Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are our three big areas of emphasis during Lent. Last week we talked about prayer, so this week we’ll focus on fasting. Fasting is one of the more visible and distinctive features of Lent in our culture. Even non-Catholics are often familiar with the idea that we fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and that we abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. Likewise, the idea of “giving up something” is commonly associated with this season, and I’m sure that many of you have given up some things that are rather challenging.
There are many reasons why we give things up for Lent. Fasting and abstinence certainly help us to build up important virtues like discipline and self-control. They also encourage us to be in solidarity with the poor, mindful of the fact that while we often have more than we need, many of our brothers and sisters live without the basic necessities of life on a daily basis. Ultimately, fasting and abstinence remind us that our greatest treasure is Jesus Himself. All of the blessings He gives us are wonderful, but the gifts pale in comparison to the Giver. Fasting and almsgiving remind us that we can do without these gifts, as long as we stay close to the Giver. In Him, we have all we need.
Now that we’re a few weeks into Lent, it’s a good time to take inventory of how your fasting and abstinence are going. If you have been faithful and haven’t slipped up on your Lenten promises, spend some time in prayer reflecting on what fruit you think God wants this sacrifice to bear in your life. If your Lenten disciplines haven’t been going quite so well, don’t be discouraged. (If something is that hard to do without, that just may mean that this was exactly the right thing for you to try to give up!) Ask God to help you recommit, find ways to build in some additional accountability for yourself, and just focus on doing without that thing one day at a time.
While this type of sacrifice often seems like drudgery in the eyes of the world, I hope that your Lenten sacrifices have given you a sense of freedom. When we do without the material goods of this world, it often puts us in a position to use them more responsibly and to enjoy them more. But most of all, this sacrifice should ultimately bring us closer to the Lord. After all, He showed His love for us on the Cross, with the most complete sacrifice anyone has ever made. We can show Him how grateful we are by making these small sacrifices in return.
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