I have read and listened to some Catholic content recently, pointing to the thought that perhaps we are not fasting enough. Unlike Catholics in the past, what we give up during Lent nowadays seems insignificant and small compared to what the saints used to offer to God.
Reflecting about this, I thought that there is some truth in it. We may not be sacrificing enough as a people who profess our belief in God. And personally, it is unsettling and a little scary. In a way, it makes me feel ashamed for the little that I had to do, especially if I consider the failures I had when it comes to fasting.
Yes, maybe we’re not fasting enough or doing enough penances for our sins. Maybe we’re not repenting enough.
Why do we offer so little? Why do we feel it is a burden to make greater sacrifices?
Then other thoughts came to me as I searched for the possible reasons why. Eventually, I thought of two possible reasons for our problem.
The first one is that we already feel burdened.
Consequently, we find it hard to take on any more burdens because we feel that our lives are already burdensome.
Have you felt it, too? The anxiety of our times?
Even Catholics are not immune to this. And perhaps, we are most affected by the changing conditions of this world.
It is not easy to practice our faith amid a secular culture. We are judged before we even speak. We try to share our thoughts on what is good and right and we are met with antagonism everywhere.
Who knows what kind of world our children would grow up in?
Even the economy is not helping. It is not easy to pay the bills and make a living while trying to balance your time for your loved ones.
Our lives can be so busy and fraught with uncertainty that we find it so hard to let go of our little comforts.
I am not saying that this should be our excuse, but maybe we should dig a little deeper into knowing how wounded we have become so that we may ask God to heal us.
The second possible reason why we find it hard to offer our sacrifices is that we may not have rejoiced enough for all of God’s blessings.
Our inability to sacrifice could be linked to our inability to be grateful enough for what Jesus Christ has done.
How can we offer our fasts and penances properly if we have not yet rejoiced by receiving His healing and salvation?
For many among us, perhaps our first offering is not the fast or abstinence from our little comforts. Maybe what we should offer to Him are our deep wounds and burdens, the sorrows we carry daily which we have not yet surrendered to God.
This Lent, maybe our miseries are enough to unite ourselves with the passion of our Lord.
Instead of merely filling our days with penances that distract us from our true condition, perhaps we should spend our time more in prayer, letting God uncover our hurts and struggles and asking Him for the grace to carry our crosses with Him while letting go of the burdens we no longer need to bear.
Let us allow ourselves to walk with Him and die with Him. And then we could rise again with Him and become better in the practice of our faith. This time, however, we do so not out of mere obligation but because we now know more deeply how much Jesus Christ loved us and suffered for our sake.
To Him who healed our wounds and gave us every good thing out of His mercy and love, we give our praise and surrender our contrite hearts.
“The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former…” – Luke 18:11-14 (NABRE)
You may also want to read “Lent for the Weary: A Season of Mercy, Not Perfection”
Jocelyn Soriano is the author of Mend My Broken Heart, Defending My Catholic Faith and 366 Days of Compassion.
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