Mt 9:14-15
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Why Do We Fast?
The first thing that comes to mind when I read this passage from Matthew is that when we are in the presence of Christ, we must respond, and that response will take energy and strength. If we are fasting, we may lack that energy or strength. Jesus needed the disciples to be strong for him. He needed them to be with him in his public ministry just as he needs us to spread his Gospel message each and every day. That is one way I find myself responding to this passage.
Another way is to simply look at what or who is calling us to fast. Why do we fast? We fast in response to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. We fast out of our love for him and in response to his love for us. As Jesus responds to the Pharisees, he foreshadows this reality. That is why we fast today. However, we must not let fasting be an excuse to not respond to the needs of our faith and our relationship with Jesus.
Amen.
—Ed DeVenney is a campus minister at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland.
Prayer
Lord, as we enter this Lenten journey of fasting and prayer, help me to remember that I do all of this for you, so that I may grow closer to you each day. Help me to prepare to stand before you at the foot of the cross, trusting in your infinite love for me. Amen.
—Jesuit Prayer team