Our readings today address the topic of fasting. The disciples of John the Baptist wondered why they and the Pharisees fast, but Jesus' disciples do not fast at all. Through the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord tells us that some types of fasts are false – those that are trumpeted before others and those that are put on for show. Instead, God wants a quiet, private fast that comes out of our humility and out of our desire for a closer relationship with God.
Pope Francis often has a way with words that get us to think about things. In a Lenten message he delivered a couple of years ago, the Pope spoke about a fast from indifference, stating that we are often tempted out of 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; such numerous news stories can overwhelm us and make us feel helpless and numb. We often respond with apathy, indifference, and withdrawal. Pope Francis asserts that we can avoid this indifference by praying in union with the Church, by helping others in works of charity and mercy, by responding to a call to renewal and conversion, and through an awareness of the suffering of others and standing in solidarity with them. Our Lenten disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are not to be 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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