For many of my students, fasting seems rather pointless when it comes to spiritual life. They often see it more as a way of "dieting" or trying to be in control of their lives, than something that affects them spiritually. At least, that's what a whole classroom-full stated a while ago when they did in-class presentations on fasting and its significance for Christian life. I suspect my students are giving voice to what many wonder. What is the relationship between fasting and developing a spiritual life?

 

The Church says that being empty by abstaining from some things is actually good and can actually fill us up, even though it doesn't necessarily feel that way in the moment.Moreover, the Church suggests that there's a link between our fasting and abstinence, and our ability to help people.  Lent is often touted as a season when we give up things so that we can practice charity with others.  But most people I know wonder: "How does giving up something like Diet Coke or meat or chocolate really help me or someone else?"

 

Today's first scripture (Isaiah 58:1-9a) seems to raise exactly this question, but also seems to suggest that fasting is not at all a good thing compared to doing good works.  God says that the peoples' fasting from food merely leads to their quarreling.  Their emptiness of stomachs leads to emptiness of minds and relationships - and perhaps there's even a direct correlation. Fasting indeed seems pointless. 

 

So it seems, in this passage, that God doesn't really want fasting but rather works of mercy, like clothing the naked and caring for the sick.  Being hungry, being empty, doesn't really make us full of joy enough to care for others.  Today's gospel lesson (Matthew 9:14-15) makes a similar point: John's disciples are fasting champions, but Jesus' disciples don't fast at all.  And Jesus wonders, "Why fast, when the Bridegroom is with them?"  These days, we might say, "Jesus is always with us, especially in the Eucharist.  So if the Bridegroom is with us, why fast?  Shouldn't we be joyful all the time?"

 

And yet still, the Church proclaims that Lent is a time for fasting.

 

This is where we are asked to focus on the paradox of fasting.  I suggest that the difficulty for the people in the first reading is that their focus, in fasting, was on how it made them feel (empty, with hunger pangs) and that made them lash out at their neighbors.

 

By contrast, we are asked to fast in order to realize that our emptiness has potential and is not pointless.  We are invited to see our fasting as a place of possibility for caring for others.

 

Megan McKenna writes these words on emptiness and possibility  that are quickly becoming my prayer this Lent:  "Thank more, need less, eat less, share more, risk more, trust others, even strangers and crowds. Thanksgiving opens up a place inside us that changes emptiness to potency and possibility...."

 

Today, let us pray for that emptiness of possibility.

 

- Jana M. Bennett