[stephenkhoo]

SPIRITUAL, MORAL & CHRISTOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF FASTING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isa 58:1-9; Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15
http://www.universalis.com/20140307/mass.htm

The first four days of the liturgy of Lent serve as an introduction to the whole season of Lent. Within these four days, the Church gives us the direction, the focus and program for the Lenten renewal. Ash Wednesday gives us the essence of the whole purpose of Lent. It is the call to conversion and reconciliation. Yesterday, the liturgy reminds us of the goal of Lent, which is new life. Today, the liturgy underscores the importance of fasting in the Lenten program. What is significant is that of the three pillars of the Lenten exercises, namely, prayer, almsgiving and fasting, only fasting is given consideration by itself. In so doing, the Church wants to highlight that fasting remains an integral means of spiritual growth in the tradition of the Church. This emphasis is necessary because like the disciples of John the Baptist, many of us are asking the question, “Why do we fast?”

Because of the lack of understanding of the real meaning of fasting, today, many people think that fasting is not essential to spiritual life. Some think that is totally outdated and irrelevant in the context of our life today. The reason is because fasting does not seem to change the lives of people. Like the Israelites during the time of Isaiah, they too fasted, but in their moral life, they practised social injustices, dishonesty, cheating and oppression; engaging in slander, gossip and quarrel. They were oblivious to the poor, the needy, the homeless and the naked. Of course, this is the consequence of people only going through the motions of fasting, without using it as a means to interior conversion. As Isaiah reprimanded the people, “Hanging your head like a reed, lying down on sack cloth and ashes? Is that what you call fasting, a day acceptable to the Lord?” So external fasting alone without interior conversion of the mind and heart, without attempting to restrain our passions and avoiding temptation is not true fasting.

Another reason why some are skeptical about fasting is because they see fasting as a means to change God and not themselves. Like the Israelites who complained to God saying: “Why should we fast if you never see it, why do penance if you never notice?” they think that by fasting, God is indebted to us, that through fasting, they are justified to make demands on God to have their petitions answered. Such people labour under the false illusion that God needs to be appeased and changed. The consequence of such an attitude is that we become proud, arrogant and egoistic. As the Lord says, such “Fasting like yours today will never make your voice heard on high. Is that the sort of fast that pleases me, a truly penitential day for men?”

So what then is the true meaning of fasting? To have the right perspective of fasting, we need to view fasting always in the context of prayer and charity. This is clearly seen in the gospel text of Ash Wednesday. Fasting is the link and foundation for a deep prayer life and genuine charity. Detached from prayer and the corporal works of mercy, fasting becomes simply a form of self-discipline that adds nothing to our spiritual life and growth in charity.

Hence, we must firstly see that fasting is closely linked to our prayer life. If we fast, it is in order that we might yearn for God. Through physical fasting and hunger, we are called to remember our hunger for God and for His presence. Fasting also makes us weak and helpless. In our weakness, we are reminded to turn to God who can refresh and strengthen us. The practical reason of fasting is of course so that we can have a disposition for serious contemplative prayer. For this reason, all religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity require their believers to fast when on retreat or when they are undergoing a spiritual renewal.

Indeed, according to Pope John Paul II, there is “a close link between fasting and prayer. To pray is to listen to God and fasting favors this openness of heart“. He also said that fasting reflects “a sincere desire for interior purification, willingness to obey the divine will, and thoughtful solidarity toward brothers, particularly the poorest”.

Indeed, this is the second reason of fasting. It is linked to the question of almsgiving and charity. Fasting enables us to experience the fact of privation, especially the basic needs of life. Quite often we take things for granted, especially our food. We are not only selective and choosy but we complain when the food is not good enough for us. By fasting we become more aware of the simple things of life. When one is hungry even a slice of plain bread or a bowl of plain rice is good enough. So fasting certainly helps us to feel with the poor, those deprived of food, shelter and the basic needs of life. By empathizing with them, we can also identify ourselves with them, thereby awakening our compassion for them.

For these reasons, Pope John Paul II invited the whole world to fast during Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent so that “everyone consciously assumes responsibility and engages in a common effort to spare humanity another dramatic conflict”. How can fasting change the course of world events? This can happen because through fasting, which is the basis for a deeper prayer life and a life of charity, people will be more aware of God’s love, compassion and mercy; and at the same time, more aware of the sufferings of humanity. So fasting brings about a real awareness of goodness and the immense consequences of sin as a result of our encounter with God and our solidarity with all human beings who search for love, peace and happiness. As the Holy Father urged us, “we must ask God for conversion of heart, in which every form of evil and every thrust toward sin is rooted; we must pray and fast for peaceful coexistence among peoples and nations.”

But even if we see fasting in relationship to prayer and almsgiving, this is not sufficient for us as Christians. Because what we have said about fasting is true in all religions. What is unique about Christian fasting is that it is done from a Christocentric and eschatological perspective.

The Christological context is found in today’s gospel about the bridegroom. When Jesus said, “the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast”, he is indicating to us that His disciples must fast for the reason that they are called to be in union with Him. Hence, when we feel that our relationship with the Lord lacks intimacy, depth and love, then something is amiss in our lives, for Jesus came to us not only as God but also as bridegroom. He came so that we can experience His love in a very intimate and real way. So, according to Jesus and in the context of Lent, we fast in order that we can insert ourselves fully into the paschal mystery of Jesus, His passion, death and resurrection. Only when we yearn to join Him in the paschal mystery, can new life with Him in the Spirit be possible.

From the eschatological perspective, we must situate fasting in the context of Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God. The whole mission of Jesus is to establish the kingdom of God. So fasting from this perspective is to lead us all to the kingdom. But the kingdom of God implies that God is the Lord of all and the Father of all. Hence, our mission is to bring all into the kingdom of God. Fasting, which strengthens our compassion and solidarity with our fellow human beings, enables us to proclaim the kingdom to them. In this way, we can say that fasting truly unites man with God in prayer, and man with man in charity, when all are in the kingdom of God sharing an intimate life with Jesus our bridegroom.