Day 85 · Sunday, September 13, 2026
Day 85 — One Year Fast, Day 85. 96 hours into a 6 day fasting session. Saint Clare and Saint Francis Fasting
In today’s log, we cross the 96-hour mark of an ongoing 144-hour fast, pairing hard biomarker data and intense physical exertion with an examination of Christian asceticism. We look back at the fasting practices of St. Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226) and St. Clare of Assisi (1194–1253). While modern fasting often chases autophagy, fat loss, or cognitive enhancement, Francis and Clare approached voluntary abstention as a pathway to self-denial, humility, and spiritual reliance. Yet, both recognized the danger of unchecked asceticism. Francis broke rules to protect struggling brothers, and Clare later warned Agnes of Prague that the human body requires prudence and discretion.