Fasting During Lent

My mom and dad are involved in organizing something called “The 40 days for life.” This is an activity involving prayer, concern, fasting, outreach, and vigil -- during the 40 days of Lent. This will take place in front of the Planned Parenthood facility in Bremerton, WA, during its hours of operation. This is such a wonderful event for their community. I hope that their event will be a catalyst for other “40 days for life” around Washington State and the whole country.

I spoke with my mom on the phone this morning. She was relating to me the importance of Lent as being a time of preparation for battle—And how often as Christians we go to fight the battle without the proper preparation and training.

I have never really thought about it this way… Upon meditating on her idea further, I thought about how crucial prayer, sacrifice, and fasting are in our Lenten journey (and in preparing for battle). Without these elements, Lent and Easter will likely have little impact on our souls. Jesus gave us different liturgical seasons that repeat year after year as opportunities to get back on track and radically conform our hearts to the will of His Father. When we pray, sacrifice, and fast… we are conforming our will to the will of God the Father. So Lent is kind of like a spiritual boot camp that prepares us to fight the good fight.

In the liberal Catholic Church today, I see many people using Lenten fasting as an opportunity to focus on third world countries around the world. I remember in my High school youth group, we did a 24 hour fast together and learned all about different cultures who were not as privileged as our own.

Please, do not misunderstand… I see the poor and underprivileged as people who need our love, compassion, care, attention, and physical/financial support. But I think that it is very seldom, that we as Catholics are catechized in the true meaning of fasting during Lent.

Because of this view on fasting, many people probably think “I am fasting to align myself with those who are hungry and starving.” Although this can be a good point to consider… I wonder if we fall back on that sentiment too often because that is what makes the most sense in our culture today. Fasting purely for love of God seems like a harder concept to grasp.

When Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast for 40 days—he was preparing for His Crucifixion and ultimate battle with Satan. He was not fasting so he could contemplate all of those who are hungry and have no food. He was fasting to maintain bodily control—so as to resist all temptations presented to Him.

I invite you to fast and sacrifice this Lent with me—for love of God. Let us focus on our spiritual “Drill Sergeant”—for He will train us for His purpose, so that we can successfully fight the good fight on all fronts: respecting all human life from conception to natural death, and leading those lives to heaven.

For this Lent I will be sacrificing the use of my computer, so I will not be able to publish any blogs until after Easter, but I do intend to write during Lent and post them later.

Peace be with all of you this Lent!

The Little Way

Upon the deepening of my convictions in the Catholic faith, reading about the Saints has greatly encouraged me along my faith journey. One such Saint is Therese of Lisieux. Her efforts in prayer led her to the philosophy of "the little way"--the idea that holiness is not determined by heroic acts or great deeds. She writes,

You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them.

I have learned much about myself over the years. I often find that my main fault is that I am always looking to the future for happiness and holiness. I remember when I was in community college I worried about where I was going after that. Then after deciding to go to Western Washington University- I worried about deciding on a major. And keep in mind through all of this, I would always worry about my vocation (as I am sure many do). I prayed for all of these worries… but my focus was always on what I should do in the future. Near the end of my college life, I met my boyfriend whom I love dearly. We have been together for almost 2 years now and I truly feel God calling me to the married life, but now this call has just led me to more worries. As I see that marriage is not in my immediate future, I sit here now and worry about what God has planned for me and what I should do when my lease ends in September...

I could go on and on about all of my worries, but that only feeds in to this mindset that I am trying to battle. St. Therese’s “little way” is my weapon in this battle. I find such consolation in the fact that holiness is a daily activity, it is not a thing of the future but of the here and now. It is my desire to embody this sentiment more: I desire to give each moment to Our Lord, trusting that He will take care of me. I do not need to worry.

For my blog, I have chosen the URL wolffia because this is a plant that produces one of the smallest flowers in existence. This is to remind me that I do not need to produce something great for Our Lord to be pleased with me, I just need to do what He wills me. St. Therese once said this prayer:

Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be- and becoming that person.

I leave you today with words from Christ himself (Think he was speaking directly to me?)

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Luke 12: 22-34