Ash Wednesday
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
WEDNESDAY, February 17th Mt. 6: 1-6, 16-18
Part 1: Introductory Points…
Part 2: TEN WAYS WE CAN PRACTICE FASTING by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Lent Begins with Prayer… Sacrifice… Alms-giving.
- Prayer: We pray more… giving more of ourselves and our time to grow deeper in love and friendship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Sacrifice: We deny ourselves for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for our sins and the sins of others. It is especially good to deny ourselves in areas where we are most tempted and prone to sin.
- Alms-giving: We give of our time, talents and treasure to bring Jesus to others in works of love and mercy. What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What more can I do for Christ?
- Our prayers, sacrifices, and alms are an acknowledgment that Almighty God is Creator and Master of all that we are and all that we have, except sin. The deepest and absolute truth of our being is that we belong to God. This is true for all creatures. Lucifer denied this truth, and he’ll exist for all eternity separated from God in a world of his own making.
- Jesus is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity become man. As our Lord and Savior, He completes us in a way that no one else can. We will experience Heaven on earth to the extent that we allow Jesus to take possession of our mind, our heart, our soul and our life! Jesus invites us, “Abide in me and I will abide in you!” To say No to self is to say Yes to Jesus and this Divine Invasion!
- Toward this end, let us go deeper in the Lenten practice of fasting.
PART 2: TEN WAYS WE CAN PRACTICE FASTING by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Jesus said: “Unless you do penance you will all perish.” (Lk. 13:3)
In the first preaching of His Public ministry Jesus exhorts us to conversion: “Be converted for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1:15) The Mystical Body of Christ generously offers us a season of grace which has, as its purpose, conversion every year. This is the forty days of Lent.
Moses fasted forty days on the Mountain and Jesus spent forty days in the desert fasting. The Church encourages us in the Season of Lent to dig deep into the inner recesses of our heart and beg for Conversion of Heart.
This conversion can become a reality by undertaking three traditional practices: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. (Mt. 6: 1-18) In prayer, we lift up our mind and heart to God; in almsgiving, we go out to meet the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters; in fasting, we dig deep into our heart and beg the Lord for the grace to relinquish our attachment to sin!
This being the case, what might be some concrete ways that we can practice fasting? An important note is the following: fasting is not merely a diet, with the simple desire to lose a few extra pounds. Rather, the purpose of fasting is to please God, convert our hearts, as well as beg for the conversion of others. In other words, fasting must have a supernatural intention that is both vertical and horizontal!
Ten Ways We Can Fast
1. Eat less and receive the most Holy Eucharist more.
By this practice, we give more importance to our spiritual life and the salvation of our soul. Jesus said: “Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. For on him the Father, God has set his seal.” (Jn. 6:27—Discourse on the Bread of Life)
2. Control your tongue.
Saint James says, “We should be slow to speak and quick to listen.” Read James, Chapter Three—one of the best exhortations in the world to work on controlling our tongue!
3. The Heroic Moment.
The Founder of Opus Dei coined the phrase, “The Heroic Moment”. By this, Saint Josemaria Escriva asserts that as soon as we hear the alarm clock sound, we should spring from bed, say our morning prayers and start our day. The devil of laziness encourages us to push the snooze-button! I do not believe the snooze-button exists in the vocabulary and practice of the saints. What do you think?
4. Control those wandering eyes.
The eyes are the mirror of the soul. The holy King David plunged into sin, then more sin leading to murder for the simple reason that he allowed his eyes to wander. His eyes wandered and gazed upon a married woman—Bathsheba. Adulterous thoughts led to physical adultery, to denial of his sin, and eventually to killing an innocent man—the husband of Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11-12) Let us strive to live out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)
5. Punctuality.
Jesus says, “He who is faithful in the small will be faithful in the larger things.” (Mt. 25:23) Being punctual and on time is a sign of order, respect for others, and a means to accomplish tasks well and on time.
6. Listen to others.
It is all too easy to interrupt others when they speak, and try to impose our own ideas even before the person has finished talking. Charity, which means love for God and for others, teaches us to respect others and allow them to speak without interrupting them. Listening to others is an act of humility—putting them before ourselves! Indeed, Jesus describes His Heart as meek and humble. (Mt. 11:28-30) “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto yours.”
7. Be thankful rather than complain.
Never allow a day to pass without thanking God. In truth, we should constantly be thanking God. All that we have, we received from God, except our sins! “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 118:1). Furthermore, we should make it a habit to frequently give thanks to others.
8. Smile, even when you don’t feel like smiling.
This indeed could be a great penance—to smile at somebody even when you are tired, have a headache, or a cold. A smile is something small, but it is contagious. Indeed, a sincere smile can lift those who see it from desolation to a state of consolation. One of the most evident signs of being a follower of Jesus is a smile of joy emanating from your face. “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4)
9. Pray always, especially when you don’t feel like it.
Many of us, unfortunately, base our spiritual life on feelings which are ephemeral, transitory, and passing like the dew that evaporates in the morning sun. Our best example for prayer is, of course, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Lk. 22:39-46) When Jesus was experiencing a mortal agony and desolation that drew huge drops of Blood from His pores, He did not feel like praying. Nonetheless, Jesus prayed all the more fervently.
Therefore, let us have a set time and place to pray every day, even when we do not feel like it. This is penance and true love for God! This is also a sign of true maturity in the faith!
10. Encouragement.
Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement”, accompanied Saint Paul in his missionary work. (Acts 4:36). Are we sons and daughters of encouragement? If not, let us get out of our egotistic shell and focus more on God and on seeing Jesus in others, imitating the Good Samaritan. (Lk. 10:25-37). Let us learn to be a Simon of Cyrene (Mt. 27:30) and help our brothers and sisters burdened by the weight of a heavy cross. Let us lighten it by encouraging words and a heart filled with love and compassion. Remember the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would like them to do to you.” (Mt. 7:12) In the storms of life, may our words of compassion and encouragement be a powerful wind in the sails of our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ!
IN CONCLUSION: Prayerfully read through these ten suggestions on how to fast by denying yourself, and choose at least one or two that you can start to practice right away. May Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel, help us to deny ourselves and echo Mary’s Yes by serving our brothers and sisters with a generous heart!
Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
