Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Fr Cornelio Alpuerto SVD – Saint Arnold Janssen Parish, Cebu City
Ash Wednesday – Lent
The blessed season of Lent starts with a day of fast and abstinence, Ash Wednesday, and ends with another day of fast and abstinence, Good Friday.
Fasting reminds me of a fellow Divine Word missionary from Latin America who told me and two or three other SVD priests this rather unusual account of himself:
Once a year, he would go on strict fasting, subsisting only on water – for two weeks! He would start by depriving himself of food, gradually. Like, on the first day he would forego lunch, on the second day, also supper, and on the third, he would forego all three meals. Then would follow the days without food at all, just plain water.
And he would continue to work, like giving a retreat; and the retreatants would worry about him because they would prepare food for him but he would not touch it. He would take only water. And he would be feeling comfortable, fit and light, as he goes about doing his work.
Towards the end of the two weeks, he would go back to food, also gradually, very gradually…He made us understand that he would observe this yearly prolonged fast primarily for reasons of health. And he looked healthy, indeed. Now, after many years, he is still working as a missionary.
Though my confrere from Latin America did not mention to us any religious motive alongside the health reasons, I believe that he also offered his sacrifice to God each time that he would go into that prolonged fast. Otherwise, for him to omit offering that sacrifice to God would be to fail in something precious. That he would offer it was to be expected of a priest of God. For isn’t a priest essentially one who offers sacrifices to God?
Probably, our fasting friend was being mindful all along of the Lord’s teaching, as we have it in today’s Gospel. We are not to parade our good works – be they alms giving or praying or fasting or what have you. We are to do them in order to win praise of people. If praise is what we want, praise will also be all our reward.
Enough of the SELF PROMO business that we are into most of the time, if not all the time. Instead, promote GOD’S GLORY and His alone. This would be a most worthy project for this Lent – and beyond, to the rest of our days.
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