On Fasting

Yesterday, we were speaking on fasts. Fast is to abstain from all or some kind of foods or go hungry to deny oneself. The rationale behind a fast is as important as the fast itself. If the fasting, from denying oneself turns into say, gaining oneself such as gaining for oneself a toned body or losing weight before the wedding or a ramp walk, then the same fast becomes a diet.


We have talked about the ontology of a fast. Now let us get on to rationale of a fast. I am a catholic and suffering is a fundamental element of Christianity. Jesus suffered for each one of us in the world and his suffering, redeemed. Anytime there is redemption, there is an element of suffering involved. Whether you redeem your brother who is unable to pay off his dues or you apologize on behalf of your mischievous son. There is always ‘denying’ in redemption. But look what Christ’s redemption did? It brought salvation to mankind. So we are asked to be like Christ and participate in this redemption by ourselves redeeming others and being the instrument of God in the lives of others. This will entail lot of suffering, don’t you think?

Fasting is based on the same lines of denying. While suffering in general, is hidden in the role a Mother plays for his son late into midnight checking on his temperature, fasting is a direct love. In the mother’s case, love is explicit and suffering is implicit. In fasting, the choice of suffering is may be explicit but is motivated by love. Christians fast to share the pain of the cross as Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus to carry the cross. Christians fast to tell Jesus, “Lord, you died for my sin, surely lord, I can give up my desire for coffee today for you”

Every form of Love requires an expression. The Romeo does it by climbing a perilous hilltop or idly waiting at the bus stop for an hour. There is suffering involved here too. But he is not concentrating on suffering but on love. Love motivates him to do it. What he is trying to say by buying an expensive diamond that cost him two months’ salary and his own bike is: I love you. The faithful do it by a fast. What they are trying to tell God is that, “Look, I love you, I am denying my desire for you. I have to die to my desire and I want to show you, I can go this far for you simply because love motivates me to do that,”