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The Four Letter Word That Makes Our Stomachs (G)rumble!
Christianity is totally based on a "good"
four-letter word - LOVE! Love for God and love for our
neighbor. This is all that is required for Christians
to get St. Peter to "open" the gates to Heaven.
Another four-letter word is central
to Christian teaching. Yet, this one doesn't set our
hearts thumping, but rather, makes our stomachs (g)rumble!
To most Christians, FAST is a bad four-letter
word, since they find fasting distasteful and to be
avoided as far as possible. Yet, when we search the
Scriptures, we find that to "fast" is one
of the four-letter "good" words, according
to the Word of God!
To fast, according to the Scriptures,
is to abstain from food and drink. And, although many
people abstain from food and drink, it is not for spiritual
reasons, but for various other reasons, like physical
fitness, controlling abnormal health conditions, body
beautification, etc.
Fasting in Christian life is a necessary
means of true repentance for our own sins and the sins
of others. It helps to make us less self-centered and
enables us to grow into a God-centered life in the manner
of Jesus Christ. "...repent sincerely and return
to me with fasting and weeping and mourning. Let your
broken heart show your sorrow; tearing your clothes
is not enough ( Joel 2: 12 - 13 ).
Moses fasted in atonement for the sin
of idolatry committed by his people ( Ex 34: 28; Deut
9: 18 ). Saul, after his encounter with Jesus, on the
road to Damascus, fasted three days in his state of
blindness, before the Lord sent Ananias to give his
sight back again ( Acts 9: 9 ).
Fasting, accompanied by prayer, is also
necessary to enable us to discover God's will for us.
It helps to change ourselves so that we open our hearts
and minds to God's promptings. Jesus fasted in the desert,
before his public ministry, to learn his Father's will.
Moses fasted on Mount Sinai, before he received the
Ten Commandments from God ( Deut 9: 9 ).
Fasting, accompanied by intercessory
prayer, is necessary if we want to show God how earnestly
we want him to satisfy our needs. The psalmist fasted
and prayed for deliverance from his enemies ( Ps 109:
20 - 25 ). The sailors and soldiers on the ship, caught
in a storm, fasted for fourteen days ( Acts 27: 33 ).
Finally, fasting, accompanied by almsgiving,
is necessary to express our solidarity with the poor
and suffering. Not only will we experience what millions
are experiencing every single day, but it will also
make us more sensitive to the needs of the poor.
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