Isaiah 58:1-9 / Matthew 9:14-15
This is the fast I want: “Share your bread with the
hungry.”
Under the listing of “Dog” in the yellow pages of the
Evanston, Illinois, telephone directory there is an ad for American Pet Motels.
Here are some of the services these kennels provide for their clients’ pets. Deluxe
and imperial suites FM music in every room Beauty salon Senior citizens’ care
plan Daily cookie breaks When the initial humor of the ad fades, we suddenly
realize that we take better care of our pets than we do of the poor.This is the kind of thing God confronts us with, through
the prophet Isaiah, in today’s reading.
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What are we doing toward feeding the hungry, sheltering the
homeless, clothing the naked? “If a free society cannot help the many who are
poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” John F. Kennedy
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In the Roman Catholic
Church, there are only two obligatory days of fasting. One is on Ash Wednesday,
which was just two days ago, and the other is on Good Friday. Yet the Church
encourages the faithful to embrace this spiritual discipline of fasting
especially during this season of Lent, and especially on Fridays.
This spiritual
discipline of fasting is not just a religious or pious act but rather one that
expresses a deep longing for conversion and repentance and for the healing
grace of the Lord. It is because we see how detestable our sins and
transgression is that we pray and fasting is indeed a form of prayer.
Also when we see sin
and evil happening around us, like oppression of the poor and violence on the
weak, injustice and deceit, then all the more we must pray and fast. For the
sin and the evil in the world, and even in the Church, let us take seriously
our prayer and the discipline of fasting.
Then when we cry out to the Lord,
He will answer; when we call out to Him, He will answer: I am here.
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FRIDAY AFTER ASH
WEDNESDAY - LITURGY
WHY FAST?
Introduction
People in the Old Testament ask: What is the use of fasting?
God seems not to be near when they fast. The prophet tells them because real
fasting consists in justice and love. Since God has made a covenant with his
people, that covenant comprises also justice and love from one person to the
other. In the gospel the disciples of John, who fasted, were asking the
disciples of Jesus why these didn’t fast. In other parts of the gospel Jesus
gives an answer similar to that of the prophet, but now Jesus said that because
he has come and is with his disciples, they should rejoice rather than fast.
Opening Prayer
Lord of the Covenant,
we have not to fear your judgment
if like you we become rich in mercy
and full of compassion for our neighbor.
May we not only know that you ask us
but practice with sincere hearts to
share our food with the hungry and to
loosen the bonds of injustice, that
through us your light may shine and your
healing spread far and wide. Be with us
in your goodness. We ask this through
Christ our Lord.
Commentary
There is room for fasting in our lives now that the
bridegroom has gone to the Father. Sackcloth and ashes? Fine as far as they go,
but Isaiah points out that they are not the heart of the matter. We can go
through as many penitential practices as we wish, but as long as people are
suffering around us, such practices mean very little. We may think that the age of collective
charity and justice is past. But personal experience tells us otherwise. There
are Catholic hospitals that have never in their history turned a patient away
for lack of money or insurance. When a
piece of national legislation threatened to make assistance to illegal
immigrants a felony, the cardinal of America’s most populous diocese said that,
if such legislation passed, he would direct his priests to disobey it. There are moments in our lives that call for
true Christian courage. There are times when it is necessary “to obey God
rather than men.” The task cannot simply be left to others. We are called to
bring personal support to the disenfranchised. One cannot read the daily papers
without being struck by some human need in some part of the world. There are
religious organizations equipped to respond quickly to worldwide catastrophe.
They offer us the opportunity to respond.
“Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your
house.” This is the call of the prophet. If we do, “your vindicator shall go
before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.” Yes, fasting is appropriate, as the
bridegroom has left. But, in another sense, he is still with us, urging us on
to comfort our brothers and sisters, the needy of the world.
Points to Ponder
A Lenten priority: responding to need
Caring for the sick poor
Gospel over law
Intercessions
– For a Church that is concerned that no one is trampled
upon or exploited, we pray:
– For the leaders of nations, that they may being justice to
their people and care for the poor, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may have eyes, ears and hearts for
people in need, also for those who try to hide that they are distressed and
poverty-stricken, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God of mercy and compassion, you have invited us at the
table of your Son, that we may learn from him to share our food and ourselves with
everyone in need. Do not allow us ever
to forget how good you have been to us and how you let Jesus raise us up from our selfish greed. Let his love grow and shine among us, for he
is our Lord for ever.
Prayer after
Communion
Merciful God, we are seeking you and we want to be close to
you. Accept our thanks that you let us
find you in the lively, challenging word of Jesus and in his presence among us as
our food and drink of life and joy. Make
us bring him especially to people who suffer and are in need. Let this be the way we ourselves find healing
and compassion, through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Jesus wants to stay with us as the source of our life and
our joy. May we recognize his presence among us in the weak and the victims of
injustice. May God bless you for this task, the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
