Jesus told St. John the Baptizer's disciples that His own disciples would fast after the wedding feast (Mt 9:15). In so doing, Jesus implied that the time of His bodily presence on earth was a wedding feast. Jesus also taught that He was leading us to the everlasting wedding feast in heaven (see Rv 19:7). Thus, Christian fasting is preceded and followed by wedding feasts.
Christian fasting assumes that we have met Jesus, the Bridegroom, and have rejoiced in the community of His covenant love. If we don't know Jesus and His community, joy, and covenant, we will find fasting very difficult, confusing, or meaningless. Even if we do fast, we will do it with wrong motives.
Also, Christian fasting should always be looking forward to the heavenly marriage feast. When we fast, we should be thinking of Jesus' final coming and the perfect joy of heaven. When we fast, we are to be intent on things of heaven rather than things of earth (Col 3:2). This will give us the right perspective in fasting and help us to persevere in it.
This Lent, fast by eating only one full meal a day, unless the Lord has given you a better way to fast. Fast as former and future wedding guests. Fast in covenant love (see Dn 9:3-4).
| PRAYER: | Father, send the Holy Spirit to teach me to fast as Jesus did. |
| PROMISE: | "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." –Is 58:6 |
| PRAISE: | Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, mothers of newborn babies in Carthage, North Africa, were beheaded in the amphitheater for refusing to renounce their Christian faith. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College