FASTING TO ENRICH THE LEAST, THE LOST, AND THE LAST
“This is the fasting that I wish: sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them.” - Is 58:6-7
For years, I have misunderstood fasting as a form of self-improvement. Rather, today’s readings connect fasting to growing closer to Jesus in the least, the lost, and the last. Fasting without concern for our brothers and sisters in need does not draw us closer to Jesus. It is a self-denial that shares time and resources with those less privileged in society or deepens solidarity with our marginalized sisters and brothers with whom Jesus identifies.
As you ponder fasting this Lent, consider adopting one of these ways inspired by Pope Francis:
Fast from hurting words to say kind words.
Fast from sadness to be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and to filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism to be filled with hope.
Fast from worries to trust in God.
Fast from complaints to contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures to be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness to fill your heart with joy.
Fast from selfishness to be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges to be reconciled.
Fast from gossiping to give others the benefit of the doubt.
Fast from spending more to be in solidarity with those who have less.
Fast from prejudice to welcome those beyond my borders of concern.
Fast from blaming to pray for healing of victims of sexual abuse and reform of the Church.
Fast from complacency to actively understand and resist racism.
The fasting God desires is less about enhancing our personal health or holiness. It is more about enriching our sisters and brothers deprived of food, clothing, or shelter. It is about encountering Jesus in the least, the lost, and the last.
O Lord, help us reach out and encounter you in those whom society rejects, abandons, or despises.
Photo credit: Fritz Eichenberg