Make your voice heard on high

 

Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high. [Isaiah 58:4]

On the first Friday of Lent, it’s natural to think about fasting.  On all Fridays of Lent we’ll abstain from meat, but it’s also traditional to undertake some form of fasting throughout all of Lent.  Maybe you’re giving up favorite snacks or drinks, gossip, or social media.  Maybe you’re trying to limit the amount of overtime work that cuts into family time.  But Isaiah invites us to take a deeper look at God’s purposes for fasting.  It’s not simply about strengthening our self-discipline.  It’s also meant to open us up to His love [Isaiah 58:1-9].

To put it another way, when we fast from something, we’re allowing God to free us for something else: for receiving and giving love more generously.  If you’re fasting from sweets, for instance, you’ll likely see how much you really want dessert.  When you fast from gossip or a sharp tongue, you’ll likely recognize how easy it can be to say hurtful words.  While fasting from social media, you’ll probably notice how often you reach for your phone.  All this will show you that we can’t fast on our own; we need God’s help.  And that’s when the Holy Spirit can soften our heart, both toward the Lord and toward the people around us.

So when you fast, let the Lord help you to grow in discipline.  But also invite the Holy Spirit to help your fasting be “for” a purpose that will bear fruit for Him.

If you’re fasting from eating out, prayerfully consider how you can use the money or time you’re freeing up.  Maybe you could take that dinner hour to bring a meal to an isolated or ailing neighbor.  If you’re fasting from a sharp tongue, ask the Spirit to give you words that will build people up instead of tearing them down.  Or if you’re fasting from activities that compete with family time, let the Holy Spirit show you a way to work together to build your faith or love for the poor.  Maybe you could do a weekend project at your parish or a local shelter. 

No matter how you choose to fast, let the Holy Spirit use it to help you to receive God’s love.  Then let that love spill out to the people around you.

“Jesus, help me grow in Your love this Lent.”