Friday after the Ash Wednesday (Fri) 28th Feb 2020

Theme: We are called to go beyond the bodily observances.

Scripture: Is. 58:1-9; Ps. 50:3-6, 18-19; Mt. 9:14-15

The church encourages us to observe three spiritual activities in the season of Lent. They are mainly prayer, alms giving and fasting. Today’s liturgy help us to observe or how to keep the fast. We have incorporated these spiritual activities from the Jewish culture. The Jews always gave importance to the fasting. I grew up thinking that the Jews had only one day of fasting that is the day of atonement (Yom kipper). Little studies on their culture made me realize that they have more than twenty five days of fasting in a calendar year. Some pious Jews observe fasting twice a week as a commemoration of destruction of temple, burning of Torah and desecration of Holy name of God on Monday’s and Thursdays. This little note will help us to understand how much importance is given to the fasting in the Jewish religion.

During the days of Isaiah, People kept fasting. The primary purpose of fasting was to repent from their sinfulness. Sometimes fasting became merely outward bodily observance. People did everything to show that they were fasting such as putting sack cloth, putting ashes, etc. But their penance and fasting was never connected with their relationship with others and God. They did not see the connection between the fasting and their relationship with God. God was the primary focus. The fasting should have helped to realize that we need to be dependent on God. He is a provider. Therefore, we need to obey his commandments I.e. love of God and love of neighbor. God condemned their fasting when He saw either of them missing.

When we turned to the Gospel, we find John’s disciples come up to Jesus with a question that they and the Pharisees were keenly observing the fast and His disciples  were not observing the fast. Jesus told them that His disciples were in the midst of celebration. One of the things that the Jews observed that they never fasted on the feast days. Jesus’ presence was the occasion of feast. There was a joy, happiness, etc. The disciples were enjoying with the Lord as though they were participating in the wedding feast. While using the metaphor, Jesus brought back the connection of fast with the love of God. He was not interested His disciples to follow the Pharisees because they merely followed bodily observances. They never did it out of love for God. Jesus waned His disciples to do it out of love for God and neighbor.

We will be keeping the fast for fourty days according to our conveniences. Is our observance of fasting merely bodily observance or leading us to God? Can we find deep spiritual renewal in observance of fasting to draw strength for our soul? Let us ask God to help us to look beyond bodily observance of fasting. Let us learn to connect with God with the means of fasting.

Fr. Alex D’Mello