Reflection for February 24, Friday after Ash Wednesday: Matthew 9:14-15

Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15 

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast.”

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Reflection:

What does fasting do to us? It cleanses our bodies, when we fast we dictate on our bodies rather than our bodies dictating on us. For example, when we see delicious food, our bodies would normally dictate upon us to eat that delicious food. This is always the scenario: Our bodies dictate upon us and we succumb to it. 

However, when we fast, it’s the other way around we don’t succumb to this dictate we contradict it, for what reason? For the observance of certain customs and tradition in this case we can cite our fasting during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. 

In our gospel, Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees why His disciples were not fasting. Jesus answered them this: They are not fasting for the reason that the bridegroom (Referring to Himself) is still with them. Therefore their tricky question was properly answered by Jesus. 

Literal fasting when done for a good reason is valid but when it’s done for people to see or to get praise. It becomes invalid or useless it’s much better not to fast when we do it for show.    

But there’s a much meaningful and permanent fasting that God wants us to do. We permanently fast from oppressing others, we permanent fast from our arrogance, unforgiveness and we permanently fast from our greed and indifference. 

Are you capable of doing these forms of fasting? – Marino J. Dasmarinas