Why We are called to Lenten Fast

by Caleb SC · February 8, 2016

A Christian Palestinian family breaks the Lenten fast at Easter in Jifna, West Bank. Our Lenten sacrifices must help us get closer to God. (Photo: Debbie Hill/CNS)

Anthony Gathambiri – Today the sense of fasting is diminishing. Seeing fast food restaurants makes our stomachs growl, as though we are angry lions. And yet, we need fasting more than ever in these times, even with these pressing desires for instant gratification.

St John Paul II once pointed out that fasting has not lost its meaning; it ought to be rediscovered, especially in those parts of the world and in those circumstances where not only is there food in plenty but where one even comes across illnesses from overeating.

This doesn’t mean that we need to punish our bodies by existing on bread and water every day. Fasting ought to be moderated. Moderation in all things, remember!

Fasting is necessary because we need to discipline ourselves. Like sports heroes are disciplined in their training and lifestyle in order to achieve top performance, so do we need discipline for spiritual gain. The Lenten discipline of fasting helps us understand that food and other pleasures are not the only things that matter in life.

We need God in our lives: we need God in ourselves, we need God in our families, and we need God in our societies more than anything else. That is why fasting and prayer are paramount.

Fasting is a good means by which to deal with our sins. Fasting can help us control our appetites that sometimes rule us. For this to happen, one has to reflect on which elements of our indulgences distract us from following God.

Whenever we progress materially, chances are that we forget God. When our business is doing well we might forget that we need God; when our children are excelling in school we might forget that we need God. After paying our rent and rates we might forget that we need God.

Remember the parable of the rich fool who wallowed in luxuries (Lk 12:13-21) He told himself: relax my soul, eat and drink for you have everything. And the Lord came for his soul.

We too can fall into this trap of forgetting that we need God at all times. Fasting humbles us and makes us realise the value of depending on God, and not on our wellbeing.

Dependence on God is healthy; independence from God is unhealthy.

Fasting is a means to conversion. On Ash Wednesday we will hear the invitation: Repent and believe the Gospel. And for us to repent from our past lives, we need to extend our fast to things that are not healthy to our spiritual growth: greed, gossip, addictions, corrupting movies and so on.

Conversion is about recovering or deepening our relation with God; fasting from what doesn’t make us progress spiritually is an element of that conversion.

Fasting can help us to be in solidarity with others. Imagine giving the money you save from your Lenten fast from alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate or cinema, for example to a family that is struggling with school fees. Imagine using the time you take to watch soap operas to instead pray for the election of the right leaders. Imagine skipping your afternoon nap to visit an aged person.

Spiritual fasting is a voluntary practice. A voluntary fast is neither imposed by anyone nor do we do it because the law states that we must fast. God is not there to watch those who are not doing it. Our Lenten fast is for us; for our spiritual growth and of others too.

That is why we fast with a specific intention in our heart; fasting at Lent just for the sake of tradition or authority is meaningless.