Fasting for Somebody

“Fasting for Somebody”
Lent 2009 – Day 3 (Feb 27)

By Deshi Ramadhani, SJ

I live with young Jesuit scholastics preparing for priesthood. Paraphrasing a popular song in Indonesia, one can say “Jesuits are human too.” For me personally, this time of Lent is always interesting. Somehow, interesting things always happen around the beginning of Lent. This year is no exception. It is said that on Ash Wednesday, one should fast. And so it is. But if you come to our house on Ash Wednesday (and I bet that this is true in any religious houses where the superior is not so strict with the younger members), you will be surprised that some of us are still awake until late. As the clock ticks close to midnight, some would gather in our dining room. One after another, they would look inside the fridge with brighter eyes. When finally it is 00:00, you can guess what happens. Yes, they suddenly become so fast in…putting some “forbidden” food into their mouth. Ash Wednesday is over, and so legally at midnight, the rule of fasting automatically ceases. I am always marveled by this: because of fasting, during the day they become so so so slow, but at midnight they suddenly become so so so fast. I wonder if I am allowed to call this “the miracle of fasting the Catholic way.”

Hearing the strong criticism through the prophet Isaiah today, we learn that the people of Israel were also wrestling with the true meaning of fasting. Two things appear. First, their fasting is a “bribe” for God. They thought that their fasting turned out to be useless, since God had not noticed it. Second, their fasting is all about “what is not.” Fasting was understood as “non-action.” If usually they eat, then when they fast, the just don’t eat. Simple and clear; no strings attached, no grey area.

In response to this, God is very clear. God does not need our bribe to be kind. God is kind and merciful, because God is love, always, all the time. The problem is not with God, but with us. It is us who are not always willing and ready to let God be God. The problem lies not out there, but within. Fasting is not our way to convince God to do what we want. It is the other way around. Fasting is our way to convince ourselves (of course, always with God’s grace) to conform what we want to what God wants. So, again, fasting is our way of letting God be God, and us be us. Simple and clear; no strings attached, no grey area.

Not so much about “non-action,” fasting is about “action.” If we fast, but we don’t love our neighbors, or at least have a slight desire to love them, our fasting is meaningless. Jesus brings this point further and much more challenging. Fasting is not “saying no to something,” but “saying yes to SOMEONE.” Jesus is the Bridegroom, and we are His close friends. Fasting is not so much about “refraining ourselves from something that we like” (such as food), but “reaffirming ourselves TO SOMEONE whom we love.” Therefore, true fasting is meaningless without at least a tiny bit of motivation to do this for our personal relationship with Jesus. Fasting is always relational. Fasting is a celebration of our personhood, since there is this Jesus who is God, yet is willing to share our human personhood. So, stop confounding yourselves with questions like whether cheese, milk, or egg should be considered “meat” (since they are animal products). Start looking at Jesus. He is the real reason for our fasting.