Are you fasting for Lent?
When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that
you may not appear to be fasting.
MT 6:1-6, 16-18
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| Photo by Artem Bali from Pexels |
Today marks the start of Lent. There are three disciplines
of Lent: prayer, fasting and alms giving.
The Gospel today gives us instruction on how to give, pray and fast. Let’s consider how to fast.
You will find this practice in many global religions. There
is a wisdom to fasting which can be read in the book, “The Obesity Code,” by
Dr. Jason Fung. I adopted intermittent fasting as a lifestyle, but have
practiced fasting and abstaining from meat during Lent my entire life.
Let’s consider why one fasts at Lent. I believe that fasting
is an opportunity to be in solidarity with the poor or those that do
not have food. We have many people in the US and globally that are
food-insecure, lacking reliable access to sufficient, affordable food. By
denying one-self, moments of hunger can call to mind those that hunger with
you. I recommend tying this practice to prayer, to pray for those where fasting
is not a choice.
I would say that would be the primary difference in
beginning a fasting practice during Lent. Rather than thinking of yourself, your physical body, your
hunger, your emptiness, you turn to those that hunger.
I like to separate the practice
because the motivation can be very different. When I trained myself to fast, I
was determined to sustain the habit. I believed that the act of intermittent
fasting would control my weight. Today, for Ash Wednesday, I want to be motivated by compassion, so
I will be thinking about how my hunger will connect me to the poor.
Do you notice the difference? It may be very subtle. If you
have any questions, go to the contact form on the left and request a short,
free consult call. No obligations, it is completely free. I believe that fasting is one of the greatest opportunities to not only call to mind the poor at Lent, but to connect with your true being, your body, the temple to the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for reading, may you have a blessed Ash Wednesday.
xo Anna
