Prayer and Fasting

June 15, 2016 Wednesday 11th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 2 Kgs 2: 1. 6-14Gospel: Mt 6:1–6, 16–18

Jesus said to his disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full. If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you.“When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret will reward you.”

(Daily Gospel in
the Assimilated Life
Experience)

Television Medical Journalist Michael Mosley and Journalist Mimi Spencer had introduced this much-talked-about dieting scheme throughout Great Britain. This allows figure-conscious people to eat voraciously for five days but binds them to a meager 600-calorie intake for the remaining two days of the week (Inquirer, 18 June 2013). This 5:2 diet that Mosley and Spencer propose in their book “The Fast Diet” is just one of the many fasting programs designed in recent years. Most of these schemes are either for health or good looks purposes. Do people still fast for spiritual reasons?

All Jews were required to fast on the Day of Atonement. “By everlasting ordinance, it shall be a most solemn Sabbath for you, on which you must mortify yourselves.” (Lev.16: 31). This was the only fast Moses prescribed but overzealous Jews began fasting twice a week. The Pharisees exaggerated the practice to flaunt their holiness and to win the admiration of the public.
Fasting is too taxing to the body to be performed for mundane reasons. It will only be worth all the sacrifices if by fasting our souls are disposed to prayer and charity. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:[email protected].
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