Why do we fast?

CHRIST was once asked this question. The disciples of John
the Baptist and of the Pharisees wondered why they had to fast much
while those of Christ did not. (cfr Mt 9,14-15)

            The answer came immediately. “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.”

            I suppose Christ was referring to himself as the
bridegroom. In fact, in his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul referred
Christ as the groom of the Church, that is, us. (cfr 5,22-32)

            Christ can be regarded as the bridegroom who actually is
with us always, but also not yet fully with us, given our human and
temporal condition as of yet. We are still on our pilgrim way on earth
toward our eternal destiny in heaven where Christ will be fully with
us.

            That is why Christ can be considered somehow as not yet
with us, and that’s the reason why we have to fast. It is to train
ourselves to seek him. It is to make us realize we need him, and that
we actually will find our true and lasting joy with him. At the
moment, we are still kind of mourning, as Christ said, because we are
not yet fully with him.

            We have to be clear about the reason why we fast. We
should not just fast because we have been commanded to do so. We have
to fast because, especially at these times when we are easily carried
away by earthly pleasures, we need to sharpen our longing for Christ.

            Fasting has a dual effect. One is the passive or the
negative effect, which is that of disciplining ourselves—especially
our senses and our other bodily faculties. This is the self-denial
part. And the other is the active or the positive one, which is that
of honing our hunger for Christ. This is the following part, as
illustrated in the very words of Christ: “If any man wants to follow
me, he must deny himself, carry the cross, and follow me.”

            This two should go together, mutually affecting each
other. One without the other would distort the true character and
purpose of fasting.

           And nowadays, we have to understand that fasting should
not be limited to matters of food and drinks. It has to be extended
now most especially in the use of the many conveniences that we now
enjoy, like our new technologies, that have an effective way of
enslaving us and blunting our love for God and for others.

            We need to concretize our resolutions with regard to this
need for fasting. This may mean that we have to set aside our
cellphones from time to time, that we use the gadgets with clear
rectitude of intention, that we refrain from complaining when these
same gadgets give us problems as they often do also, etc.

            We have to understand that everyday, the element of
fasting as a sacrifice is actually a necessity to all of us.