Homily for Lent 1
March 9, 2025
The Art of Saying “No”
Jesus is
able to overcome these three vicious temptations because He was strengthened
through fasting. Wait – strengthened? Wouldn’t someone be weakened
through fasting? Not at all – fasting and self-denial are the critical tools on
the pathway to spiritual strength.
Every
society in history knew this. Consider the ancient warriors of Sparta, whose
rigorous training is legendary. They were issued only one cloak, so that they
would have to endure the cold winters shivering. Their food was meager, forcing
them to be resourceful. They slept on the floor, practiced intense physical
exercise, and lived a regimented life. Harsh? Definitely. But during the battle
of Thermopylae, 300 Spartan soldiers were able to hold off 300,000 men for
seven days, giving everyone in the city a chance to retreat, saving lives.
Their discipline paid off! Even in our modern day, the rigorous training for the
Marine Corps or Navy SEALS seems ruthless, but I am certainly glad that these
noble men and women are defending our country.
Sadly,
Christians do not spiritually train through fasting nearly enough. Sorry to be
blunt, but most American Catholics have grown spiritually weak and unable to
resist serious temptation, because they have no idea how to deny themselves
even a chocolate bar. So let’s discuss why we must fast, and how to do it.
First, fasting
brings about freedom. Remember the old Lays’ Potato Chip slogan? “Bet you
can’t eat just one.” How often have we struggled to say no to that potato chip,
that donut, that impure website, that word of gossip? We find ourselves trapped
in slavery if we do not develop the strength to say “no” to ourselves. Most
temptation is a battle between our flesh and our will – which one will have
mastery? Our will is like a muscle – the more we exercise it, the stronger it
becomes. So fasting – denying ourselves food or other pleasure – exercises our
will, strengthening it, so that we can more easily deny ourselves a sinful
pleasure. A man who can deny his flesh is a man who is not a slave to
his flesh. Fasting leads to freedom.
Second, fasting
puts love into action. Once a man came to his priest halfway through Lent
and said, “Father, I tried to give up dessert for Lent, but it was too hard, so
I gave up.” The priest responded, “It wasn’t too hard – your love was too
small.” Love is sacrifice – if we love someone, we want to give up things for
them. So if we truly love God, we desire to make small sacrifices – and even
big ones. One student in my Confirmation class asked me recently, “Fr. Joseph,
is it bad that I have a desire to be a martyr?” I said, “No, it’s a very great
blessing – because it means you have such a love for God that you want to give
all for Him.”
Third, fasting
clears a space for God in our lives. Giving up our smartphone gives us time
for prayer. Feeling the peck of hunger makes us realize that our true hunger is
for God. We only have a limited amount of time, energy, attention, and money in
our life – when we deny ourselves something, this frees up a space in our life to
give to God.
Fourth, fasting
helps us identify with the poor. Most of the world still feels hunger every
day – in solidarity with them, can we not experience the pinch of hunger for a
bit? Most of the world does not have access to the luxuries we do – can we not
give something up and pray for them? Fasting, then, is closely connected to almsgiving
– the money we save from not getting the triple-shot venti latte can be given
to a charity. After all, Tolstoy once said, “I am a participant in a crime if I
have superfluous food and another has none.”
Finally,
fasting is obedience to Christ. Jesus Himself said, “Unless you deny
yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple.” He
was quite serious – daily self-denial is intrinsic to the life of a Christian.
And, of course, He gave us the example of fasting in today’s Gospel. But it
even goes further back than Christ. St. Basil recognized, “Fasting is as old as
mankind. It was given as a law in paradise. The first commandment Adam received
was do not eat.”
But I
can hear the objection in many of your hearts – doesn’t God want us to be happy?
Why would He create such good pleasures if we weren’t supposed to enjoy them?
Ah, fasting and self-denial is not about denying the goodness of the body, or
saying pleasure is bad, any more than a diet is about denying the goodness of
food. People diet because they are choosing a higher good (their health) over a
lower good (this donut). They are choosing a long-term good over a short-term
good. Likewise, fasting and self-denial is about choosing a higher good (God,
eternal life) over a lesser good (pleasure).
I can
hear a second objection – we shouldn’t give up, we should take on
– do something extra for God for Lent. Yes, that’s great, go for it – but don’t
give up fasting. We should do all three (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) and
fasting is absolutely critical to growing in the spiritual life. So as
you take on something positive this Lent, do not abandon the ancient practice
of fasting – do both.
So how
do we fast? A wise priest once told me, “A sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice unless
it hurts, unless it costs you something.” So, giving up spinach because you
hate it is not a sacrifice! All you kids who want to give up homework for Lent –
sorry, not a sacrifice. Choose something you love, and give it up because you
love God more.
I find
it helpful to write down my fasting plans. It can also be helpful to be
accountable to someone – your spouse, a friend – so they can ask how it’s
going. You can fast from any pleasurable thing – smartphones, Youtube, unnecessary
purchases, going out to eat, unholy music, or anything else. You could rise
earlier to pray, or make it to Mass. But the traditional fast does involve
food, and I can testify that a food-fast has the most spiritual power. Give up
dessert, or drink nothing but water, or refrain from eating between meals, or
skip a meal, or go vegan. Feel the pangs of hunger and unite them to Christ’s
suffering on the Cross. However you choose to fast and deny yourself, we must
practice them, in obedience to Christ and so that we train and discipline our
bodies so that we can more easily resist temptation.
I close
with St. Augustine’s words about fasting: “Fasting cleanses the soul, raises
the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and
humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and
kindles the true light of chastity.”
If we
learn to say “no” to ourselves, we will soon find it very easy to generously
say “yes” to God.
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