fasting is not just for lent
Have you ever wondered why fasting is such a crucial part of our faith? Or thought about its relevance beyond just Lent?
Let's explore fasting and discover how this age-old practice can boost your spiritual growth all year round.
Fasting During Advent: Prepping for Christmas
While Lent gets all the attention, Advent is another great time to incorporate fasting into your spiritual life. As we get ready for Christmas, try these Advent fasting ideas:
- Digital Detox: Cut back on social media and screen time to make room for prayer and reflection.
- Mindful Eating: Try fasting on Fridays (maybe skip meat or sweets, or even coffee!), similar to what we do during Lent.
- Positivity Fast: Give up negativity and focus on gratitude and kindness instead.
By giving these a go, you can deepen your spiritual connection during this time of anticipation.
What's Fasting All About?
In Catholic tradition, fasting is more than just skipping meals. It's about deliberately saying 'no' to something to things that take our attention away from God. It is a way to make room for spiritual growth and connecting with God. By temporarily giving up physical comforts, we tune into our spiritual needs and God's voice. Fasting is especially important when we think about our ultimate goal: heaven. By practicing self-denial and spiritual discipline through fasting, we develop virtues that align our hearts with God's will. This practice helps us let go of worldly desires, focus on our spiritual journey, and prepare our souls for eternal life. Fasting reminds us that our true nourishment comes not from earthly pleasures, but from God's grace, bringing us closer to our heavenly destination.
Why Catholics Fast
- Spiritual Connection: Create more time and focus for prayer and listening to God
- Repentance: Show we're sorry for our mistakes and seek God's forgiveness through self-discipline
- Building Strength: Develop willpower to resist temptations and make better choices
- Compassion: Experience a bit of what hungry people feel and be motivated to help others
- Preparing for Communion: Increase our appreciation and readiness to receive Jesus in the Eucharist
When we fast, we're not merely going through the motions - it's a powerful way to connect with God on a deeper level. Consider this: by setting aside time and energy we'd typically spend on other things, we're creating space to truly listen to what God's saying to us. It's rather like hitting the reset button on our spiritual life.
And you know how sometimes we mess up and feel quite awful about it? Fasting can be a way to show God we're genuinely sorry. It's not about punishing ourselves, but rather about using self-discipline to turn back to God and seek forgiveness. It's akin to saying, "God, I'm quite serious about this."
Fasting also helps us build some spiritual muscle. Just as working out helps us resist that extra slice of pizza, fasting can help us build the willpower to resist temptations in our daily lives. It's not always a piece of cake, but it's worth it!
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because fasting can be hard you know? But know that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4)
There's also a compassionate side to fasting. When we experience hunger, even for a short time, it can open our eyes to what others might be going through. It might just inspire us to lend a helping hand to those in need.
And let's not forget about Communion. Fasting before receiving the Eucharist isn't just tradition - it's a way to prepare our hearts and minds. It helps us appreciate the incredible gift we're about to receive and reminds us of the importance of this sacred moment with Jesus.
Fasting Beyond Lent and Advent: A Year-Round Thing
The Church encourages fasting throughout the year. Consider these opportunities:
- Eucharistic Fast: Fast at least 1 hour before receiving the Eucharist at Mass
- Friday Fasts: Keep it up beyond Lent
- Discernment Fasts: Fast before big decisions or during intense prayer times
Modern Fasting: Relevant Ideas for Today's Young Catholics
Fasting can go beyond just food. Here are some other ideas of fasting:
- Social Media Sabbatical: Replace scrolling time with prayer and reflection
- Entertainment Fast: Swap binge-watching for spiritual reading or meditation
- Gossip Fast: Challenge yourself to speak only kind and encouraging words
Embracing the Fast
Fasting is more than just a religious duty—it's a transformative spiritual practice that can deepen your relationship with God and others. By making fasting a part of your life year-round, you open yourself up to serious spiritual growth and a more authentic faith journey.
Remember to chat with a spiritual advisor or priest, especially if you have health concerns, before starting any significant fasting routine. Here's hoping your fasting journey brings you closer to God and enriches your spiritual life.
Godbless,
Mel
