Second Week of Lent

Fasting and Spiritual Warfare

Do you remember the collect prayer from the Mass for Ash Wednesday?

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.

Why is fasting such a big part of Lent? Because Satan is constantly trying to dominate us through our desires. It isn't that the things we desire are bad in and of themselves. It's our sinful tendency to be controlled by our desires and to place the things of this world—food, drink, money, sex, power, pleasure, prestige, etc.—above the God who created them. If Satan gets us to do that, he practically has us in chains.
Thus "weapons of self-restraint" are critical in spiritual warfare. Fasting from food, drink, and other things that we legitimately want or need becomes a school of self-control. Most fasting is voluntary, self-imposed, and relatively mild. (It can be helpful to consult a spiritual director about more intensive fasting.) Consider what desires have control over you and prayerfully sacrifice them to the Lord. Always try to give up less than you think you can handle so you don't overextend yourself.

On the other hand, there are two days of the year when fasting is obligatory: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (the Church recommends continuing the fast until the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday). This applies to all Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal plus two smaller meals that do not add up to the size of the full meal.

Fasting on Good Friday is the the "paschal fast." This fast honors Christ's Passion and Death and prepares us to celebrate his Resurrection on Sunday. While fasting isn't required on other Fridays, some form of penance is.
Here are some options for self-denial during Lent:
  • Fast on Fridays and/or another day of the week.
  • Give up or limit hot showers or another everyday luxury you enjoy.
  • Give up or limit desserts, sweets, sweetened drinks, alcohol, snacking, and/or a favorite food.
  • Give up or limit TV, movies, videos, video games, social media, the Internet, and/or using your smartphone.
  • Make time for prayerful silence by giving up or limiting music and other audio.

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.

This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.

What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.

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480 152nd Avenue, Holland, MI 49424
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