According to Orthodox Theology, "man's nature was corrupted at the Fall, and this corruption caused man to lose the indwelling of Grace and deprived him of participation in God. As Vladimir Lossky (Russian Orthodox theologian) notes, 'The deprivation of Grace is not the cause, but rather the consequence of the decadence of our nature." (Mystical Theology, p. 132).

Saint Gregory Palamas with his written works has boosted theologically the deeper content of the hesychastic life, and with his toilsome and persistent ecclesiastical struggles, contributed decisively to the unanimous and conciliar acceptance of the teaching of Hesychasm.

[Please note: Many experience life filled with turmoil and constant conflict. Our inner thoughts rage from one concern to another. It may seem like there is never time to stop and reflect. Inner peace is something that all want but elusive and rarely experienced. Saint Paul taught, "The peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ" (Phil. 4:7)]

What then is fasting for us Christians? It is our entrance and participation in the experience of Christ Himself by which He liberates us from the total dependence on food, matter, and the world. By no means is our liberation a full one. Living still in the fallen world, in the world of the Old Adam, being part of it, we still depend on food. But just as our death--through which we still must pass--has become by virtue of Christ's Death a passage into life, the food we eat and the life it sustains can be life in God and for God. Part of our food has already become "food of immortality"--the Body and Blood of Christ Himself.

There is no Lent without fasting. It seems, however, that many people today either do not take fasting seriously or, if they do, misunderstand its real spiritual goals. For some people, fasting consists in a symbolic "giving up" of something; for some others, it is a scrupulous observance of dietary regulations. But in both cases, seldom is fasting referred to the total Lenten effort. Here as elsewhere, therefore, we must first try to understand the Church's teaching about fasting and then ask ourselves: how can we apply this teaching to our life?