THE FASTING THAT GOD WISHES
Today’s Gospel and First Reading give us the essence of true fasting. While fasting is usually associated with dietary sacrifices and abstinence, the prophet Isaiah and the Matthew bring it to another level, that of personal and altruistic practice. God, through the prophet Isaiah, declares: “This rather is the fasting that I wish…” What follows is a long list of altruistic acts with no mention at all of food and dietary discipline.
I remember reading a story that circulated in the social media some time ago. When the door of an elevator opened, people were surprised to see an old woman, sitting on the back of a man whose hands and knees were on the floor. That picture went viral in the Internet.
It turned out that the old woman and the man were trapped inside the elevator. The old woman, who was standing with the help of a cane, immediately told the man that it was impossible for her to stand more than five minutes given her extreme osteoporosis. The man immediately offered his back as portable chair for the old lady. They were stuck in the elevator for a good 40 minutes.
In the interview that followed, it was also discovered that the man was actually a chairman of a company. That humble man gave literal and fresh meaning to the word “chairman.”
That is the fasting today’s readings call for. Forgetting one’s self and making oneself a gift for the other.
May we all fast this Lenten season in a way that truly pleases the Lord! Fr. Joel Jason
REFLECTION QUESTION: Read through Isaiah’s list of fasting that God wishes and see which of them you can add to your dietary sacrifice this Lent.
For You are not pleased with sacrifices, should I offer a holocaust; a humble contrite heart, O God, You will not spurn. Amen.
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