fasting – lectiodiv.com

“Return to me with your whole heart.” | Ash Wednesday

From the responsorial psalm: “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (6:1-6, 16-18, today’s readings)

“But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

Jesus teaches the disciples how to give alms, pray, and fast. First he tells the them how not to do it, as the hypocrites do, and then he tells them in what way to do it and why. He defines hypocrites as those who “perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.” Whether giving alms, praying, or fasting, those who do it for public recognition, Jesus says, have already received their reward. When done without drawing attention to them, the Lenten observances of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting become a private conversation between the original giver of the gift and we who give back to God what is his. “And your Father who sees in secret,” Jesus says, “will repay you.” Lent is a time of remembering Whose we are and making our way back wholeheartedly to be reconciled to him, the font of mercy.

God, strengthen me today and throughout Lent as I consider the Gospel acclamation: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Jesus calls attention to you six times as he teaches the disciples the way to fast, pray, and give alms. In teaching these observances, Jesus leads us into a genuine, private relationship with you, Our Father. Give me the grace of sincerity and humility this Lent as I seek to deepen my connection with you, Lord, rather than seeking recognition from others. Help me keep pure my attitudes and intentions behind anything I do out of authentic piety. You are the giver of every good gift, Lord; show me how to make a wholehearted return to you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Then they will fast in those days.” | Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (5:33-39)

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses a question about why his disciples do not fast like the Pharisees and like the disciples of John the Baptist. Using the comparison of a wedding feast, Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees that just as wedding guests do not fast while the bridegroom is with them, neither do his disciples. He goes on to tell them the parable of new wine poured into old wineskins. Poured into old wineskins, the new wine will burst the skins. New wine, he tells them, must be put into new wineskins. Jesus is the new wine, the new covenant, and his presence as he does his Father’s will brings new life to his followers.

God of mercy, let me consider the feast and the fast. Christ is present always. In recognizing the gift of his presence, there is the joy of counting myself as one of the wedding guests. At times of fasting, whether from within or without, I long for Christ to return so that I can, as the psalmist says, “dwell in the land and be fed in security.” Your mercy, Lord, doubly provides for those you love. In joy, I have Christ truly present in the sacraments, and in fasting I wait for the one who puts to rest all the restlessness of longing for the peace of his presence. “I am the light of the world, says the Lord,” I hear in the Gospel acclamation, “whoever follows me will have the light of life.” Give me the grace to receive the new wine, whether feasting or fasting, with a spirit of gratitude.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“To call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” | Saturday after Ash Wednesday

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 5:27-32)

The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

After Jesus calls him, Matthew immediately leaves his customs post and follows him. Matthew then gives a large banquet at his house, where many tax collectors gather at table with Jesus and Matthew. The criticism of the Pharisees is aimed at sinners and tax collectors. While Jesus, the divine physician, tells the Pharisees that he has come for the sick, the Pharisees fail to recognize that he includes them among the sick who need a physician. Little is different today when judgment of others comes into play. It’s easy to point out the faults of others, but only with fearless examination do our own deficiencies surface.

God, just as Jesus your Son called Levi to follow him, you call me also to follow you. If all I can remember throughout the day is the voice of Jesus saying “Follow me,” I have the hope of walking in your truth and trusting in your mercy. On paper, this is all too easy. I know I will forget you time after time in the events of the day and the people you place before me. Give me the grace to hear your voice today when I begin to turn away. I know you always hear me, just as you reveal to Isaiah in the first reading: “Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.”

From the responsorial psalm: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“And then they will fast.” | Friday after Ash Wednesday

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:14-15)

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the meaning of fasting. In fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies and practices, the coming of Jesus represents the beginning of a new era. A common practice in the Jewish tradition, fasting was a way to show repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus, the Bridegroom, is present among his disciples, so the time to fast hadn’t yet come. However, the time would come for fasting, for his passion, death, and resurrection. “The days will come,” Jesus says, “when the bridegroom is taken away . . . and then they will fast.” The Lord reveals to Isaiah in the first reading what fasting is: “Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.”

