Our readings today bring up questions about
fasting. The disciples of John the Baptist wonder why they
and the Pharisees fast, but they do not see the disciples of Jesus doing so. Through the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord tells us that
some types of fasts are false – those that are trumpeted before others and that
put on a false impression of being miserable. Instead, God wants a quiet,
private fast that comes out of our humility.
Pope Francis often has a way with words that get us
thinking. Recently, in a Lenten message he delivered, Pope
Francis talking about a fast from indifference, saying that we are often
tempted by indifference in our daily lives. On the evening news and in the newspapers, we are
bombarded with stories of human suffering and war, violence and terrorism,
which can overwhelm us and make us feel helpless. We can respond with apathy and indifference and
withdrawal. Pope Francis asserts that we can avoid this
indifference by praying in communion with the Church, by helping others in
works of charity and mercy, and by responding to a call to conversion, being
aware of the suffering of others and standing in solidarity with them. Our Lenten disciplines of fasting and prayer and
almsgiving are not just empty gestures or exterior motions. Our fasting is to make a difference on our
journey of faith. May our Lenten disciplines
draw us closer to God.
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