Blow the Trumpet of Zion

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Recently, I saw a bumper sticker that read: "What you are is God’s gift to you. What you become is your gift to God." The more we realize the magnitude of the gift that God has given to us, the more we will want to grow closer to him and give him a great gift.

This is the primary reason why the church celebrates the season of Lent. For the next six weeks, the readings from Mass will invite us to fix our eyes on Jesus, on his sacrificial death, and on the life that he made possible for us when he rose from the dead. And it is these readings from Scripture that will help us answer the question posed by this bumper sticker: “How can I make the gift of my life more pleasing to the Lord?”

“Proclaim a Fast.” As we were praying and asking the Lord what we should write about this Lent, we thought the Spirit was telling us: “Call for a fast.” We felt that he wanted us to take the first reading for Ash Wednesday and expand upon it and explain it. And so we have.

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Comments (Join the discussion)

  1. 's avatar
    Shigeyuki K.

    I think fasting can be improved with non-heated fermented food;
    raw cheese, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.!? 
    Just as the Holy Spirit will crowd out the evil spirits,
    the yeast of Eden, will defend us against evil bacteria!?

  2. xylys's avatar
    xylys

    i would like to fast and pray but till date i have never fasted other than on Ash wednesday and Good Friday,but i do pray the rosary every day.I am very eager to please God so can some one tell me how i should schedule my fast?,Thank You.

  3. charles's avatar
    charles

    Thank you for your contribution in bringing us closer to our maker. can you please enlighten us on what it entails a christian during the fasting season. is it all about food and drinks or there is more than that?.

  4. magnificat526's avatar
    magnificat526

    It is often about food or drink, but it can also be about fasting from the television, or from the internet, or whatever you do that may be taking up your valuable time that you could be spending in prayer, or in giving back in some way to the community, or both.  So I have read.  Many of us have very little extra money with which to give alms these days, but let’s all of us remember that we can offer up also our prayers for all our brothers and sisters, and our time, in volunteering.  There are lots of opportunities there, so as challenging as these times are, this too comes from God.  Every suffering is an opportunity for growth and for opening your eyes and arms a little wider to accept His grace and mercy and light, and to share these, too, with our brothers and sisters.

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