Although Jewish law required fasting only once a year, on
the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the
Pharisees practiced fasting twice a week as a mark of devotion. As a sign of repentance for their sins even
John the Baptist and his disciples kept these fast days as well. But when Jesus and his disciples are seen breaking
these weekly fast days, especially by feasting with sinners, he is criticized
by the Pharisees.
Jesus replies by evoking a very powerful Scriptural
image. In the Hebrew Scriptures, God revealed
his love for his chosen people as a spousal love—the love a bridegroom has for
his bride. Yet, Israel, over and over
behaves like an adulterous wife. God
speaks through Jeremiah the prophet saying: Like a woman faithless to her love,
even so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel.”
The Jews believed that the Messiah would one day come and
fully restore and realize the nuptial bond between God and his people. We hear this beautiful promise in the prophet
Hosea who says: “I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right
and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you
shall know the Lord.”
Jesus uses the criticism of the Pharisees to reveal something
amazing about his identity: he is the bridegroom. In a veiled way, Jesus is identifying himself
as the God who desires to wed his people, and His presence, walking among the
villages of Galilee, was a signal that Israel’s infidelities were about to be
washed away and the wedding covenant renewed once and for all.
One does not fast at a wedding feast. So his disciples don’t fast. But Jesus also hints forebodingly when the
bridegroom would be taken away.
We of course live in this period. The Church has rightly resumed the practice
of fasting, particularly during the season of Lent. Though every time we come to Mass, the
wedding feast, there is a little fast of one hour before receiving holy
communion.
But our fasting is very different than the fasting of the
Pharisees, whose fasting had devolved into empty custom. Our fasting is to be done to heighten and
intensify our prayer, as a way of preparing for the joy of the wedding banquet.
The fasting during the season of Lent prepares for the
celebration of the marriage of Jesus and the Church which occurs at Easter, and
we fast before receiving Holy Communion to prepare for the beautiful marriage of
Jesus and our individual souls.
In fasting, and in all of the practices of our spiritual
life, we seek not mere external observance but interior transformation, that
our souls may be opened to the great gifts God desires for us.
As our nation observes the civil holiday of Martin Luther
King Jr, let us seek the transformation of our hearts, that we can work for
authentic justice and peace between all people through the faithful preaching
and living of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
Petitions:
For leaders around world, that they might find ways to
bring an end to war and violence, and promote peace and development for all
nations, we pray to the Lord. . . .
For those who serve in elected office, and for all the
people of the United States, that we may be united in building a society in
which all people are treated with dignity, and God’s laws may be practiced in
freedom.
For the Church, that we may be a witness to Christ's love
by practicing charity and promoting justice and peace throughout the world.
For Catholics throughout our nation, that the values of
our faith may guide us as we exercise our civic responsibilities
For the safety of all those traveling to our nation’s
capital this week for the March for Life, for the success of their witness, for
the unborn, for an end to abortion and the Right to Life, that all people might
come to a deeper respect for human life from conception to natural death.
For all the needs of the sick and suffering…
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead…
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