Lenten Fast

Okay, so I admit it right up front. I’m not a fan of fasting. In fact, it’s my least favorite thing that I’ve had to participate in since becoming Catholic.

Truth is, I suffer from low-blood sugar. Which basically means that if my sugar levels drop too low, I get cranky. My hands shake. I get cranky. I feel woozy. I get cranky. My legs turn to rubber. I get cranky. You get the picture…

Now I’m usually a fairly level person when it comes to moods. My moods don’t tend to swing to either extreme – giddy or grumpy. But when my sugar drops, watch out.

Now I know that fasting is an extremely important spiritual discipline. If Jesus did it, it must be important. I’ve talked with others who practice fasting and they seem to get a lot from the practice. Do they get cranky? They don’t tell me that they do, unless they are hiding that one small detail…

I have read several books or chapters of books dealing with the discipline of fasting. I read them, I say, ‘yup, got that.’ And then I go about my merry way…

When I returned from pilgrimage to Medjugorje, I said to myself, “Guess I’ll start fasting, ‘cause our Blessed Mother asks us to do so.” That was in 2005 and I’m still trying to start. Or not even to start, just to think about starting…

The Catholic Church calls for a day of fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and to abstain from eating meat on all Fridays of the Lenten season. I have no issues with giving up meat once in a while. Not a problem. But this year, I totally forgot that it was even Ash Wednesday at all until I thought about my evening plans and remembered that I had to go to Holy Mass. So, needless to say, I had not fasted nor abstained from meat all day. In fact, I had a roast beef sandwich for lunch! Guess I’ll need to go to Reconciliation right away….

So then I thought, “Well, Ash Wednesday doesn’t technically start until you receive your ashes, right?” Okay, so I know I’m justifying my actions here, but what else can I do? What’s done is done…

So here’s what I’ve decided about Lenten fasting: I do need to fast. Jesus and Mary both ask us to do so. So...

I will pick up the Lenten fast today (Friday) and abstain from meat. I’ll also limit my daily intake of food and ‘give up’ certain favorite items…On Fridays I’ll stick to tuna fish, salads, cottage cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. Except that that’s not much of a sacrifice as I do enjoy those foods…

I guess this is where the real quandry lies: Abstaining from meat or eating only two small meals on a fasting day (as prescribed by Church law) is not much of a sacrifice. I would feel like I’m cheating God if I ate at all on a fasting day; yet the Church clearly allows two small meals (added together they should not be as much as a normal meal.)

So, as my Pastor said last week, don’t think of Lent as a time to just ‘give up’ something but as a chance to ‘do’ something for God that you might not ordinarily do, such as visiting our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration more frequently, praying an extra Rosary, or visiting someone who is alone. If fasting is not on your normal agenda, then starting to fast now would be a good thing; a sacrifice for God. This seems much more in line with what Lent should be all about. Giving back to Jesus what He so generously gave to us – Himself.