Homily 4 March, 2022 - Fr. Dony Cardoza CSsR (True Fasting)

at that time the disciples of john came to jesus saying why do we and the pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast and jesus said to them can the wedding guests moan as long as the bridegroom is with them the day will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast the gospel of the lord my dear brothers and sisters in christ jesus when a custom loses its meaning or its original purpose it becomes a dead and decade or when a ritual loses its meaning it becomes immaterial routine dear friends in today's gospel we see a similar attitude the disciples of john come and ask jesus about the question of fasting the jews had a law the mosaic law that they were supposed to fast once a year that was on the day of atonement the purpose of their fasting was for the atonement of sins and this was a period waiting for messiah to come so that he will redeem all the people but messiah was with them and they failed to see messiah was with them and their fasting continue the original meaning of the fasting was lost therefore jesus says in today's gospel when the bridegroom is with them can the guests fast dear friends for us catholic lent is a time of penance and fasting today's liturgy calls us to reflect what is our attitude towards fasting and penance is it like what prophet isaiah says in the first reading do we do fasting and penance for our own satisfaction let us reflect about our fasting and penances during this day let us reflect about it in two ways firstly our fasting is it bringing us our sanctification is it bringing us closer to god and to our brothers and sisters secondly about the style of our fasting as prophet isaiah says in the first reading does it help us to lose the bonds of wickedness to free the oppressed to feed the hungry and to clothe the nakeds let us reflect and see about this about this during this day amen

Channel: Redemptorist Media Center, Bangalore

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Id: ViPPJm9eUi0

Length: 3min 11sec (191 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 04 2022