20200228
RECOVERING
THE TRUE SPIRIT OF FASTING AND ABSTINENCE
28 February,
2020, Friday After Ash Wednesday
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Isaiah 58:1-9 ©
|
The sort of fast that pleases me
Thus
says the Lord:
Shout
for all you are worth,
raise
your voice like a trumpet.
Proclaim
their faults to my people,
their
sins to the House of Jacob.
They
seek me day after day,
they
long to know my ways,
like
a nation that wants to act with integrity
and
not ignore the law of its God.
They
ask me for laws that are just,
they
long for God to draw near:
‘Why
should we fast if you never see it,
why
do penance if you never notice?’
Look,
you do business on your fast-days,
you
oppress all your workmen;
look,
you quarrel and squabble when you fast
and
strike the poor man with your fist.
Fasting
like yours today
will
never make your voice heard on high.
Is
that the sort of fast that pleases me,
a
truly penitential day for men?
Hanging
your head like a reed,
lying
down on sackcloth and ashes?
Is
that what you call fasting,
a
day acceptable to the Lord?
Is
not this the sort of fast that pleases me
–
it is the Lord who speaks –
to
break unjust fetters and
undo
the thongs of the yoke,
to
let the oppressed go free,
and
break every yoke,
to
share your bread with the hungry,
and
shelter the homeless poor,
to
clothe the man you see to be naked
and
not turn from your own kin?
Then
will your light shine like the dawn
and
your wound be quickly healed over.
Your
integrity will go before you
and
the glory of the Lord behind you.
Cry,
and the Lord will answer;
call,
and he will say, ‘I am here.’
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Responsorial
Psalm
|
|
Psalm 50(51):3-6,18-19 ©
|
A
humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
Have
mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In
your compassion blot out my offence.
O
wash me more and more from my guilt
and
cleanse me from my sin.
A
humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
My
offences truly I know them;
my
sin is always before me
Against
you, you alone, have I sinned;
what
is evil in your sight I have done.
A
humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
For
in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt
offering from me you would refuse,
my
sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A
humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
A
humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
|
Gospel
Acclamation
|
cf.Ps129:5,7
|
Glory
and praise to you, O Christ!
My
soul is waiting for the Lord,
I
count on his word,
because
with the Lord there is mercy
and
fullness of redemption.
Glory
and praise to you, O Christ!
|
Or:
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cf.Amos5:14
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Glory
and praise to you, O Christ!
Seek
good and not evil so that you may live,
and that
the Lord God of hosts may really be with you.
Glory
and praise to you, O Christ!
|
Gospel
|
Matthew 9:14-15 ©
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When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast
John’s disciples
came to Jesus and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your
disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would
never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the
time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they
will fast.’
RECOVERING THE
TRUE SPIRIT OF FASTING AND ABSTINENCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [IS 58:1-9; PS 51:3-6, 18-19; MT 9:14-15]
The theme of today’s scripture readings is
on the proper perspective of fasting, how it is to be done and the spirit
behind it. Clearly, the
scripture, whether in the Old or New Testament, is against a routine, external
formality in fasting. The prophet Isaiah reprimanded his people for their
hypocritical attitudes towards fasting. The Lord said, “Look, you do business
on your fast days, you oppress all your workmen; look, you quarrel and squabble
when you fast and strike the poor man with your fist. Fasting like yours today
will never make your voice heard on high. Is that the sort of fast that pleases
me, a truly penitential day for men? Hanging your head like a reed, lying down
on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call fasting, a day acceptable to the
Lord?”
What, then, is the purpose of fasting,
abstinence and the other forms of penance? It is primarily to bring us closer
to God. As Jesus tells us
in the gospel, “Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of
mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will
come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them and then they will fast.”
Christian fasting is primarily motivated by a spiritual concern. It is
the way to find a deeper union with the Lord. Fasting is to help us
to pray better, yearn for His love and presence, be more concerned with the
poor and the suffering as we open our hearts to them. If we truly
seek the Lord and hunger for Him, He will come into our lives.
Of course, fasting can also help to
strengthen us. However,
it is not just a form of self-discipline to achieve success in life.
Rather, the self-discipline that is sought after is the strength to fight
against temptations from the Evil One and the world, or succumbing to the
pleasures of the flesh. One cannot avoid falling into sin if one does not
have the will to resist. What could be more difficult to resist than the
desire to satisfy our sensual and physical needs? Self-discipline is just
the first step. It is not an end in itself, otherwise it will lead to
pride and egoism, making us think that we are better than those who are
ill-disciplined. Self-discipline is but the gateway to discipline in
spiritual life, living a life of integrity and self-sacrifice for others.
If we cannot control ourselves, how can we control or lead others? If we
cannot sacrifice the little pleasures of life, how can we make big sacrifices
and die for our fellowmen?
