Friday after Ash Wednesday (February 27, 2009)
As I was meditating last night on today's reading, I was thinking about the question that John the Baptist's disciples asked Jesus: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" The first thing that came into my mind was, if the disciples did not fast, why do we have to fast?
I believe that to Jesus the most important thing is our conversion. If we abstain from food but we do not improve our way of living, then we might as well eat. What good will it do to us or to anyone, if we go hungry as a sacrifice for Lent but we are in a bad mood and we snap every time someone tries to talk to us?
We fast in Lent to cleanse our souls and our hearts to prepare them for our Lord's resurrection. The fasting needs to purify us so that we are ready to receive Jesus in our hearts on Easter Sunday. If we continue to sin and we do not try to change our sinful ways, then we are fasting in vain.
Today is the first Friday of Lent. We are asked to abstain from eating meat. I always think that those that do not like meat should abstain from eating something else, because it really would not be a sacrifice to give up something that is not enjoyable in the first place. Whatever we decide to give up, let us offer that sacrifice to improve one thing in our life that needs a holy makeover. Let us place it at the foot of the cross.
Our blessed Mother, as she stood by the cross, wept and cried upon seeing her Son suffering because of our sins. Forgive me, Mother, for the tears you have shed because of me.
We need to spend some quiet time with Jesus asking Him forgiveness for that one thing that is keeping us from getting closer to Him.
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