Friday after Ash Wednesday
Isa 58:1-9
Mt 9:14-15
“…then they will fast.”
Ash Wednesday fell on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. There was no fast and abstinence. My family welcomed many relatives and friends that day. Lunch was hearty and delicious.
Today is the first Friday of Lent. It is also fast and abstinence in lieu of Ash Wednesday. Fasting is difficult for me, as I have an active daily lifestyle. I do get hungry at mealtimes, even though each meal is not big.
Reading today’s gospel from Matthew, the words “…then they will fast” sat with me. To me, it means fasting should not be done ritually, else Jesus would have likely said “…they will fast”. Clearly, fasting is not an end in itself. Instead, its purpose is to achieve union with God. However, the Pharisees made fasting all about ritual. It took precedence over the love and union with God. Isaiah also warned about this practice in today’s first reading. He states that God only desires fasting to be done for the right reasons.
I was just in Rome over the last week of January for a family holiday. We joined the Vatican Museum tour and enjoyed an intense 3 hour visit to view many breathtaking artworks housed in the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. I remember the guide saying that the masterpieces we see today are because of the patronage and money of the ruling class. Raphael, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Da Vinci all had to work under the patronage of kings, nobles and even the Pope. They were regularly exchanged among their patrons to work for one another in building basilicas, churches and palaces to increase their own prestige and power. In modern speak, their stated purpose to give glory to God was just a ‘marketing strategy’.
Nevertheless, despite the wrong reason, these magnificent churches and priceless artwork in Rome have contributed immensely to the Catholic Church today. Millions of visitors now bring much needed revenues to help support the church financially. Personally, I found it awe inspiring when I attended mass or prayed silently in the huge Basilica of St Peter and St Paul Outside the Walls. To me, such magnificence could only be achieved with God and I truly felt the Lord’s presence.
Brothers and sisters, I am fasting today and will think back to Rome. When I get hungry, I will remember my reason — it will bring me closer to God.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may my fasting and praying be pleasing to you at all times.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for giving us Lent…so that we can take stock of our lives.
OXYGEN 
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