DAILY HOMILIES #fasting

If we humans get put off by persons who simply pretend to be our friends when we get to discover their hidden agenda, how much more is God who sees everything; who knows what we do in secret? Jesus wants us to replace our people-centered worship with God-centred worship; to replace eye service with God-service; to become secretive with good deeds rather than evil deeds. We don’t have to announce goodness before people to be rated highly by them but we must ensure that the things we do in our secret places attract the loudest applause of God.

When we fast, we involve our whole body in prayer. Fasting helps us to silence the noises around us and feel the real hunger of our souls which is the hunger for God. When we fast, we face our fears, we realize we can survive without certain things, and we become aware of the inner power that we possess over food, luxury, or that which we had depended on for so long.

Lent invites us to conversion, to a change in mindset, so that life’s truth and beauty may be found not so much in possessing as in giving, not so much in accumulating as in sowing and sharing goodness.

Fast from selfishness, fast from self-centeredness, leave your comfort zone, visit the poor, the lonely, the oppressed, those who have nowhere to stay or cannot afford to buy clothes, and help as much as you can.

The more I repent and leave my sins behind, the brighter my future will be. Who knows what calamities I could have attracted to myself due to my sins?

Jesus says to us: “I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46).

It beats my mind that Jonah didn’t even ask them to repent. He didn’t say “change your evil ways. Be good children of God. Stop sinning, etc.” Jonah just went about the city announcing doom and destruction: “Only forty days from now and Nineveh would be destroyed…”

While Mark does not give us so much detail, he mentions the fact that “angels ministered to Jesus.” When we face temptations, we must never forget to call for help from above. In every temptation, there are angels at your side waiting to celebrate when you say “no” to the devil. Call them to help you; never trust in your own strength. To win the battle against sin, prayer is non-negotiable.

We should never be discouraged to carry out this type of fasting because as much as it is a huge risk to help others, it is even a greater risk to care only for yourself. Do you remember the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus? Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)

No matter what the past has been, now is the time to return back to God and this return must take place in your heart, not merely in your external appearance.

In our Gospel passage today, Mark tells us that Jesus began his public ministry by preaching saying: “This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” In other words, “today is all we have, this is the time, repent now and believe the Gospel.” In our first reading, we see a very similar message being preached by Jonah to the people of Nineveh: “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” In other words, there is no time, we cannot postpone repentance otherwise, we shall be destroyed. Even our Second reading today contains the same message: “The appointed time has grown very short…”