True Fasting

All this week we are reminded that we have come to the midpoint of Great Lent. It is a milestone as such and an important time for us to look at our efforts, at our progress or lack thereof. But it is equally important to look at the quality and type of fasting we have done. Have we followed the guidelines set before us, or even a bit more? Have we been able to perhaps stay away from that one thing we gave up that we enjoy so much? Yet, in truth, there is much more to fasting that giving up food or pleasure.

St. John Chrysostom, in one of his homilies, tells us the following: "For a true fast, you cannot fast only with your mouth. You must fast with your eyes, your ears, your feet, your hands, and all parts of your body.

What powerful words for us during this Lenten struggle. If we have been truly making the effort to follow our fast over these last few weeks, we have certainly begun to see a change in our lives. No, with the power of fasting with us, we can begin to effect this change in our daily habits, of what we look at, of what we listen to, of where we go, of what we do. The Christian life is lived by our whole bodies, not simply by our minds or our hearts. We must fast, pray and worship with all of our being. Over the next few days we will examine each of these things in St. John's words more fully to help us understand the true nature of fasting. For today, let us try to pay attention and really understand what we do, what we say, what we hear and where we go.