Why do We Fast and Abstain?

The season of Lent is upon us, and we Catholics begin preparing to commemorate the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church begins our preparation to join him on his journey to Calvary. The church scene becomes somber and more intense, and such terms as contrition, conversion, penance, almsgiving, fasting, and abstinence dominate the liturgy.

Fasting is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and the New Testament. In the Old Testament Moses and Elijah fasted forty days before going into God's presence (Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8). Anna the Prophetess fasted to prepare herself for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 2:37). They all wanted to see God, and they considered fasting a basic prerequisite. We, too, wish to enter God's presence, so we fast.

In the New Testament, Jesus himself fasted (Matthew 4:2). And Jesus expected his disciples to fast (Mt 9:14-15) and issued instructions for how they should do so (Mt 6:16-18). And since he needed no purification, He surely did this to set an example for us. In fact, he assumed that all Christians would follow his example. "When you fast," he said, "do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting" (Matthew 6:16). Note that he did not say, "If you fast," but "when." The Apostles continued to fast, long after Jesus' resurrection and Ascension (see Acts 13:2-3 and 14:23).

Fasting and abstinence are Church-imposed penitential practices that deny us food and drink during certain seasons and on certain days. These acts of self-denial dispose us to free ourselves from worldly distractions, to express our longing for Jesus, to somehow imitate his suffering.

Abstinence traditionally has meant not eating meat and, for centuries but no longer, included meat by-products. Catholics never have been compelled to eat fish on days of abstinence, but rather, to avoid meat. While abstinence refers to the kind or quality of food we eat, fasting refers to the amount or quantity of food consumed. It is contrary to the spirit of abstinence and fasting if we avoid steak but pile our plate high with fish.

Pope Clement XIII in 1759 said that "penance also demands that we satisfy divine justice with fasting, almsgiving and prayer and other works of the spiritual." The purpose of our fast is to not become physically weak or lose weight but to create a hunger, a spiritual void that only Christ can fill; in fasting from the heart, we express our love of God and acknowledge our sinfulness. Though unworthy, we pray our sacrifices will be acceptable to the one who suffered and gave his life and blood for us.

The Bible spells out specific spiritual benefits of fasting. It produces humility (Psalm 69:10). It shows our sorrow for our sins (1 Samuel 7:6). It clears a path to God (Daniel 9:3). It is a means of discerning God's will (Ezra 8:21) and a powerful method of prayer (8:23). It's a mark of true conversion (Joel 2:12).

Fasting does not only consist in avoiding or limiting our intake of food and drink. Rather it should lead us to a firm rejection of sin and selfishness. Pope Francis urges us to do this. He said:

• Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
• Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
• Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
• Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
• Fast from worries and have trust in God.
• Fast from complaints; contemplate simplicity.
• Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
• Fast from bitterness; fill your hearts with joy.
• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate.
• Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
• Fast from words; be silent and listen."

We fast, that is, we voluntarily endure hunger, so that we may also feel the pains and sufferings of our poor brethren who do not have enough food to eat. In this way we become more compassionate towards them and do something substantial to help them. We eat less so that the poor can eat more.

Fasting helps us to be detached from the things of this world. We fast, not because earthly things are evil, but precisely because they're good. They're God's gifts to us. But they're so good that we sometimes prefer the gifts to the Giver. We tend to eat and drink to the point where we forget God. St. Paul said of certain people, "their god is the belly … with minds set on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19). We want to be able to enjoy God's gifts without ever forgetting the Giver. Fasting is a good way to start.