The real Meaning of Fast

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Lenten Season :  Friday after Ash Wednesday*

*Gospel : Mt 9:14-15*

*First Reading : Is 58:1-9a*

*Responsorial Psalm : 51:3-19*

*The real Meaning of Fast*

*1) What Kind of Fasting Is This?*

Jesus is speaking primarily about spiritual, relational fasting — not just abstaining from food.

In Jewish tradition, fasting usually meant:

Abstaining from food (sometimes drink)

Accompanied by prayer, repentance, and mourning

Often connected to longing for God or sorrow for sin

But Jesus shifts the focus:

While He (the “bridegroom”) is present, it is a time of joy

When He is taken away (pointing toward His Passion and death), it will be a time of longing and fasting

So the fasting He speaks of is:

A fasting born from love and longing

A response to the felt absence of the Bridegroom

A preparation of the heart

It is not legalistic fasting — it is relational fasting.

*2) What Type of Fast Is Needed in Lent?*

Lent is rooted in: The 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness

Preparation for His Passion and Resurrection

*A) External Fast* :  

Traditionally

Abstaining from certain foods (often meat)

Reducing meals

Simplicity in lifestyle

*B) Interior Fast (More Important)*

Fasting from sin

Fasting from distractions

Fasting from ego, pride, anger

Fasting from noise to make space for God

Lent is not about punishment. It is about making room for the Bridegroom.

*3) How to Understand This Concept Spiritually*

Jesus calls Himself the Bridegroom. That imagery appears throughout Scripture:

God as Bridegroom in the prophets

Christ as Bridegroom of the Church

Fasting during Lent means:

“I miss You.”

“I desire You.”

“I want nothing to replace You.”

It becomes a language of love.

If fasting is only diet change — it is incomplete.

If fasting increases prayer, humility, and charity — it becomes transformative.

*4) Points to Ponder*

*A) Fasting Is About Relationship*

When you fast, ask:

What space am I creating for Christ?

If the hunger makes you irritated but not prayerful, adjust your intention.

*B) Joy and Sorrow Both Belong to Christian Life*

Jesus says there is:

A time of joy (His presence)

A time of longing (His apparent absence)

Lent holds both: Sorrow for sin

Hope of Resurrection

Hope of Resurrection

*C) The Real Fast Is From Self-Sufficiency*

True fasting says: “I am not sustained by bread alone.”

It reminds us of dependence on God.

*D) Fasting Without Love Is Empty*

Elsewhere in Scripture, especially in Book of Isaiah 58, God says the true fast includes:

Justice, Mercy, Care for the poor

So a powerful Lenten question is:

Am I becoming more compassionate?

*5) A Simple Way to Live This During Lent*

You might:

Fast from one meal weekly and use that time to pray

Give what you save to someone in need

Fast from negativity or complaining

Fast from screens to deepen silence

Let your fasting:

Create hunger for God

Deepen prayer

Increase love

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*