God is so very clear about the concept of fasting. This is the kind of fasting God wants:
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.
Other types of fasting are signs of our desire to do as God wants. They are attempts to realize that we need to do something to represent our interior desire to change our attitudes, behaviors and, or selfish choices. How will I fast today when, at work, my time is accounted for? Here are some suggestions:
- Making that telephone call to someone I have meant to check in on, be it a neighbor, relative or someone I have hurt and need to apologize to,
- Forgiving the person that hurt me, not just in thought, but in my words and deeds.
- Volunteering at a Soup Kitchen or dropping off a donation of food or money off on the way home from work.,
- Seeing what I may do to help shelter the homeless by calling a shelter in the area to see what there needs are,
- Donating gently used clothing to a local clothing / food pantry for the poor,
- Showing compassion, forgiveness and love to those with whom I live by doing something concrete for them when I go home.
It is good to refrain from eating desserts, candy, or other edible passions that I may have, but this is only the beginning of what I need to do. As adults we are called to fast as adults --- more than just fasting from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and every Friday in Lent.
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