Time To Fast

It is time to fast. Jesus, the bridegroom has been taken away from us. He told us that when this happens, his disciples will fast. Yet how many of us truly embrace this command from our Lord? How many of us take this seriously and fast like we should? In our American culture of gluttony and greed, fasting has become a lost practice for many. Yet it is a practice that, when undertaken out of Love for God, will produce abundant graces.

Time To Fast

Gospel - Matthew 9:14-17

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,

"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,

but your disciples do not fast?"

Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn

as long as the bridegroom is with them?

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,

and then they will fast.

No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,

for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.

People do not put new wine into old wineskins.

Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.

Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

Scriptural Analysis

Even after his imprisonment, the disciples of John the Baptist continued as a group for some time. John was committed to an ascetic way of life: “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” (Matthew 3:4) This way of life undoubtedly included fasting. Given that, it is only natural that his disciples would look upon Jesus, whose disciples feast with sinners and tax collectors, and wonder if they are truly pursuing a righteous life.

In response to their inquiry, Jesus applies to himself an Old Testament image for God, that of a bridegroom. This image is seen in the Prophet Isaiah as he describes God’s relationship to Israel: "and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:5) A wedding feast was a joyous occasion, often going on for multiple days. Fasting has a much more somber feel to it and would not be suitable at a wedding as long as the bridegroom is present. A time will come when the bridegroom is no longer there because he has been taken away. When this happens, his disciples will fast. This is the first time he hints at His passion again, drawing upon imagery from Isaiah, “By oppression and judgment he was taken away.” (Isaiah 53:8)

Daily Application

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that among adults in the United States in the year 2025, the obesity rate will top 40%. Now, the fasting that Jesus requires of us is not undertaken for health reasons or to improve one’s physical appearance. Nevertheless, what that rate shows is that we live in a country where food is in abundant supply. In such an environment, fasting can seem like an odd thing to undertake. It certainly sets one apart from the rest of the world, especially when you share that you are fasting not for physical reasons, but for spiritual ones.

Yet fasting for spiritual reasons is precisely what our Lord demands of us. It is not because food is a bad thing. If we never eat, we will die. However, when we fast, we gain control over our physical impulses and desires. We learn to ignore them and not give in to them. If we can do this, then we can also begin to gain mastery over the temptation to sin. If we can say no to the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, we can also say no to the impulse to lust after someone or to covet our neighbor’s goods.

If fasting has not been part of your spiritual life, then consider trying it. Like any discipline, the key is to start slow. Perhaps pick one day a week and go without breakfast: don’t eat until lunchtime. Historically, Friday has always been a day of fasting in honor of our Lord’s passion. Start with fasting on Friday, and when you begin to adhere to that successfully, extend the fast to dinner. Then consider adding another day. Combined with your daily examen, see where the Lord has been in the fasting and see what our Lord has in store for you. It is time to fast.