Fasting during Lent is meant to change us in some way. And there are many ways to fast during Lent. We can fast from food, which the church asks us to do on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and give what we save to charity. We can fast from social media, especially if it is tempting us to sin. We can fast from watching TV, especially if we are having problems finding time to prayer or read the Bible.
In the reading from Isiah, it says:
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
So how are you fasting this Lent? Make a decision right now how you will fast. Write it down somewhere so you remember what you committed to doing. Put it on your calendar. Find an image you can put on your bathroom mirror and the wallpaper on your smartphone and computer. Find a way to remind you each day what you’ve committed to doing. And then, when Easter arrives, don’t stop. Allow your Lenten fast to make a permanent change in your life, and those you’ve helped.
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