Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Wilfredo Saniel SVD – Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay
Saturday 13th Week in Ordinary Time
It is foolish to buy shoes or clothes that do not fit. A lady once bought a pair of shoes, not because they fit her, but because of their beauty. Though she enjoyed showing them off to her friends, she suffered painful blisters as a consequence of her vanity. Hearing her complaints, her older brother scolded her: “Ayan, dahil sa kakiyan mo, magdusa ka!” What a striking example of useless suffering.
A believer once asked me:
- “Does the Catholic Church intend to promote suffering in the practice of fasting and abstinence?”
- “Are these practices merely coercive obligations, kept only because of tradition?”
- “If so, what is the sense of life when it is filled with restrictions?”
These are difficult questions if answered only from a human perspective. Yet Scripture reveals that life is meant to be celebrated. Through the prophet Amos, God promises abundance: “They shall rebuild the ruined cities… the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it” (Amos 9:14–15).
More than material abundance, Jesus Himself is the reason for life’s celebration. He teaches: “No one puts new wine into old wineskins… new wine must be put into fresh wineskins” (Matthew 9:17). Here, the new wine represents Christ, while the wineskins represent believers and their traditions.
Thus, fasting and abstinence are not ends in themselves. They find meaning only in Jesus, who renews and transforms both the believer and the practice. The law is not abolished but fulfilled in Him (Matthew 5:17).
Fasting and abstinence are necessary when sin distances us from Christ. They cut off excessive desires for earthly pleasures and awaken in us a hunger for higher values found in Jesus’ teachings. As He said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).
When practiced with faith, fasting preserves the new wine of Christ within the believer, preventing spiritual destruction. A life free from sin is not a burden but a call to celebration: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Lord, lead and guide me to celebrate life according to Your most holy will. Amen.
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