Fasting Is Uncomfortable...and Necessary
I’ll admit that I usually don't look forward to fasting (using today's common church definition). It's uncomfortable, and it can seem like it doesn't do much good, especially if I just end up hungry and grumpy all day. However, we hear in the scriptures that fasting is powerful and can aide prayer when completed with a heart and mind rooted in Christ. We focus on fasting during Lent and use the term particularly with fasting from food on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition to fasting from food, giving up, “fasting,” or denying ourselves certain luxuries or even common comforts and aspects of life is important for cutting off sin and growing closer to the Lord.
Saint Augustine said, “Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity. Enter again into yourself.”
That last line sticks out to me: “Enter again into yourself.” Those are an interesting four words to take to prayer. Do I enter into myself enough to touch Christ within me, so I can deeply listen and then give the fruits of those contemplations to the outside world? That's something I need to pray about.
We are definitely worldly beings. We require food and oxygen to survive, and our senses have various requirements as human beings to survive. However, if we focus too much on fulfilling these earthly needs but don't connect them with spiritual needs, we are treading—even if ever so slightly—on the edge of, “For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul?” We must enter into ourselves, communicate with God and find strength in Him to go without meat and snacking on certain days, and abstain from other comforts the rest of Lent.
Despite the discomforts and frustrations that may come, Saint Augustine tells of the benefits of fasting. “Fasting cleanses the soul.” That's beautiful. That's one of the main goals of Lent, ultimately preparing our souls to worship and serve the Lord as best we can before living with Him for eternity. “[Fasting] raises the mind.” If our body is fulfilled by earthly things, our mind may stay on the earth. Without our regular sustenance of food (or other comfort), we are forced to raise our minds to something greater than earth. “[Fasting] subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble.” When the body is in need, the spirit’s presence is revealed in a greater way, and we are humbled to not rely on man and his earthly home but on God and his everlasting mercy and power. “[Fasting] scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity.” That is powerful. We are not able to give our bodies every earthly desire, and letting God chisel us and makes us more like Him helps us turn away from sin.
Our flesh is weak, but we pray that our spirit is willing and able to go through conversion each day. I hope you will join me in having a rigorous, spiritually beneficial and satisfying Lent, keeping Saint Augustine’s words in mind as we endure the Lenten journey of becoming more holy.
