St. Therese of Lisieux is known for doing little things with great love. Her life strongly reminded us that the Lord doesn’t demand grand or big things from us in order for Him to love us deeply because whether we offer something or nothing, His love and care for us will never ever change.
But, as young missionaries, we know that God doesn’t deserve anything less. We are always called to offer something to Him that is given out of love. In my experience, fasting is just one of the constant practices we used to do as Catholics, as servants, and as followers of Christ not only in order for us to attain spiritual discipline and be closer to Him but as an obvious act of loving the Lord in our own little way.
Honestly, the first time I served in a youth camp was my first time practicing fasting as well. It was very difficult for me because it was as if I was being deprived of something that I loved and was used to doing or eating. Practicing fasting did not make sense to me at first.
But, as time goes by and as I strive for deeper spiritual growth and a relationship with the Lord, He allowed me to have a glimpse of understanding of why we really fast. It is not nonsense because it has a deep essence especially if we desire to live like Him — to live simply and embrace a kind of life that doesn’t enjoy being in comfort but finding joy and love in every little sacrifice that we’ve made for the Lord. Most importantly, fasting does not intend to punish us because it is meant to purify us. Every time we fast, God is allowing us to detach from things that may affect our prayer life or things that may hinder us from fully experiencing the grace to be in the presence of the Lord.
My experience in Magnify 90 — a 90-day feminine spiritual journey into the desert of spirituality and asceticism — last year strengthened this perspective of mine towards fasting. It made me realize that the things that we do fast don’t imply that it is bad but these little voluntary sacrifices of the things that we love may strengthen our ability to carry involuntary crosses that come our way. It’s like, instead of doing mindless scrolling on social media and having time to compare your life to the lives of others, why not give more time praying to God and expressing your gratitude for everything that you have? Instead of playing mobile games and being tempted to get angry towards your opponent when they seem to win against you, why not invite them to attend Holy Mass and receive His grace through the Eucharist? These are just some things or routines that we may sacrifice to God in order to fully embrace Him.
All of these little sacrifices only imply that fasting entails a strong and consistent prayer life for it goes hand in hand. We’ll surely find this offering a difficult and nonsense one if we are not fueled by His inspiration because we don’t allow ourselves to be in a state of grace through prayer while fasting. Grace will surely flow in our hearts if it’s clear to us that in this journey of denying ourselves, Christ must be the center of everything.
Fasting may seem difficult at first but if we will open our hearts and minds to the blessings that we can get from doing it, it will surely help us to realize that a lot of excessive worldly things that we enjoy are not actually necessary in living a Christian and prayerful life because to be in God’s presence is already enough to make us feel complete, validated, and truly at peace.
About the Author
Ate Trisha Mendoza is our Mission Volunteer from the Area of NCR Easr. She currently serves in Metro Manila.
