One novice monk asked Archimandrite-Elder Gabriel Urgebadze what fasting was.

One novice monk asked Archimandrite-Elder Gabriel Urgebadze what fasting was. Father Gabriel started to tell him all his sins he has committed in his life. The novice fell down crying. Then, all of a sudden, the Saint changed his facial expression, smiled to the novice and said: "come eat some food". The novice refused saying he could not do it, he was feeling bad. Then Father Gabriel said to him "that is fasting, when crying from remembering your sins you don't even think about the food."