THE WORD
Is 58,1-9 / Mt 9,14-15
Then the disciples of John approached him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast”
IN OTHER WORDS
I remember one time I was asked by a chubby lady parishioner about fasting. She said, since she became health-conscious, she had been into fasting, foregoing meals and abstaining from unhealthy food. While Christians are asked to fast during Lent, the practice was no longer a novelty for her as fasting was already part of her daily routine.
To fine-tune her idea of fasting, I said that in the Scriptures, fasting is always connected to prayer. When the faithful of the Old Testament would petition to God on something they would fast. If they would like to express repentance for sins committed, they would fast. That is why fasting is connected to prayer. When the faithful fast, they pray. In her case, she did not pray while fasting, so she was not fasting per se. She was just on a diet. The simple but important difference between fasting and diet is PRAYER.
In our gospel today, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees about the practices of his disciples. Following tradition, they were supposed to fast like the Pharisees. But, Jesus was quick in responding to their question. “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” He defended the actions of his disciples by referring to the wedding feast. What is the connection of the wedding feast to fasting? Jesus was trying to point out to the Pharisees that there was always time for everything. There is time to fast and time to feast. He was telling them that his presence commanded a celebration. With Jesus in our midst, Christians should be feasting not fasting. Like the Eucharist, His presence is a celebration. To go to Church especially on a Sunday is to celebrate together with the community. It is always a feast.
“When the bridegroom is taken away, then they will fast.” The season of Lent is a preparation for the great celebration of Easter. We journey with the Lord in his suffering and death. We all know that the death of the Lord is not the end. The Paschal mystery tells us that he suffered, died and rose again. His resurrection was a special event that changed human history.
Preparing to meet an important person or anticipating an important occasion or event comes in
different ways. In the case of meeting the Lord in his resurrected body, we have to prepare inwardly, spiritually, one which entails little sacrifices like fasting with fervent prayer. But to stop there will not complete our being a Christian. A perfect preparation for Easter is to add almsgiving to fasting and prayer. We share what we have to others especially to the last, the least and the lost in society. These are the three pillars of our Christian faith.
- Fr. Renato Tampol, SVD | CT, Manila
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
