HOMILY ON FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

HOMILY ON FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

By: Fr. Pops SJ

Last Wednesday, when we were fasting, or at least, that’s how we called it, after enjoying a mountain of pandesal, towards noon time namugnaw na akong mga kamot ug wan a ko hapit umoy sa kagutom.  I even wanted to forego the noon prayer for fear that i would not last...i must confess fasting is difficult for me.  I think it is also for other people we know...

Fasting has been part of our traditional Lenten observance.  Its religious or spiritual value seems to lie in the act of denying ourselves, at least momentarily of something essential so we can dispose ourselves better before God in the spirit of dependence, and also in solidarity with others who lack the bare necessities of life.

And yet, our reading today, in this season of lent, reminds us of the relative-not absolute-value of fasting.  In the first reading, Isaiah critiqued Israel for her desire to draw near to God but more by external practices, especially fasting, than by more spiritual, more internal, acts that truly matter before God.  In the first place, even the quality of their fasting was questionable:  they fasted only to quarrel, to seek their own pleasure.  That is not real fast!  And so, God teaches Israel what is true fasting:  to help the poor, to practice justice and righteousness, to liberate people from oppression, to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry.

Yes, the readings today remind us that fasting is only of value if it is not simply a mere external observance, a mere act of will power.  Genuine fasting is not really pertaining to food, but depriving oneself of our favourite “dishes”:  wickedness, injustice, oppression, egoism...  this is similar to what St. Paul teaches on circumcision:  it is not something physical but spiritual; not external but of the heart.

I am not a very avid fan of fasting; yet, i recognize its value and i submit myself to it.  What we are doing here in the seminary—fasting so that other people may be able to eat from what we deprive ourselves of-is i think in line with the spirit of the readings.  Still, the greater challenge that remains for us is “fasting” from what hinders us from becoming more Christ-like:  so, when we take only soap or lugaw or pandesal on Fridays in lent, let us also say to ourselves: “magpugong na gyud ko sa akong dila karong adlawa, ako na gyong habwaon tong daghan kayo nakong sinina sa aparador ug akong ipanghatag sa ubang nanginahanglan, mag fasting sa gyod ko sa texting rong adlawa, momata gyod ko ug sayo ug mag-ampo...”  kinsay nasayod kon ang Ginoo dili motubag kanimo ug moingon:  “buotan kang viannista; himoon ta kang Obispo-30 years from now”!