Why fast?

 

I have always dreaded fasting during Lent. I like food and like to snack between meals. It takes real discipline to eat less and eliminate snacking. It does no good to think of the starving people around the world or offering it up for my sins. Of course, fasting is no longer as strenuous as it used to be. And when you're past 59, Catholics really don't have to fast.
Fasting can be beneficial to both mind and body, experts tell us. It can cleanse the mind to think more clearly and cleanse the body from toxins to live more healthily. I try to concentrate on these positive aspects of refraining from food. It's hard to measure results, but I do believe the discipline is good for us. Most Westerners have gotten very flabby mentally and physically. The Internet does much of our thinking for us -- if we don't know something, we can just Google it. And fast food makes it easy to get a meal; people don't do much cooking anymore. We are used to the easy life. We rarely deny ourselves anything. But rather than think of self-denial, I'm going to focus on improving my mind and healing my body to live more fully.
People who cannot fast from food, might consider a different kind of fast. They might fast from negative thinking, electronic games, or social media time. This will allow more time for prayer, spiritual reading, and works of mercy, other good Lenten practices.