Fast for Christ

Friday After Ash Wednesday

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Gospel of Matthew 9:14-15

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, buy your disciples do not fast?"  Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."

Fast for Christ  Before I became Catholic, I didn't pay much attention to fasting as a Lenten practice.  None of my Protestant friends fasted.  Nobody discussed "fasting" unless they were heading off to the doctor to get blood work done.  I'll be honest.  I didn't think fasting was a very healthy practice.  It gave me images of anorexic/bulimic women or starving children in Africa.  Food in America is plentiful.  We should eat and enjoy!  Doesn't fasting only affect those super devout Catholics, especially the pious monks who whip themselves??  

Interesting as I've grown in my conversion process I recognize the importance of fasting.  It's not just something to "give up" as a sacrificial act but a charitable act.  Fasting is saying to everybody:  "I love Christ so much that I'm willing to forgo a meal or two for his sake! He died on the cross to save us from our sins. Let's all Fast for Christ as a way of honoring him!"

Less is More  I think skipping a meal or two may not be so bad.  Our American diets certainly are not the most nutritious.  Obesity is still at epidemic levels, especially among our children. Staying away from the cookie jar or not eating a greasy hamburger with french fries helps us keep those extra pounds off!  In fact, changing the way we eat can be a form of fasting.  When we turn away from the junk food and eat healthy, we are honoring the bodies that God gave to us.  We are nourishing a beautiful body formed in his image.  Why not eat a little less and love Christ more?  When we do eat, why don't we choose healthy alternatives that give us energy and make us feel better?  Imagine if diet cokes and potato chips were invented when Jesus was on earth.  How would he react to people over-consuming bad food?  He wouldn't be too happy about it. Gluttony would become a frequent preaching topic.

Fast with a smile  As we fast during Lent, let us do it with a smile on our face.  We shouldn't look gloomy like we're in pain and agony.  Refusing to eat a big juicy steak isn't going to kill us.  In fact it may just make us into better Christians.  

Saint Dominic never ate meat while he was alive.  In fact, he limited food consumption to the bare minimum. I look to him as a religious role-model for fasting.  It gives me courage to forgo culinary delights, especially during Lent. 

Fasting can be a beautiful act of penance when done properly and as a tribute to Our Almighty God.

-J.