Lent: Fasting for spiritual progress

Lent refers to the period of forty days after Ash Wednesday and the day before Easter, during which Christians fast in memory of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The season is also a memorial of the last few weeks of the Incarnation; a celebration of the last days that our Lord Jesus Christ spent on earth, His crucifixion and His resurrection.

Fasting is not a jolly activity. Why then do we describe a season of fasting as a celebration? Lent is a celebration, a season of joy, because it culminated in victory for the believer in Jesus Christ. The culmination of the Lenten season, which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, gave us victory over sin and death. Its remembrance therefore should give us joy, even as we fast.

Yes, Lent should be a period for sober reflection. It should be a period for soul searching. It should be a period for more intense prayers. However, it should not be a period of outward mourning or sorrow. It should not be a season of sanctimonious show-off. Our Lord instructed us:

Matthew 6:16-18  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Fasting is spiritually rewarding. A Christian should, in fact, take fasting as part of his regular Christian life (during and outside the Lenten season). The time of fasting should be devoted, not to externalities, but to self-examination and the cultivation of the inner (or spiritual) life. Christian fasting is very useful for building and renewal of spiritual energy, for building and renewal of faith, for improving spiritual growth, for the discipline of the body/flesh, and for seeking God’s face and intervention in specific situations. This is why a Christian should fast regularly – the benefits are numerous and attractive.

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Food is good for the human body, and it is our right to eat as we wish/can. However, excessive attachment to food can threaten our physical and spiritual health. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 6:12-13  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them…

The discipline of fasting helps a Christian to overcome the risk that food poses to his material and spiritual safety. Christians who fast regularly are also likely to imbibe greater self-control; a virtue that is useful in many aspects of daily living. Thus, fasting helps us to become better Christians.

to be continued