Let me be bluntly honest, fasting
during lent was a huge mystery to me as I grew up. It was not actually until I
was young adult that basically I got the idea of what fasting is like for a
Catholic. I’d like to share my experience as a Sarawakian Catholic who had to
go through lent in a place where it is; for the vast majority of people…do not
realize that fasting and abstinence is part of being Catholic. But to some
extent, even fellow Catholics I know are unaware of what actually is meant by
fasting and abstinence. Here’s a reference I made from http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/lent-in-the-catholic-church/
regarding fasting and abstinence.
“Fasting means to limit food to one full
meal a day with the possibility of two smaller meals (not adding up to a full
meal) as needed. Abstinence means not eating meat, although fish is allowed.”
Now, the requirements in terms of
food intake seem to be simple enough, but there is another aspect of lent that
is also very important, which is - to give something up. Either in the form of
giving alms or to give up certain bad habits one believes to be sinful and
impure to the soul.
Like for example, if you feel
like you are the type that just loves to gossip and spread negative stories
about others; then the attempt to reduce or diminish that habit, is part and
parcel of abstaining and giving up something during lent. Then as penance, one
tries to devote more time to God and towards doing more work or activities for
the church and for others. It is hoped that by using the Lenten season as a
springboard to make positive and Godly changes to one’s personal life…the
change will gradually be paved into one’s life even after the end of Lenten season.
When I was in primary school at SRB
St. Stephen, Bau I was lucky enough to have a headmistress named Sister Odilia
who reminded us every year about Lent and Easter. She would use simple examples
that kids would understand, like if you are always the type that craves for ice
cream…then try to reduce or stop eating ice cream for the whole of lent. She’d
tell us that if we were serious about changing our bad habits, we should also
pray to God to help us and keep us throughout Lent. So that when if you saw ice
cream, you can still say ‘no’ with God’s help through the Holy Spirit. She
reminded us that the ice cream is not the problem, but our daily cravings for
ice cream is bad for our health and when we do not take care of our health, it
means that we are not taking care of the human body that God has given to us.
What she taught us was just a
small scale of man’s sinful ways. Enlarge it to the adult scale, the ‘ice cream’
can turn into ‘money’ or ‘power’ or ‘ego’. All the things that can easily trigger
or influence us to be sinful to God and to our fellow man, note that I
emphasize the word ‘trigger’ because money does not sin…it is the heart’s of
men that ‘obsess’ over money that makes it a sin.
One thing that is unique about
the Catholic concept of fasting and abstinence is closely related to these
words in the Gospel (which is also the Ash Wednesday reading for this year):
When you are fasting, do not put on a
gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people
know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But
when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face, so that no one will
know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret;
and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. - Mt
6:1-6, 16-18
I only took these words to heart
many, many years after I left primary school. It was basically during the moment
when I was not in the comfort zone among Catholics that I realized the extent
of what Jesus meant through these words. It’s basically telling us to just
commit to our obligations of fasting and abstinence during lent but to not say
anything about it. Your attempt to fast, abstain, change and give something up
is your own personal – in fact, very personal – promise to God.
There is no real ‘how to guide’
to what makes the appropriate fast. There is just a minimum requirement set by
the church, like the obligation to fast and abstain from meat on specific days
during lent. However, there is no ‘religious police’ that’s going to go around
to maintain order and make sure everyone fasts the way they are suppose to. Why
is it not necessary? Because God wants you to choose and decide for yourself
that you want to make that change and commit to it. No man can judge you and
say you are doing it wrong or right. Take note of that. To try and act like a ‘religious
police’ seems contradictory to what is said in this part of the Gospel:
'Be careful not to parade your
uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward
from your Father in heaven.’ - Mt 6:1
At the end of the day, the
changes you make are meant to for you make yourself a better person and put
yourself closer to God. Remember, it is personal – to what extent you fast,
abstain, give something up and commit to any kind of penance…it is your commitment
to God. All you need to do, is to just do it and keep it hush, hush.
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