+ Our Coptic orthodox church fathers put the Nativity fasting for 43 days & the fasting always ends on the 29th of Kiahk ( 7th of January).
+ Three days of the 43 days remind us of the miracle of the moving of the Mokattam Mountain, the mountain was moved through the prayers and intercessions of a saint called “ Simon the shoemaker” and the fasting of the whole Coptic Christians for 3 days.
Simon the shoemaker, that great saint lost one of his eyes when he applied the Bible verse exactly as written in the Bible. This Saint was chosen by God that through his prayers the mountain.
Then the 40 days, are for the 40 days that Moses fasted on the mountain before God gave him the 10 commandments.
+ The beauty about our Coptic orthodox church that it teaches us the true discipleship through acts not just by saying or claiming discipleship with no actions.
Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us through His conversation with the Jews that being Prophets Descendants or descendants of great fathers like Abraham is not just by words but by actions as well.
“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39).
Same teaching comes in the story of the man born blind “Then they reviled him and said, you are His disciple but we are Moses’s disciples “(John 9:28).
What a true discipleship is that what our Coptic Orthodox church leads us into, when it teaches us through our Nativity fasting that we fast as Moses fasted before he received the 10 commandments from God regardless of where we live or our Citizenship.
That role of the church where we resemble Moses the Prophet & our fasting before receiving Jesus as Moses fasted before receiving the commandments, it gave birth to a great Saint like Simon the Shoemaker.
As Moses served God with great honesty, through fasting and being an intercessor for the children of Israel in front of God & leading them in the wilderness & being a true shepherd, there appears too; a true disciple “Simon the shoemaker” who applied the commandments into his life with honesty to the point he pocked his own eye to fulfill the commandment.
This action shows his true pure & honest heart towards God and because of his honesty in front of God, God gave him to move the Mokattam Mountain.
What a beautiful & deep meaning in our fasting, remembering Moses the receiver of the 10 commandments & Simon the shoemaker who applied the commandments with honesty.
This nativity fasting is an invitation to all of us to understand God’s commandments & start to apply them in our lives, and as He promises us “ My burden is light” (Math.11:30).
May the Lord give us to benefit from our fasting for the salvation of our souls & give joy to our born God from the Virgin Mary when we repent. Amen.