Why do we fast for 9 hours?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, the practice of fasting for nine hours (abstaining from all food and drink) is deeply rooted in the timing of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Passion and the liturgical hours of the Agpeya.

1. The Hour of the Lord’s Death

The "Ninth Hour" corresponds to 3:00 PM. According to the Holy Gospels, this is the exact hour when our Lord Jesus Christ, hanging upon the Cross, "cried out with a loud voice" and yielded up His spirit for our salvation (Matthew 27:46–50).

By fasting until this hour, we are:

• Commemorating the suffering and death of the Savior.
• Participating in a small way in His thirst and sacrifice.
• Waiting in spiritual expectation until the moment the work of redemption was completed on the Cross.

2. The Liturgical Requirement

In the Coptic Church, the "Ninth Hour" is the standard time for the conclusion of the Liturgy on fasting days (such as Wednesdays, Fridays, and Great Lent). The Absolution of the Ninth Hour in the Agpeya begins:

"O Heavenly Father... who, through His manifestation saved us and delivered us from the bondage of the enemy."

We do not break our fast until the prayers of this hour have been offered, as we prioritize spiritual nourishment (the Word of God and the Eucharist) over physical food.

3. Spiritual Discipline and the "Belly"

Fasting is not merely about the clock; it is about the "restraining of the belly." The desert fathers taught that "nothing will dry up the arteries... and make a monk to possess chaste and quiet thoughts by day, so much as the restraining of the belly by thirst."

By pushing the fast to 3:00 PM (the ninth hour of the day, starting from sunrise at 6:00 AM), we discipline the body to be subject to the spirit.

4. Exceptions to the Rule

There is a distinction in our Church's rubrics:

• Wednesdays and Fridays: We traditionally fast until the 9th hour (3:00 PM).
• Saturdays and Sundays: These are "festal" days in the Coptic Church when prostrations and "abstinence" (the 9-hour period) are prohibited, even during Lent, because they celebrate the Resurrection and the rest of Creation. The only exception is Joyous Saturday (Holy Saturday), which is the only Saturday of the year on which we observe an abstinence fast because Christ was still in the tomb.
• Great Lent: During the weekdays of the Great Fast, many increase their abstinence beyond the 9th hour to sunset, following the example of the early monastic fathers.

By observing this fast, we align our biological hunger with the liturgical memory of the Crucifixion, remembering that our life comes from Him who died for us.