The Meaning of the Fast

Matthew 9:14-15

Yes, Thursday's cross still has me off a day. But, today is the day to get back on track. Recall from yesterday's post the inconvenience of losing Internet access. But, I think there is a lesson here.

Friday (yesterday) was the first Friday of the Season of Lent (more about this over the next 40 some days of posts...). There I was-- rushing about my busy day. Truth be told, I was pretty distracted and a little anxious and stressed out. Not unlike days that you have had, I'm sure.

I was invited by some colleagues to join them for a casual lunch out of the office. We find ourselves at a little pub a few blocks away. We are having an enjoyable conversation (despite dozens of televisions fixated on the Tiger Wood's press conference). We order, eat, talk and laugh some more, and then we leave.

The problem is that in my stress and distraction, I completely forgot my obligation to fast and abstain. Not six steps out of the front door of the pub, I realized it. Then the cherry-on-the-top: the "Oh, _ _ _t." I admitted my sin. One of my two colleagues said she had noticed when I ordered and had contemplated kicking me under the table-- the whole thing was kind a disaster. But let me tell you what I learned:

God gives us penances as a gift and as a tool.

The day's Gospel reading tells the story of when Jesus was asked why His disciples do not fast. Jesus' response is so very simple. He uses a wedding analogy and asks the question: "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" What does this mean? Well, after my first Lenten blunder, I completely understand.

You see, God gives us the discipline of fasting to help us to feel hunger. Why? It helps us to focus our mind. It is a "rumble in the tummy" reminder. Everything we have and everything we are comes from God.

I was so caught up in my day that I forgot. The irony is that I really needed to fast on Friday. I needed God in the midst of my busy and stressful day. Intellectually, I knew this. But to really grasp this, I needed to feel this.

The disciples did not fast when they were with Jesus because His presence was already there. In my next fast, the door will be open for Our Lord to come on over and stay awhile. He is the friend I need on those busy, stressful days.

Keeping Secrets

Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Welcome to Lent. Sounds like an odd greeting, but I mean it. The secret is out. I love Lent. I love it because I am the kind of person who is willing to admit that she needs structure and ritual. It makes me feel calm and secure. If you are Catholic, you may likely understand.

Today is the day that we are reminded of the truth about life. The ashes on our forehead remind us of the human condition affected by sin. Easy enough to understand, but is it? Today we live in a world that everyday denies that sin even exists.

In the imposition of ashes, today, we are admitting our guilt before God and expressing our desire for inward conversion. This sign is the first step in our journey of conversion. It takes us to the sacrament of reconciliation, then to the Passion and then to salvation in the Resurrection at Easter.

This is what we must remember.

We are made up of two substances. A body and a soul. It is no secret that our bodies die. But what is often difficult to remember or understand is that our soul (the invisible part of us that animates our bodies) is wounded when we sin.

During Lent, we are offered a beautiful prescription. We learn from today's reading that what our souls need is to pray, to fast, and to give alms. But the key is that we must do these three things in secret.

Why is secret? When these three things (prayer, fasting and almsgiving) are done in secret, it is God who sees your true intentions. These offerings are done in communion with God, alone. This is because it is God who heals the soul.