HOMILY FOR FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY (1)

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

HOMILY THEME: OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS WITH FASTING

BY:Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

HOMILY:

(Mt. 9:14-15)
Friday After Ash Wednesday. (Day 3 of Lent)

In the day’s Gospel Jesus responds to the question of fasting. No doubt, both He and the Pharisees believed in the necessity of fasting. Jesus aptly defended why His disciples were not fasting.

Fasting is connected with patient waiting and preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah, Jesus, was already with them. Thus, no need to fast. There will be a time for that. That time will be when He leaves. That time is now. Thus, we need to fast.

Fasting helps is discipline our bodies for the good of the soul. Fasting helps us prove that we are not enslaved by physical needs. Material needs are the common instruments of the devil to temp us. In the hierarchy of temptations, it is the lowest yet the most effective.

Many succumb to material temptations. Thus, fasting is effective to counter it. Hopefully, fasting will help us avoid sin and humble us to repentance. Material fasting is not enough. Once we have conquer material temptations, the devil shifts to spiritual ones like pride, desperation, hate, envy, etc. These are harder to manage. It is always hard to manage our feelings and thoughts.

Fasting helps us focus on our spiritual weaknesses. With the right spiritual direction, we can discern the traps of the devil. By way of example, when I was still in the seminary, I remember a time when I was reviewing for my exams.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door from a fellow seminarian who invited me to join him in praying for his ailing mother. Praying and reviewing were both good things. Will I leave my reviewing and join him? Or should I join him and hope God will understand and help me pass? I had to discern which.

Finally, I thought that reviewing is God’s will for me at that particular instance while the other is not. The devil is shrewd. We must, too. Fasting helps a lot in those situations.

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