Lenten Series: Fasting

As I mentioned in a previous post, fasting is really one of the most ancient practices associated with Lent. In fact, the paschal fast, which is the fast during the Triduum, actually predates Lent as we know it. Fasting is probably one of the things we associate most with Lent, but I think we can sometimes miss the "why?" behind it.

As we know, fasting is not an exclusively Christian practice. In fact, all religions practice some sort of fasting. And despite the popular image of Catholicism as being all about gloomy fasting and asceticism, many other religions are actually much stricter in their practice of fasting than we are. Muslims fast for the entire month of Ramadan. Hindus fast during their holy festival of Divali as well. Jews fast on High Holy Days like Yom Kippur.

So why do we fast? What good does it do? Fasting is useful as a means of self-control. St. Paul often uses athletic analogies in his epistles, comparing faith to running a race for which we need to train. Fasting is one way we train ourselves in the practice of our faith and learn self-discipline so that we may grown in virtue.

Fasting also reminds us of our dependence on God. Eating to excess any time we want to can give us the illusion that we sustain ourselves. The truth is, of course, that we are always and only sustained by God, and fasting puts us in touch with that in a very elemental way. In a materialist and consumerist society like ours, we can fall into the trap of thinking that there are "things" that make us happy -- food, money, gadgets, whatever it is. Fasting from things helps us to detach and unplug, and it also teaches us to discern our needs from our wants, which is a critical thing to be able to do, and not a skill you’ll ever learn from the culture at large.

Fasting puts us in solidarity with the poor and those who suffer from hunger involuntarily. Our hunger when fasting should help bring to mind those who are hungry always. This is important in a culture like ours, where the poor are so often invisible to us. Ideally, fasting can be coupled with almsgiving here; when we fast from food, we can take the money we would have spent on ourselves and divert it to those in need.

Fasting also reinforces prayer. This is the reason why fasting is something all major religions practice across the board. Fasting sharpens our focus and allows us to pray with greater clarity. It serves as a "reminder" throughout the day. Anytime we find ourselves feeling hunger pangs, it calls to mind our hunger for God. Maybe we don’t think that way naturally, but we can train ourselves to harness the experience in this way.

So far we’ve been considering fasting merely in terms of food, but the same concept applies to other things as well. Fasting can involve activities or habits that rob us of our time. Lent is a good time to take a look what you do during an average day and see what eats up your time unnecessarily. Ask yourself, "If I stopped spending so much time ____, would I have time to pray more? Or time to volunteer somewhere?" It may be watching TV, talking on the telephone too much, spending too much time on the Internet, whatever it is for you. If you fast from these things, you’ll be surprised at how it detaches you from things you once may have thought you couldn’t live without. This kind of fasting reminds us of what is important in life and what is extraneous...and also that God needs to have pride of place. The reality is that anytime we put something else above God on our priority list, we engage in a kind of idolatry. Fasting from things helps us to curb that dangerous tendency.