Lent Is Here. Let's Fast Together.

Lent is here, and with that, opportunity for fasting and abstinence and other forms of asceticism, most often characterized by “giving something up for lent.” Countless times as a child I remember, as I am sure most do, being asked “what are you giving up for lent?” One year as a grade schooler I gave up jelly, since of course peanut butter and jelly is the best food and a staple to any diet, even into adulthood. We are all called to do penance, this is a fundamental teaching of the church. Every child, in theory, has this instilled within them when they are asked annually, “what are you giving up for lent?” The USCCB makes this clear as well: “all the faithful are required by divine law to do penance.” I propose that one of the best and most traditional, scriptural, challenging, and rewarding forms of penance is fasting, and I hope to be able to explain to you why you should fast; it is quite an adventure!

 Fasting simply means not eating. It is an act that helps us grow in the virtue of temperance, which is a cardinal virtue. The Catholic Encyclopedia defines temperance: “It may be defined as the righteous habit which makes a man govern his natural appetite for pleasures of the senses in accordance with the norm prescribed by reason.” I am a huge fan of the phrase “master your passions, before they master you.” Temperance helps us govern and control our passions and our appetites, particularly two of the most powerful ones: our strong desire for sex, and our strong desire for food. These desires are both very good, and temperance helps us use them “in accordance with the norm prescribed by reason.” Simply put, temperance is the virtue we must cultivate to help us avoid the-all-too common sins associated with lust and gluttony. The Angelic Doctor (among other great teachers), St. Thomas Aquinas, draws this conclusion in the Summa Theologiae, Second part of the Second Part, Question 147: “In order to bridle the lusts of the flesh, wherefor the Apostle says (2 Cor 6:5-6) ‘In Fasting, in Chastity’ since fasting is the guardian of chastity.” You don’t need to look far to see how sexually depraved our world is, temptation is everywhere. Fasting allows us to resist these temptations. Father Gregory Pine has an excellent video on this, where he elaborates on fasting as an opportunity to grow in temperance. Check it out for yourself, here. You will find it easier to resist going back for more dessert and you will be more keenly aware of the Lord’s presence throughout your day. When you find yourself hungry or weak, say a ‘Glory Be’ for the struggle. That is God reminding you that your fast is bearing fruit.

Not only does fasting help us grow in virtue, it helps make reparation for our sins and makes our prayers stronger. Joel, panicking about an unprecedented crisis, calls his people to action, saying, “Proclaim a holy fast! Call an assembly! Gather the elders, all who dwell in the land, to the house of the Lord, your God, and cry out to the Lord (Joel 1:14)!” The first thing he told his people to do was fast to appease the Lord. Just one chapter later, Joel calls his people to return to God and convert their hearts: “Now therefore saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning.” Furthermore, scripture does imply that fasting makes our prayers stronger. Jesus was the only one who could cast out a demon in the Gospel of Mark, and when asked why, he responded, “this kind can go out by nothing, but prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29).”

Fasting and prayer go together. They are compliments of each other. They go together like (dare I say) the peanut butter and jelly I gave up as a child. It is assumed by our Lord that we will fast, and it remains a steadfast teaching of the church and it should not just be reserved for Lent. Our Lord says, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full (Matthew 6:16).” Jesus says, “When you fast.” When—not if—when. Our Lord assumes you are going to incorporate it as part of your prayer life, as part of being a Christian. There are a plethora of examples in scripture of fasting. Take the prophetess and widow in Luke 2:38 for example, “She worshipped day and night with fasting and prayer.” Fasting has real power. It is a great act of worship and penance, and a way to bolster the power of our prayers. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

Fasting is a difficult practice, and it is supposed to be. Lent is a penitential season, and it is not supposed to be easy, and therefore fasting is an appropriate practice to take on. It is an

opportunity to imitate our Lord who fasted in the desert for forty days (Mark 1:13). It is an opportunity to become more disciplined, resist the temptations of the world, atone for our sins, and grow in virtue. Many people may be new to fasting, so I’ll offer some tips. Believe it or not, it is not as unhealthy as you might think, and there’s lots of potential health benefits. But that’s an discussion for another time.

            If you find it challenging, here’s a few ideas to help:

1.     Start small. Try intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is simply time restricted calorie intake. You can still have coffee. Simply eat in a given time window. Try a sixteen hour fast on a given (meatless) Friday during Lent. Only eat between 12:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Friday. Perhaps you can make this part of your Lenten challenge. Once this is easy, up it to 18 hours, eat between 12 and 6. Obviously you have to do what is best for you, work permitting, family life, etc. But Intermittent fasting is a great way to get started.

2.     Find a buddy. Fasting alone is hard, just like being Catholic alone is hard. Do it with a friend or family member. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a 24 hour fast. As with all medical or dietary things, do your own research, and consult a doctor if you have questions or are making changes to your lifestyle.

3.     Finally, be gentle with yourself. Don’t feel guilty if you earnestly tried and then broke your fast. Don’t feel guilty about eating. This is an opportunity for growth and for challenge. Don’t over think it. I have heard some people get anxious with caffeine on an empty stomach. Personally, I become extremely nauseous when I drink certain tea when fasting and I break my fast. Everyone is different. Again, I encourage you to consult with medical professionals, as I am not one. When you succeed, thank God. When you don’t, that’s ok. Say a Hail Mary and try again.

I hope this was motivating for you, learning all this certainly was motivating for me! Give it a try. It might be new and challenging, but if its for the glory of His kingdom, that can only be a good thing. Wishing you a blessed Lent. Happy fasting!