To mark Ash Wednesday yesterday, our local paper included a large article on Lent in the feature section, which is pretty good in and of itself. They interviewed both Catholics and Protestants to see how the observe the season, but I’m not quite sure everybody gets it.
For one thing, the Catholic priest they interview misses the point of fasting: “The practice of fasting, he said, can also go beyond food to perhaps include a “fasting” from uncharitable thoughts or bad language.” I’m sorry, but fasting is when you give up something good as a sacrifice, not something you already shouldn’t be doing. You don’t fast from sin. Even things that aren’t sin, but still aren’t really good for you are probably not worthy objects of fasting. Lenten fasts are not supposed to be self-improvement workshops: “40 Days to a Smoke-Free You!” The fast, as worthily explained by one of our parish priests yesterday, is an opportunity to practice self-denial of a good, in order to gain mastery over our appetites and passions.
Interestingly, it’s the Congregationalist minister who recognizes that point.
“Is it a difficult thing that requires discipline or are you giving up something to lose weight, which can be looked at as pious?” she questioned. It’s time to look at our motivation.”
Unfortunately, I think she misses the point in others ways.
“If you look at Lent, it’s almost a minispiritual journey through life,” she said.
It’s not just almost a spiritual journey, and not just a em; it’s an actual spiritual journey through life. It’s funny how people today often describe things in metaphors and similes, i.e. “like” things, when they are in fact that thing. For example, “This beer is almost intoxicating.” No, in fact, it is.
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Sorry Dom, Church tradition does not bear you up on this on:
“Do not let your mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast by being free of materialism. Let the feet fast by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eyes fast by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful. Let the ear fast by not listening to evil talk and gossip. Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?”—St. John Chrysostom.
Well, yes and no. I see what Dom is saying. Giving up a “favorite sin” for 40 days implies it is okay to go back to it after Easter. My youngest thought he would give up poking his older sister in the ribs for Lent. Well, he is not supposed to do that in the first place. Instead of just avoiding this annoying activity, I asked him to also concentrate on doing at least one nice thing everyday for his sister. Yes he is fasting from that impish pleasure a little brother gets from annoying his sister.But he is also concentrating on true expressions of brotherly love.
The problem is that the way many practice the faith is stuck in a time warp. There are many intelligent people who have highly-sophisticated world views and exhibit great wisdom especially in their profession and areas of expertise. Yet these same people give up candy for Lent and so approach the season with all the sophistication of a teenager.
A more mature approach is the one that St. John gets at in Fr. Carr’s comment. Lent is an opportunity to instill good habits because good habits lead to virtue. In this sense lent is a self-improvement workshop but one that should not end at Easter. For example, if you are given to sloth, taking up running may be one Lenten practice that helps you overcome the vice.
Why would anybody sacrifice a good? Certainly on one level, giving up a pleasure is a good discipline and some mastery is gained over the appetites and passions. However, you get out what you put in—give up a trivial pleasure and you’ll gain trivial mastery.
You can go back further than John Chrysostom – to Isaiah 58:5-11. It begins with ashes and ends with water – perfect for the Lent-Easter cyle.
“Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed, and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
“This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.
“Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
“If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.”
That’s conversion and metanoia, i.e. repenting of sin, which is different from sacrifical fasting, which is intended to tame the appetites and build habits of self-mastery.
Both the Isaiah and Chrysostom quotes are saying that before you offer sacrifice make sure you’re repenting and converting first. Someone who gives up chocolate for Lent, but keeps right on in their everyday sins, e.g. fornicating, or ignoring the works of mercy is doing nothing worthwhile spiritually for themselves.
In discussing Lent with our 10 year old, he stated he would give up chocolate and computer games with Lent. After a hard day, my wife chimed in that she was giving up cooking and cleaning around the house.
My son then stated he would give up school. With the bandwagon rolling, I decided to give up work for Lent.
peace