Together on the Journey: A Weekly Blog from Fr. Andrew Sheldon
On Ash Wednesday, I addressed those gathered and said: “I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.”
In my blog 2 weeks ago, I discussed self-examination and penitence. Last week, I took a look at prayer. This week, I want to address fasting.
This is captured by the Lenten discipline of ‘giving up’ something(s) for this 40-day fast. But it is my conviction that we give up something in order to take up something else. We fast so that we can spend more time in prayer, or in study or in service to others. We fast so we can also feast. Often these things we give up are things we consume, things we eat or drink or inhale. This is all well and good. But I would encourage you to also think of those habits of the heart and the mind that might be worth putting aside for the season of Lent, and even beyond. In this spirit, I offer you this poem written by William Arthur Ward:
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ within them.
Fast from emphasis on difference; feast on the unity of life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from worry; feast on trust in God’s care.
Fast from unrelenting pressure; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on verities that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that undergirds.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragements; feast on hope.
May you know a holy Lent.
Andrew+