{"id":6510,"date":"2017-03-18T21:42:14","date_gmt":"2017-03-18T21:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/?p=6510"},"modified":"2017-03-24T22:29:59","modified_gmt":"2017-03-24T22:29:59","slug":"the-art-of-fasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/the-art-of-fasting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art Of The Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"

New and excellent for Lent: What Jesus Saw From The Cross<\/span><\/a><\/i><\/span><\/tt><\/span><\/span><\/tt><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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If you’re confused about what “fasting” means, join the club.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the desert (not to be confused with dessert), during those forty days, it meant no food whatsoever — a fast few could accomplish.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One dictionary explains\u00a0that the word fast<\/em> in the Bible is from the Hebrew word sum,<\/em> meaning \u201cto cover\u201d the mouth, or from the Greek word nesteuo<\/em> , meaning \u201cto abstain.\u201d For spiritual purposes, it means to go without eating and drinking (Esther<\/em> 4:16). In addition to Christ, Moses, Elijah, and Paul famously fasted to draw closer to God.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And draw closer one does,<\/span> when one can exercise sacrifice.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That’s really what it comes down to: discipline and sacrifice.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The devil flees from it — from those who draw close to God.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>Few things are more powerful, greatly potentiating prayer. On television the other night was a woman who fasted from food for forty days and found herself so close to the Lord that she did the same fast twice more<\/em> that same year. Afterwards, the Spirit flowed so powerfully that at one point she instantly, completely healed a young comatose man who was on his deathbed suffering from AIDS.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It is also defined (fasting, in another dictionary) as to “eat nothing, abstain from food, refrain from eating, go without food, go hungry, starve oneself,” but the principal definition (you’ll exhale a sigh of relief): to “abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance.”\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>Some<\/em><\/strong><\/span> kinds of — not all — food.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This brings us to the point:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In our current time,<\/span>\u00a0perhaps in accommodating the less-than-ascetic modern lifestyle, the Church chooses to deploy that latter definition of “abstinence.”\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Abstinence is not\u00a0not eating<\/em> but cutting down on food or eliminating a particular kind, such as meat on Fridays.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Does abstinence carry the spiritual weight of old-fashioned biblical fasting? <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Is it a form of fasting — or a compromise: a partial, kind-of fast?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It’s a good question. There are different ways to fast. You do the best you can. But you do try. In some cases, dioceses consider abstinence a day with two snacks and one full meal, which\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>is starving to some, while it’s more than is usually eaten by others.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The view from here is that abstinence is not overly difficult.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At Nineveh, they proclaimed a fast and the wearing of sackcloth (after Jonah’s warning). <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We are the modern Nineveh and proclaim a fish fry (with cole slaw).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Is a fish fry a sacrifice —<\/span>\u00a0is it a form of fast — when many people love seafood<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0and in fact go to restaurants, Lent or not, for it?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A pretty hearty meal, fried fish. But a sacrifice? If you dislike seafood, certainly. Otherwise, you could gain weight, abstaining. Fasting slims the body, purges the blood, and clarifies the spirit. It’s spiritually and<\/em> physically healthy. With it, the Blessed Mother says we can “suspend the laws of nature.” It used to be a standard part of Christianity.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One diocese in Louisiana has taken it all a step further, declaring that alligator meat can also be eaten on Friday — since gators live in the water and, as such, are\u00a0sort<\/em> of fish.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>Actually, reptiles. <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But we won’t argue with authorities. (Not tough to eat, though; pretty tasty, fried, with tartar sauce or Cajun spices.)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, many dioceses suspended the Lenten abstinence, allowing corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day, which fell on a Friday. It’s understandable. But following Church rules:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Lent isn’t so tough, after all.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The word to keep in mind, however — the rest of the way, this Lent — is “sacrifice.”<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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