Fasting

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. -Liturgy for Ash Wednesday

Well, it’s about time we got to the subject of fasting. Fasting is one of the first things people think of when it comes to Lent. “What are you going to give up? Meat on Fridays? Chocolate? Wine? Jellybeans?” It’s no accident that McDonald’s starts upping the advertisements for its Filet o’ Fish sandwiches this time of year—they know that now is the time for fasting.

When I think about fasting, I remember a wonderful, surprising encounter that happened when I was preparing for my baptism. I was about 25 years old and teaching in a public school in Pennsylvania. I went into the lunchroom on a Friday in Lent and was staring at the food options, trying to figure out what I wanted to eat. One of my students came up and stood next to me. While she and I had never really talked about it, I knew that she was a Roman Catholic from some comments she’d made in class. After standing together for a minute, she turned to me and said with a smile, “Pizza it is! But not the pepperoni, because, you know….” I grinned and finished her sentence, “…Lent!” This memory is so clear and so sweet. It was the first time I felt that kind of connection with another Christian, the first time I experienced the kind of camaraderie born of the sharing the sacrifices of a liturgical season. You know…Lent!

Fasting is a fundamental spiritual practice, an important and lasting tradition of Lent. At the same time, it’s important for us to ask what kind of a fast God is calling us to this year. Maybe last year you felt yourself growing too dependent upon your coffee in the morning, your chocolate in the afternoon, or your wine at night—but this year your diet has been much more balanced, and you don’t feel the need to give up those same things again. Maybe last year your fasting felt more like a diet plan than a spiritual practice. Maybe this year your health is such that you don’t want to be giving up so much protein in your diet. Whatever you decide about what and how you eat during Lent, my prayer for you is that your fast will feel intentional and authentic. How can your fasting connect you more deeply to God, your neighbor, and yourself? How can your fasting bring health and humility to your life, an increased understanding of your body, an awareness of and solidarity with those who suffer daily from food insecurity?

I pray that your fasts, whatever they may be, feel precious, generative, and holy. They should be nothing less—because, you know…Lent!


The Very Rev’d Erika L. Takacs
Rector, Church of the Atonement