Friday - February 24, 2023
Here is the difference between the joys of the world and the cross of Jesus Christ: after having tasted the first, one is disgusted with them; and on the contrary, the more one partakes of the cross, the greater the thirst for it.
- St. John of the Cross
TODAY'S READINGS
Friday after Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 221
Reading I
Is 58:1-9a
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
""Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?""
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Alleluia
R.Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory
Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you.
R.Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory
Gospel Mt 9:14-15
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast."
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What kind of fasting does God want?
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus seems to contradict the Church’s teaching about fasting for Lent. Consider that Jesus our “bridegroom” is with us every day in the Eucharist and in many other ways. The implication, then, is that Christians should never fast.
To understand what Jesus is really saying, notice how God describes fasting in the first reading.
There are two reasons to fast: One is to deny ourselves something we value, as an act of penance because of our sins, and the other is to provide to others something they value, as an act of love because of our holiness.
Fasting as a penance for our sins is beneficial. However, doing good deeds for others accomplishes much more than we gain by fasting from good meat, good candy, or good fun. Our sacrifices for Lent should benefit others, not just ourselves.
Walking with Jesus means that we fast the way he fasted. What did Jesus give up for Lent? His life!
His Lenten practices began when he went into the desert and resisted Satan’s temptations. Afterward, he gave up his old lifestyle for a new life of service. He gave up the comfort and familiarity of remaining in his own home. He gave up a good reputation when the persecutions began. He gave up his time in order to feed those who were hungry for his teachings. He gave up his own will when the Father asked him to do what he didn’t want to do.
But what about the need to improve our self-discipline and overcome selfishness by practicing self-denial? Isn’t this why the Church asks us to fast for Lent? Yes, and this is very important! This is our own desert experience. Jesus fasted from food and other physical comforts during his desert temptations.
When we want to overcome temptations, we should definitely fast to improve our self-discipline, but this is only the start. We are called to take our holiness out into the world. We are called to minister to others.
What’s the bottom line, the core reason for any of our sins? Lack of loving. If we knew how our sins would hurt others — if we could really envision all the damaging affects — we would feel too horrified to commit the sin. The problem is, we don’t take the time to examine how harmful our sins are until the deed is done and we experience its consequences.
The kind of fasting that God desires from us is proactive, not reactive. Doing good to others is a spiritual discipline that purifies us, increases the flow of love, and overcomes our selfishness without anyone getting hurt.
Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus, may my sacrifices strengthen my union with You and with my brothers and sisters. May we all experience the joy of Your loving presence. Amen.
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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