God, help me understand the meaning of fasting as Jesus teaches it. Among the disciples, Jesus was a source of joy and consolation. The Messiah had come and was among them. In the time of his passion, the disciples mourned his loss. But now, after the time of his suffering and death, Jesus is present in his word, through his resurrection, and in the sacraments of the Church. Give me the grace, Lord, to fast during Lent in a way that strengthens my love for your presence. In detachment and self-denial, nourish me now with your presence, and prepare me for your resurrection in the Easter joy that is to come.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world.” | Thursday after Ash Wednesday

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 9:22-25)

Then [Jesus] said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

In today’s Gospel according to Luke, the transfiguration of Jesus occurs immediately after this passage. So in speaking of the daily task of Christians, Jesus refers also to his own passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus first announces to the disciples his suffering, death, and resurrection and then turns to speak to all of denying oneself and picking up one’s cross. In the paradox of dying to self to live in Christ, Jesus is the template; he goes first for the sake of all of us. To follow Jesus is to choose life, to heed God’s voice, to be obedient to the Father’s will. As Moses said to the Israelites: “Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.”

God, help me today to choose your will out of love for you. In that love, give me strength in choosing to deny myself to live in Christ. Keep me alert to the needs of others, aware of my imperfections that prevent me from seeing you present in that moment. Give me the grace, Lord, to recognize your will, to be fully aware of it, and to choose to accomplish it. Be my constant help!

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy.” | Ash Wednesday

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 6:1-6, 16-18)

“When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart.” These words from the first reading invite the people of Israel to fasting and prayer as a way to return to the LORD. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to the disciples about what we have come to know as the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. With your whole attention focused on our Father, Jesus tells us, pray, fast, and give alms without drawing attention to yourselves so that “your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” The desire to please God in a genuine way becomes the means to return to an intimate relationship with him. So Lent begins. As Saint Paul says, Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

God, help me today consider how to put into practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Every year Lent comes, and I find myself in the midst of it without fully participating in the opportunity to connect more deeply with you. The interior life of the spirit that Jesus calls the disciples to is a universal invitation to see you as my Father and do what pleases you. A spiritual return to you doesn’t isolate me from those around me but reinvigorates how I respond to them—the poor, those in need of prayer, and emptying of self through fasting. Give me the grace to take the gifts of sacrifice you give me and make them the means of returning to you with my whole heart.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Not as man sees does God see.” | Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 2:23-28)

He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

The Pharisees see the disciples of Jesus making a path through a field of grain as they pluck the heads of grain, eating them. The Pharisees say to Jesus: “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” In replying to them, Jesus mentions bread, the daily bread that sustains and nourishes the human body. But in relating the story about David sharing the consecrated bread of offering with his companions, he alludes to bread broken and shared, to bread that prepares us for eternal life, to the Eucharistic banquet he would institute at the Last Supper. In addressing the rigidity of unlawful actions done on the sabbath, Jesus reclaims its purpose through his divine authority as the Son of God: “That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

God, help me see as you see, beyond appearances and superficial understanding. The things of this world provide limited access to what is really true. In your words spoken to Samuel: “Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” You do not judge by appearances, Lord, but know me because you know my heart. For the sake of your people, you made the sabbath not as a means to restrict needs but to provide for spiritual and physical well-being. In work and relaxation, help me recall the words of Jesus throughout the day: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” Give us this day our daily bread.

From the Gospel acclamation: “May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Then they will fast on that day.” | Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 2:18-22)

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

Jesus goes on to compare his time on earth as the bridegroom, present among the disciples, with other examples. He compares his teachings to new cloth sewn onto old clothing and new wine poured into old wineskins. The new cloth will shrink and tear an old garment, and new wine will burst old wineskins. Instead, Jesus says, new cloth should be sewn onto new garments, and new wine should be poured into new wineskins. Jesus brings about a newness through his presence and teachings that requires a change of customs and practices. He calls people to step away from adherence to brittle old religious practices and into supple, heartfelt praise that gives God due glory.

God, in this new year, help me recognize the areas within me that are brittle and serve no genuine purpose. Give me the grace to understand that fear overcome frees me to find you anew in desiring to remain in your word, wherever that leads. Every day, new obstacles to long-term goals emerge that seem to be insurmountable. They seem at times to eclipse you. Help me see beyond that—that the earthly goal is subject to your will. In obedience to your will, help me see past obstacles and go straight to you, to listen to your word and give you praise. You are God and I am not—all glory to you, Lord.

From the Gospel acclamation: “The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Friday after Ash Wednesday

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus responds to the disciples of John and to the Pharisees by comparing himself to the bridegroom. When the bridegroom is taken away, then the fasting will follow. Because Christ is the bridegroom, the Church is is bride. And when the Church fasts, she fasts in mourning because Christ has been taken away. The kind of fasting Christ calls us to the LORD makes known in the first reading from Isaiah: “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.”

God, help me understand the goodness that comes from a contrite, humbled heart. As the psalmist says, “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” In avoiding evil and doing good, I live so that you many be with me. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://youtu.be/2W-KSOPWWBY

Readings