Fasting is not meant to focus on
ourselves. If
the focus is on ourselves, it is to remind us of how selfish and inward-looking
we have become and how far our hearts are from the Lord. Whilst
fasting can be a helpful penance for our sins, it is primarily to set us free
for others so that we can truly serve with greater compassion and
charity. Doing works of charity for others is the outcome of
fasting. Indeed, works of charity would be the best measure of true
penance. Jesus did not simply fast for Himself but following His fast, He reached
out in service to others. From the desert, He went straight into His
mission. He gave up His family and the comfort of a home to serve His
people, sleeping in the desert and in the boat. So whatever form of
penance, fasting or abstinence must lead us to be more identified with our
brothers and sisters who are lost, sick, hungry or suffering injustices.
Indeed, in the final analysis, growing in
love for God is seen concretely in our love for our brothers and sisters. “Is not this the sort of fast that
pleases me – it is the Lord who speaks – to break unjust fetters and undo the
thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to
share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the
man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? Then will your light
shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Your integrity will
go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will
answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.'”
Unfortunately, many of us are fasting for
all the wrong reasons. We fast for people to see so that they will
think that we are good and pious Catholics. That was what the Israelites said. We
pretend to seek the Lord but our heart is not sincere. “They seek me day after
day, they long to know my ways, like a nation that wants to act with integrity
and not ignore the law of its God. They ask me for laws that are just, they
long for God to draw near: ‘Why should we fast if you never see it, why do
penance if you never notice?'” The Lord does not accept those form of
penance that are done without real conversion of heart.
Today, some fast for vanity and
therapeutic reasons. The
reason for fasting is not for spiritual growth or a change of heart. It
is in order that they look slimmer and more acceptable to others. Some
fast for health reasons so that they can prolong their life and continue to
enjoy the things of this world. So the motive and spirit of fasting is
certainly not in line with that of the Church. This is not to deny the health
benefits that come from fasting. But for Christians it is to grow in union with
God by thirsting for Him, for our purification and strengthening of the will
against sins and identification with our suffering brothers and sisters and of
course to take care of our body because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit and
not for vanity reasons. Jesus in His temptation made it clear that “One does
not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God.” (Mt 4:4)
In the light of the temptation to practice
fasting in such a way that defeats the spiritual purpose of fasting, the Church
has changed the law of fasting.
In the past, every Friday of the week except in days of solemnity, we had to
abstain from meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we had to fast and
abstain from meat. So Catholics born before Vatican II or just after, are
used to abstaining from meat on Fridays. So ingrained is it in us that we
abstain from meat without being conscious of why we are doing it in the first
place. It has become a habit that is observed religiously but often the
spiritual meaning is forgotten. For others, they fall into legalism
because they are afraid of breaking the commandments of the Church that they
end up committing sin. For the legalists, they are always asking, “Can we
eat meat today? Can you dispense me from abstinence from meat as I have a
function to attend or some event to celebrate?
To resolve this issue, the Church’s law
now simply states, “The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do
penance each in his or her own way.” (Canon 1249) “In order for all to be
united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential
days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a
special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves
by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing
fast and abstinence according to the norm of the church.” (Ibid)
“Abstinence from meat or some other food according to the prescripts of the
conference of bishops is to be observed on those who have completed their 14th
year of age.” (Can 1251) However, the Church allows the Bishops’
Conference of the region to determine precisely how the penance is to be
exercised with respect to the observance of fast and abstinence as well as the
possibility of substituting with other forms of penance, especially works of
charity and exercises of piety. (Canon 1251, 1253)
Some Bishops’ Conferences like ours permit
substituting abstinence with other forms of penance, hoping that this will
recover the true spirit of performing penance from a matter of routine. The removal of compulsory
abstinence from meat on all Fridays (except Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) is
meant to help Catholics to interiorize the real spirit of penance, which is to
share in Christ’s redemptive suffering for others, repentance of their sins and
to hunger for the Word of God. Unfortunately, this policy can also
backfire. Without a common means of penance for all Catholics, such as
abstinence from meat, the untended effect is the loss of consciousness that
Friday is a day of penance. When Catholics do not have a collective
penance, it leads to complacency and forgetfulness. At least when there
was a common penance, Catholics could remind each other that they are not to
eat meat on Fridays. Currently, many Catholics have stopped doing penance
altogether and eat meat on Fridays.
We are in a dilemma. How do we recover and continue to teach
the real spirit of Lent, fasting and abstinence without falling into routine
and formality on one hand, and on the other to help our Catholics to remind
each other that some form of penance must be done consciously in union with the
entire Church for our redemption and the salvation of all? Should the
Church insist on a common penance like abstinence of meat on Fridays or leave
it to the individual to decide how he or she desires to do his or her
penance? Yet the fact that the Universal Church requires every Catholic
above the age of 14 to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday means
that she feels also the need for a common penance to be imposed on everyone,
otherwise, left to each person, they would end up not performing any penance at
all. So, which is better, to perform penance without the right motive or
consciousness of what they are doing, or not to do it at all? Everyone
and the Church must decide the best way to preserve the penitential spirit of
Lent and all Fridays of the year.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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