Joke: Why can’t muggers catch Catholics during Lent? Because they fast!
We’re definitely asked to fast during Lent. But what about outside of Lent?Matthew Kelly in his book, Rediscover Catholicism, wrote, “fasting should be part of our everyday spirituality.”
WHHAAATT?!!
Yes, everyday!
But WHYYY?!
Matthew Kelly gives an answer: “Dominance of the soul. The will is strengthened and the soul is a little freer. In that one action you create an ounce of self-possession.”
While this is a true and great reason, Matthew Kelly, elsewhere provides an even better reason (in my opinion). He wrote,
“we practice fasting as a form of penance not because we want to punish ourselves or destroy ourselves, but rather to express sorrow for our moral failings and to be restored to wholeness.”
That’s the better reason, at least for me, as long as I’m on earth alive, I never want to feel or think that I’ve “arrived” at holiness. So I really like the idea of fasting everyday.
”that’s too much!”, you might say. “I’ll DIE if fast everyday!”
Well, it doesn’t have to be extreme fasting such as No Food and No Water for a whole day. Not even just water for a whole day. Not even 2 small meals and 1 regular meal a day. Matthew Kelly offers smaller examples of fasting:
”Suppose you have a craving for a Coke, but you have cranberry juice or a glass or water instead.”
”Your soup tastes a little dull. You could add salt and pepper, but you don’t.
”Give up coffee for a day.”
”Maybe you can’t even give up coffee for the whole day, maybe just for two hours.
The ways we can fast are endless! As we can see, they don’t have to be extreme (after all, we need the energy to do our vocations, such as at work well at our jobs or caring for our families). And fasting doesn’t always have to be about food. Matthew Kelly added, “you can fast from judging other, criticizing, cursing, or complaining, to name but a few.”
May we fast everyday, even if it’s a very small fast, so we can practice penance for our daily failings and to grow closer to our Lord!