It is not so much What we Fast, as Why or How we Fast

Pray in reparation of all the irreverences, profanations, and sacrileges, that have been committed against The Most Blessed Sacrament.

Is 58:1-9a

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

The words Lent and Fasting go hand in hand. When we meditate on the words from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, our Fast may seem inconsequential in comparison. If so, that may be something to take to prayer. It is not so much What we Fast, as Why or How we Fast. I recently heard an insightful meditation on this point. If we are giving up chocolate (which may seem inconsequential in comparison to the list in Isaiah), then meditate on the sweetness of the Lord. Let each sacrificial gift become an occasion of Praise. If we, throughout the season of Lent, reflect on the sweetness of God, then after Lent, chocolate will continue to lead us to the sweetness of God. Fasting is an opportunity to change, and to grow in our relationship with God. It is not so much What we Fast, as Why or How we Fast.

“God is love! Whoever abides in love; abides in God and God in him” Saint John of God, pray for us.