Day One of Forty: The Virtue of Fasting
You already know that today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
Beginning today, Christians (and maybe even some seekers of no particular
faith) will excise from their lives one or multiple things that they think keep
them from growing in intimacy with God; and some may go so far as to add a
practice or two that they think will facilitate such intimacy with the
Divine. Over the past few days, I have been thinking about how I might
grow closer to God during this Lenten season. I even wondered if my own
process of growth during these forty days might benefit others in some
way. The reader and I must remember, however, that I may not be any
further down the path to holiness than she is.
Here's how my thought process proceeds. “The goal of a virtuous life,” said St. Gregory of Nyssa, “is to become like God.” I need to be more like God, deeper in relationship with Him, so I should cultivate virtue. Forty days of focusing on specific virtues might help me to grow in virtue, which will bring me closer to God. Since I like to write, maybe I ought to write down really short reflections (2-3 paragraphs most days) about each virtue as God reveals them to me. This would help others and me. So, here goes: forty days of reflections on virtue.
The virtue of fasting is on ready display in the liturgy for Ash Wednesday, in the lectionary readings for sure and also in the surrounding prayers. In the opening collect (prayer), the celebrant prays by asking God to allow us to begin this “campaign of Christian service” (that's Lent) with “holy fasting.” The prophetic reading from the Old Testament calls for God's chosen people to “proclaim a fast” as part of a celebration of worship. The Gospel reading reminds us that fasting is not a practice meant to earn rewards in the eyes of men. The prayer after Communion requests that the Lenten fast might be pleasing to God and a healing remedy for humans. All of these passages ought to remind us that fasting is a virtue that brings us deeply into intimacy with God.
Fasting pleases God because it is a habit by which we militate against unhealthy attachments in our lives. Those unhealthy attachments prevent us from drawing near to Him, which is the purpose for which we were created. It doesn't matter if those attachments are sweets, yelling and cursing, television, fast food, or red meat. Ultimately, they are non-essential realities which tempt us away from the Creator. In order to ward off temptation, the opening prayer for today's Mass reminds us that “we take up battle against spiritual evils” and arm ourselves with “weapons of self-restraint.” Fasting, without a doubt, is one of the most powerful and effective ways to do that.
Remember, though, that it is not enough to simply cut out something from one's life. If something good, truly good, is not placed into that absence, the enemy will tempt harder and bind even more fully. This is why the practice of fasting ought to be accompanied always with a positive habit as well. Fasting is not good for its own sake: it is only meant to point us toward the Better Reality that each of us ultimately seeks.
Here's how my thought process proceeds. “The goal of a virtuous life,” said St. Gregory of Nyssa, “is to become like God.” I need to be more like God, deeper in relationship with Him, so I should cultivate virtue. Forty days of focusing on specific virtues might help me to grow in virtue, which will bring me closer to God. Since I like to write, maybe I ought to write down really short reflections (2-3 paragraphs most days) about each virtue as God reveals them to me. This would help others and me. So, here goes: forty days of reflections on virtue.
The virtue of fasting is on ready display in the liturgy for Ash Wednesday, in the lectionary readings for sure and also in the surrounding prayers. In the opening collect (prayer), the celebrant prays by asking God to allow us to begin this “campaign of Christian service” (that's Lent) with “holy fasting.” The prophetic reading from the Old Testament calls for God's chosen people to “proclaim a fast” as part of a celebration of worship. The Gospel reading reminds us that fasting is not a practice meant to earn rewards in the eyes of men. The prayer after Communion requests that the Lenten fast might be pleasing to God and a healing remedy for humans. All of these passages ought to remind us that fasting is a virtue that brings us deeply into intimacy with God.
Fasting pleases God because it is a habit by which we militate against unhealthy attachments in our lives. Those unhealthy attachments prevent us from drawing near to Him, which is the purpose for which we were created. It doesn't matter if those attachments are sweets, yelling and cursing, television, fast food, or red meat. Ultimately, they are non-essential realities which tempt us away from the Creator. In order to ward off temptation, the opening prayer for today's Mass reminds us that “we take up battle against spiritual evils” and arm ourselves with “weapons of self-restraint.” Fasting, without a doubt, is one of the most powerful and effective ways to do that.
Remember, though, that it is not enough to simply cut out something from one's life. If something good, truly good, is not placed into that absence, the enemy will tempt harder and bind even more fully. This is why the practice of fasting ought to be accompanied always with a positive habit as well. Fasting is not good for its own sake: it is only meant to point us toward the Better Reality that each of us ultimately seeks.
