Fasting

Fasting

Fasting is the practice of giving up something in order to turn away from sin and draw closer to God. Another way to put it, when we fast, we put something down in order to pick something up.  The thing we put down might be good in itself, but we relinquish it in order to obtain a greater good…God. The thing we pick up with fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps us make room for God.

Here are some of the spiritual benefits of fasting:

  • It’s a form of penance. Throughout the Old Testament, people covered themselves in ashes, took off their fine clothes, and fasted in order to express their repentance from sin. Fasting serves a similar purpose today.

  • It makes room for God. By emptying ourselves, even if just a little bit, we make room for God to enter our lives more fully. When fasting and abstinence are hard, we are moved to turn to God in prayer for help.

  • It strengthens the will. Fasting is a spiritual discipline; just as physical exercise makes our body stronger, fasting strengthens our will. Practicing self-denial in small things strengthens our will to resist sin in other areas of our lives.

  • It prepares us for mission. Fasting imitates the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert. Just as Jesus used this time to prepare for his public mission, fasting prepares us to continue his mission in the world.

  • It puts us in solidarity with the suffering Christ. Whatever small suffering we experience when we fast brings us closer to the suffering Christ—and all people who suffer from hunger, malnutrition, and abuse on a daily basis.

Process:

  1. Choose what you will put down for Lent

    What will you give up for 40 days?

    Consider these tried-and-true fasting favorites: Sweets, video games, smartphones (or create “quiet zones” free of phones), soda, junk food, social media, and other creature comforts.

  2. Choose what you want to pick up for Lent

    What practice or habit will you establish for the 40 days of lent?


Quiet it down
Monks practice silence in order to better hear God. You can do this by turning off all the things that bring noise into your life: music, television, gaming, phone alerts/notifications, etc.
What if you tried being silent for the first fifteen minutes of the morning, eating a meal in silence, or even having a day of silence.

*Matthew 6:16-28