#Self-Denial

Asceticism is the modern believer’s self-inflicted pilgrimage outside the comfort zone in pursuit of a simulated taste of nobility. In practice, it produces dull aches and regret, serving merely as a ritual to boast on social media. Traditional methods like sugar fasts or prolonged fasting are bound by the unwritten rule: 'Must look more miserable than thy neighbor.' It culminates in legitimizing 'Ascetic Festivals,' where participants compete over who can endure the most pain. The claim that spiritual salvation lies beyond bodily limits is upheld by a paradox of self-satisfaction.

Kenosis is the exalted ritual of intentionally emptying one's soul to obtain divine favor, while carrying the burden of one's own dignity. It bathes in the praise of onlookers, yet paradoxically plunges into the abyss of self-absence. Celebrated as virtue in church, it is tantamount to unpaid volunteer work in reality. The more one lauds this emptiness, the less self remains. It seems the ultimate service resides in the abandonment of the self itself.