Slow Down and FAST

Fasting is a physical and spiritual challenge that was undertaken by many Biblical figures, including Moses (Matthew 34:28), and even Christ Himself (Matthew 4:2). To properly fast requires serious dedication and proper focus, and it has great spiritual rewards!

We are currently in the 40-day Nativity fast leading up to Christmas. This is an ideal time to reflect on your life, your actions, your surroundings, and your direction, and to prepare for confession and communion. Fasting from certain foods, namely, all animal products except for fish and seafood, is a constant reminder of the battle between mind and body. We are called to win this battle (Romans 6:12-14)!

Control of one’s body is another step toward the resistance of the sins, or pleasures, of the physical senses having to do with sound, sight, touch, smell and taste, which includes eating what we like! Looking at these five senses more closely, fasting also means controlling your sound, or your speech (Do you gossip? Do you lie? Do you shout? Do you tend to curse? Do you listen to filthy music or filthy humour?), what you see (Do you look at filthy material on the internet, do you read lust-ridden books, do you watch movies that you would not want to watch with a priest or with your children? These are indicators that they are not beneficial for you, either), what you touch (Are you in control of your hands and of your body, that they do good and serve God and not your own desires? Do you suffer from lust, or from violence?), and smell and taste (Do you control your lust for satisfaction through food? Do you fall into the sin of inhaling chemical substances to alter your mood? Many people suffer greatly from these habits, and many of them did not consider them to be a problem at first).

Do you control your body, or does it control you? God clearly tells us that our body is not ours but is given to us as a temple for The Holy Spirit to reside in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”.

God does not give us these guidelines to limit our pleasures, but to enhance the true joys and the true pleasures of life that can easily be masked by the demons of addiction, lust, desire, and even ignorance. Just as ignorance of the law is not exemption of the law, it pays to learn about your faith and about what God wants from you so that you can be sure you are properly serving Him and that you are in turn glorifying your own body and spirit, which He created and which belong to Him. Just as you would not want to be judged in a court of law, ensure that you have a clear conscious for the ultimate Judge.

God knows that the best way of living is to avoid the passions which often lead to very destructive behaviours and addictions. Catch those demons before they catch you. Try fasting this year. No one is expected to be perfect, but try and be an example for your spouse, for your children, and for the betterment of yourself.

Let’s focus on keeping His temple clean by practicing self-discipline so that we can enjoy the great gifts of life!

Biblical Reference: Romans 6:12-14

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Fasting can be a struggle. Share your experience, questions, frustrations and/or benchmarks in the comment box below!