FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high.

On the first Friday of Lent, it’s natural to think about fasting. Today we will abstain from meat, but perhaps you’ve also decided to undertake some form of fasting this Lent. Maybe you’re giving up favorite snacks or drinks, gossip, or social media. Maybe you’re trying to limit the amount of overtime work that cuts into family time. But today’s first reading invites you to take a deeper look at God’s purposes for fasting. It’s not simply about strengthening your self-discipline. It’s also meant to open you up to his love.

To put it another way, when you fast from something, you are allowing God to free you for something else: for receiving and giving love more generously. If you’re fasting from sweets, for instance, you’ll likely see how much you really want dessert. When you fast from gossip or a sharp tongue, you’ll likely recognize how easy it can be to say hurtful words. While fasting from social media, you’ll probably notice how often you reach for your phone. All this will show you that you can’t fast on your own; you need God’s help. And that’s when the Holy Spirit can soften your heart, both toward the Lord and toward the people around you.

So when you fast, yes, let the Lord help you to grow in discipline. But also invite the Holy Spirit to help your fasting be “for” a purpose that will bear fruit for him.

If you’re fasting from eating out, prayerfully consider how you can use the money or time you’re freeing up. Maybe you could take that dinner hour to bring a meal to an isolated or ailing neighbor. If you’re fasting from a sharp tongue, ask the Spirit to give you words that will build people up instead of tearing them down. Or if you’re fasting from activities that compete with family time, let the Holy Spirit show you a way to work together to build your faith or love for the poor. Maybe you could do a weekend project at your parish or a local shelter.

No matter how you choose to fast, let the Holy Spirit use it to help you to receive God’s love. Then let that love spill out to the people around you.

“Jesus, help me grow in your love this Lent.”

Isaiah 58:1-9
Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19
Matthew 9:14-1