Reflection On Mathew 9: 14-15

Jesus endorses the spiritual value of fasting. A clear warning though is given in today’s liturgical readings that fasting is not to be done just for the sake of saying that you’ve done it. The purpose of fasting is for achieving a certain goal – an improvement in our interior life. We have to fulfill our basic duties to God before fasting will do any good. To fast and yet neglect these more fundamental responsibilities would be to fast in vain. First of all we must have faith in our hearts. Then we must perform works of mercy and practice justice in our dealings with our neighbors. And all of these are to be done in an overall spirit of Christian love. This mode of spiritual thinking and decent living must be present first. Otherwise, everything else we do of a religious nature will be of little account. Are we needlessly oppressing others by our words, habits or suspicions? If we want God to smile upon us, we must first release our captives. Then we will be ready to move on to other more advanced levels of spirituality. Perhaps at this point we find ourselves unable to fast in a way which is truly pleasing to God. If that is the case, Lent is an excellent time to reform. It is a season of many graces.
There is a wrong perception that Christian life is a difficult one because the Master wants all his followers to follow the way of the cross. Therefore, Christianity is often considered a religion of crosses and a Christian should not be enjoying life here on earth.  But in reality our religion proposes just the opposite. Ours is a religion of ‘God with us’, and we are to be a people of joy, a people of celebration for the bridegroom. Jesus is with us forever. A Christian can’t be but joyful and celebrating if he has the real sense of the presence of God; the n, for a Christian, all the fasting and penance become only a means towards that ultimate celebration.
We seem to prefer feasting and fasting. Marriage feast, banquet, bridegroom – such are the images we love to use to depict life in our kingdom. We enjoy attending marriage parties and feasts. Partying with the Pharisees offers us occasions to convey our message. We chose the context of a festive dinner to give the supreme gift of one. We are delighted to realize that we are not averse to our human joys; think present in our human observations. Let us seek Lord’s help to delight in sharing fully our moments of joy. Let us believe that our feastings and celebrations are not alien, but closely linked to the eternal banquet of His kingdom also not mistaken this season austerity, severity and mourning but season of full of love and joy.
Questions to ponder:
How do you elaborate the idea on question of fasting?
What is your opinion on feasting and fasting? What is more important?



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