In my family, the weeks preceding Easter compel us to practice the ancient Christian tradition of fasting.
Before you call us crazy or give us too much credit, you should understand that our ‘fasting? is relegated to the somewhat simpler idea of ‘giving something up for Lent.?
It’s not easy, as I’m sure my sugar-addicted 16 year old daughter would tell you. I ended up eating my ice cream in the closet last week for fear that she would never forgive me eating sweets in front of her. (Guess what she gave up?)
Fasting from food and drink for long periods of time seems much more difficult. I am always fascinated and impressed by the Muslim tradition of fasting during Ramadan, which involves absolutely no eating or drinking from sun up to sun down for an entire month!
We don’t go that far; still, any act of self-restraint has traditionally been considered virtuous in all the world religions. I’m good with that.
With many people today believing that the goal in life is to always be happy and free of all discomfort, I believe the concept of fasting as penance can help us to understand that suffering can be beneficial. For Christians, this speaks deeply to the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.
In our society, the act of self-restraint seems ludicrous. Why, some ask, do our faith traditions promote the idea of restricting pleasure?
After all, isn’t being happy the most important thing?
Not necessarily.
Did you know that nearly a third of the 562,000 Americans who will die from various types of cancer in 2010 will die in large part because of their own behavior?
Smoking, overeating, excessive drinking and physical inactivity will do them in. The same self-indulgences also bear on those who will die from heart disease. Perhaps our faith tradition of fasting and self-restraint are making us happy after all.
My experience has taught me that self-restraint done consciously as a Lenten practice does more than promote the virtue of discipline or good physical health. It has a spiritual outcome as well.
Any kind of fasting can teach compassion if it is taken to prayer. It’s easy to talk about the world’s problem of hunger and to feel sorry that millions of people go to bed hungry each day.
But not until one feels hunger in one’s own body is there a real impact; empathy is much stronger than pity. It is also more Christ-like.
Another idea is to restrict yourself from some pleasure and distribute the money you save to someone who needs it more.
The point is, one shouldn’t ‘give something up? just for the sake of proving to someone else that you can do it. (Let alone just to lose weight!)
Rather, in the spirit of compassion and empathy, practicing some form of self-restraint can lead to solidarity with others who suffer.
Try it yourself during these last days of Lent, and I promise the joy of the Easter Resurrection will mean more than ever!
Cheryl Smith is director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Daniel Catholic Church.