The Struggle of Fasting
Today’s first reading and Gospel both mention fasting from food. It’s that Lenten pillar that for so many, perhaps most, is the hardest to practice. There can be a lot of tension around what gets eaten…and what’s not.
In my early years growing up with two brothers, I clearly remember complaining when my older brother once stole some chocolate that was gifted to me and when I felt that my younger brother was being spoiled with more than he needed. In my pre-adolescent head, I felt like this sort of thing happened a lot, and it didn’t help that I saw my parents as co-conspirators seemingly doing nothing about it. Middle child syndrome? Maybe a little. But I know it’s not just me. Recently when I was at the home of close friends who have three sons six and under, dinnertime included a meltdown (by the oldest) for food “missing” from his dessert bowl.
It would be nice to think that as adults we grow out of these sorts of complaining outbursts over food, but I think we all know that’s not true. Even when praying adults voluntarily choose not to have food, like when they fast, there is a tendency to complain. The people in the time of Isaiah complained directly to God, “Why do we fast, and you do not see it?” which is like saying, “What’s in this for me?” John’s disciples in Jesus’ time weren’t much better asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not?” which could translate, “Why aren’t they suffering like me?”
Well, an important Lenten grace is to know more deeply that life is not all about me! Ideally, Christians don’t do things just to get what they want from God nor do they want others to suffer just like them. Rather, today’s Scriptures show that our fasting should always be accompanied by ethical behavior towards others and that it shouldn’t draw attention and self-pity towards our personal sacrifices. Jesus doesn’t want to see our faces “gloomy like the hypocrites” and neither does anyone else.
In the struggle of fasting, it’s tempting to get so focused on the practice itself and become more self-centered and complaining. In those moments, remember that our fasting and all our Lenten practices are ultimately means to an end that is entirely selfless: divine love. The aim is always to love like the Lord, and thus we continue to rely on Him for that grace. So as you fast, remember to pray for the grace to fast with love. Keeping that in mind will make the next 37 days of Lenten fasting much more bearable—not just for you but for those at your dinner table.
In my early years growing up with two brothers, I clearly remember complaining when my older brother once stole some chocolate that was gifted to me and when I felt that my younger brother was being spoiled with more than he needed. In my pre-adolescent head, I felt like this sort of thing happened a lot, and it didn’t help that I saw my parents as co-conspirators seemingly doing nothing about it. Middle child syndrome? Maybe a little. But I know it’s not just me. Recently when I was at the home of close friends who have three sons six and under, dinnertime included a meltdown (by the oldest) for food “missing” from his dessert bowl.
It would be nice to think that as adults we grow out of these sorts of complaining outbursts over food, but I think we all know that’s not true. Even when praying adults voluntarily choose not to have food, like when they fast, there is a tendency to complain. The people in the time of Isaiah complained directly to God, “Why do we fast, and you do not see it?” which is like saying, “What’s in this for me?” John’s disciples in Jesus’ time weren’t much better asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not?” which could translate, “Why aren’t they suffering like me?”
Well, an important Lenten grace is to know more deeply that life is not all about me! Ideally, Christians don’t do things just to get what they want from God nor do they want others to suffer just like them. Rather, today’s Scriptures show that our fasting should always be accompanied by ethical behavior towards others and that it shouldn’t draw attention and self-pity towards our personal sacrifices. Jesus doesn’t want to see our faces “gloomy like the hypocrites” and neither does anyone else.
In the struggle of fasting, it’s tempting to get so focused on the practice itself and become more self-centered and complaining. In those moments, remember that our fasting and all our Lenten practices are ultimately means to an end that is entirely selfless: divine love. The aim is always to love like the Lord, and thus we continue to rely on Him for that grace. So as you fast, remember to pray for the grace to fast with love. Keeping that in mind will make the next 37 days of Lenten fasting much more bearable—not just for you but for those at your dinner table.
Author: Roy Joseph, SJ, Jesuit Dallas Chaplain
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