fasting
[noun]
An ancient religious or spiritual practice that limits the amount of food eaten in a day. Anyone can fast from anything, but for Catholics, fasting is meant to reveal our dependence on God. When we fast, we say no to eating—and we say yes to God.
Fasting can take many forms—not eating meat on Friday, giving up social media, refraining from judgement—but the intent is the same. Fasting teaches us how to distinguish between the hunger of the body and the thirst of the soul. When we fast with intention, we see more clearly, listen more fully, and hear the whisper of God more frequently.
In the early Church, the word fasting meant to stand watch, pay attention, and be vigil. Today, Catholics fast during Lent for similar reasons. We are walking with Jesus in the desert. We are paying attention to the faithfulness of God. We are awaiting Jesus’s resurrection—and seeking our own, too.
The more we learn to say “no” to superficial things around us, the more we open ourselves up to a greater “yes” from God.
Dear God,
Give me the strength I need to pay attention to what matters most, and stay away from the things that keep me away from you. Open my eyes and heart to the needs of others and help me respond in the way that is needed. Walk with me during these 40 days as I fast from worldly things to be closer to You. Amen.
How does fasting deepen your relationship with God?
