Fridays in Lent

In the season of Lent, abstinence from meat is required of most Catholics on Fridays as a meditation on the mystery of the death of Christ. Abstinence in a 12 step program also means giving up the compulsive behavior associated with consuming a particular substance. 

Today's readings remind us of the reason why we fast (abstain, give up something). All power to perform the tasks our Christian baptismal promises require comes from the merits of the Cross. Our fasting helps us to enter into this mystery and to receive greater power to love. If we are fasting and become sad and depressed people who take it out on our brothers and sisters, we are of no use in building up the kingdom. 

True fasting = greater charity.

A friend of mine posted a link to a comical blog post satirically poking fun at this reality. If you give up meat just to eat a whole medium cheese pizza, are you really fasting? If you give up coffee and without it you are a bear, is it worth giving up the coffee? I tried that once. Never again. 

God grant me the power to carry out the fasts that you want me to undertake. Help me to enter into the real reason for fasting. Through this fast, make me love you and my neighbor more.