Patriarch Daniel of Romania has called on believers to view fasting not as a formality or a way to impress others, but as a path toward inner renewal and a deeper love for God, according to basilica.ro.

Speaking after a service at the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasized that fasting is not undertaken “so that we may be seen or praised,” but is a personal spiritual effort carried out before God.

According to the Patriarch, the meaning of fasting goes beyond abstaining from certain foods. It is a conscious act of self-restraint offered in gratitude for the gift of life and a desire for personal transformation. “We fast because we love God more than His gifts,” he said, stressing that without prayer and repentance, fasting risks becoming merely an external practice that does not touch the heart.

True fasting, he explained, is always accompanied by prayer, reading spiritual literature, confession, and more frequent participation in Holy Communion. It should be marked by humility and inner joy, not irritation or a sense of superiority. Only then, he noted, does genuine change occur — a shift from attachment to material things toward the pursuit of spiritual values.

Patriarch Daniil also recalled that in Christian tradition, Great Lent is understood as participation in Christ’s forty-day fast in the wilderness. It is a time of struggle against selfishness and passions, a struggle that is impossible without spiritual support and divine grace.

Referring to the Gospel account of Adam’s expulsion from Paradise, he said the fall was caused by disobedience, lack of self-restraint, and the refusal to admit guilt. Today, he added, people are still inclined to justify themselves and blame others, whereas the path to renewal begins with repentance and personal responsibility.

“Fasting changes a person’s way of life — from self-centeredness to openness to God,” the Patriarch said, urging the faithful to use this period for inner work and spiritual growth.