HOMILY FOR FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY.
THEME: When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast.
BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Isaiah 58:1-9
Psalm 50:3-6,18-19
Matthew 9:14-15
*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
PURPLE
*FROM THE GOSPEL READING*
In today’s gospel, the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast while they fast. He says that they do not fast because He is with them. In other words, Jesus puts things in their proper perspective. The reign of God in His very own person is calling us to rejoice and celebrate the unfathomable generosity and love of God that is manifested in Jesus’ presence among us. But today He is no longer with us physically, we have to fast as this is the thing we do for God.
*FASTING*
Fasting, like praying and almsgiving, is a legitimate spiritual discipline to be practiced in private between a Christian and the Lord. How often we practice it is not prescribed because that too is between the believer and Christ. But for us Catholics, we are required to fast twice a year and that is during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and all the other Fridays of the year. When we desire to seek God’s face more than we want to eat is the proper time to fast.
RELATED: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
*FASTING IN THE BIBLE*
In the Bible we can find several purposes for fasting, somebody said. It is part of the discipline of self-control; it is a way of sharing that we depend on God alone and draw all our strength and resources from Him; it is a way of focusing totally on Him when seeking His guidance and help and of showing that we really are in earnest in our quest; it is also, at times, an expression of sorrow and deep repentance, something that a person or community will do in order to acknowledge failure before God and seek His mercy.
*CONCLUSION*
We tend to think of fasting as less eating of food. But we can fast from anything else. Like for example: if we love music and decide to miss a concert in order to spend time with God this is fasting. Another example is when, as friends, we need to be together, we will cancel all other activities in order to make this get together possible. There’s nothing magical about fasting. This is just one way of telling God that our priority at the moment is to be alone with Him, sorting out whatever is necessary that we have cancelled the meal, party, concert or whatever else we have planned to do in order to fulfill this priority.
Have a Blessed Fasting and happy weekend.
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