” “Therefore, Christian life "is presented in a clearly ascetic and spiritual dimension: faith is its foundation, its basis; it makes of man a temple, where Christ Himself lives. Faith, therefore, makes possible a true charity that is embodied by the love of Christ and of one’s neighbours". Another important aspect in Afraates’s work, highlighted by Benedict XVI, is fasting, "which he meant in a broad sense": "He speaks of fasting from food as a necessary practice to be benevolent and virgin, of fasting as temperance with a view to holiness, of fasting from vain or detestable words, of fasting from rage, of fasting from the possession of property with a view to the ministry, of fasting from sleep to devote oneself to prayer". To conclude, the Pope came back to Afraates’s lesson on prayer, that "is accomplished when Christ lives in the heart of Christians and invites them to a consistent commitment to love for their neighbours".” “
