite possibly, their attention was drawn to this principle by Christ’s advice to those who fast to anoint their heads and wash their faces (Matt. 6:17–18). There are perhaps two odd matters here. The anointing of the head, especially in the first century A. D., was not something practiced by men, youth, or children — so why is it necessary for them to do so if they fast? And the washing of the face is something we must do whether we fast or not, so what need is there for this advice to those who fast? Clearly, this is a symbolic invitation to

447 St. Basil of Caesarea, On Fasting and Feasts 1.8 (PP 50:64–65).

448 St. John Cassian, The Conferences 21.13 (NPNF II/11:365).

449

John Climacus: Ladder of Divine Ascent , trans., Colm Luibheid and Norman Russell (Paulist Press, 1982) 14.17: p. 142.

live the life of joy. The anointing of the head refers to the ointment that is upon the head, the ointment of the Holy Spirit that comes down upon Christ, our Head [cf. Ps. 133:2]. Thus, the fragrance of Christ fills the world through us, and the world encounters the fruit of the Spirit through our love and joy. And the washing of the face refers to the removal of dust from the face that we may see the Lord without any hindrance, and thus we witness to Him with the smile on our inner faces.

St. Severus of Antioch says, “When Isaiah the Prophet raises them from this bottomless pit (i.e., their clinging to carnal matters), he raises them by drawing their minds upwards by declaring the greatness of fasting; and so he impels them towards spiritual joy and expels grief and sorrow from their spirits, and implores them saying, ‘Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?’ (Isa. 58:5). Therefore, when our Lord declares the splendor and joy of fasting, He also commands them clearly saying, ‘But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face’ (Matt. 6:17). He thus shows us that the flourishing and purity of the spirit are attained through the main members of the body. The Lord Himself commands us to wash ourselves and be purified by avoiding evil; and on the other hand, to adorn ourselves by doing good deeds illuminated by spiritual grace.”⁴⁵⁰

St. Augustine says, “We must understand this precept with respect to anointing the head and washing the face as referring to the inner man. Hence, to anoint the head refers to joy; to wash the face, on the other hand, refers to purity.”⁴⁵¹