jeûne

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 Vendredi, 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. 

Oh mon Dieu 

Donne-moi la force dont j’ai besoin pour me concentrer sur ce qui compte le plus, et tiens-toi loin de ce qui m’éloigne de toi. Ouvre mes yeux et mon cœur aux besoins des autres et aide-moi à répondre de la manière qui est nécessaire. Marche avec moi pendant ces 40 jours alors que je jeûne des choses mondaines pour être plus près de Toi. Amen.

Comment le jeûne approfondit-il votre relation avec Dieu?