Friday, March 4, 2022—Friday After Ashes—Seek good, not evil, in order to live. So the Lord will be with you - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9, 14-15

We see in this Gospel the discussion between Jesus and the disciples of John about fasting: "Why, while we and the Pharisees fast, do not your disciples fast?" Jesus' answer is clear: "Could the wedding guests be in mourning while the Bridegroom is with them?" Christ is still with them, they cannot mourn. To be with God is to be in a state of joy and gladness.

And Jesus continues his teaching: "But the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them". Fasting takes on a new dimension. The purpose of fasting is to free our heart from its attachment to fleeting things. This attraction can be so strong that it dominates us until it makes us slaves. Penance removes the shackles that can prevent our union with Jesus Christ. So fasting strengthens our fellowship with Christ.

So, Christ does not condemn the assiduous practice of fasting like the disciples of John and the Pharisees, but he draws our minds to its true meaning: fasting helps us to have communion with Jesus and gives us the possibility of helping our brothers . So, the question we have to ask ourselves: is there a value of communion with God and others in the fast we practice? Let us ask God to grant us the grace to fast with humility and freedom so that our penances may bear fruit in effective conversion.