WHY DO WE FAST.

In the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are made to understand that we are blinded by many things in this life. We are blinded by inordinate desires (greed, envy, lust, gluttony,…) sins (sin makes us blind), bad habits (drinking, pornography, swearing,…), riches (money, talents,…), and pleasures. Therefore, we need to fast in order to see. Today we will see how fasting can protect us from our enemies: “The message was brought to Jehoshaphat: “A great multitude is coming against you from across the sea, from Edom; they are already in Hazazon-tanar” (which is En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was frightened, and he hastened to consult the Lord. He proclaimed a fast for all Judah. Then Judah gathered to seek help from the Lord; from every one of the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court, and he said: LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand is power and might, and no one can withstand you… We are powerless before this vast multitude that comes against us. We are at a loss what to do, hence our eyes are turned towards you.” All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their young sons. And the spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaniah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the clan of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly, and he said: “Listen, all of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! The LORD says to you: “Do not fear or lose heart at the sight of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:2-12, 15). Again we fast to avoid the anger of God after we commit a grave sin: “Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do them; he did not carry it out.” (Jonah 3:1-10). We fast before we go for the mission: Jesus fasted for forty days before he began his mission. You can fast before you set peace between your cousins or neighbors. You can fast before you bring peace and love among people.