Weak Flesh

Well, here we are. Ash Wednesday. Fasting. Prayer. Ashes. More Fasting.

Every year I find fasting difficult. All I want to do is complain about how hungry I am and how much I dislike doing it. I say that I understand why we do it, but then when I really think about it, I realize that I don't understand the point. I know Jesus did it. I know other holy people do it. But what's the point of fasting? How can it help me, an average girl, trying to get to heaven?

Our flesh is weak. If you don't think yours is, think about how much you've sinned just in the past week. This isn't meant to be depressing, but it's a fact. We sin and we're weak. When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked his disciples to do one thing: "stay awake and pray." It was a simple request but they couldn't even do that. Why not? Because as it says in Matthew:

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; 

the spirit indeed is will but the flesh is weak." 

- Matthew 26:41

We have weak flesh. But we have good hearts and if we're willing to work hard and try to overcome our sin and weakness, then we are capable of doing great things for God.

But how does fasting help us with this? One of my friends wrote a great article on fasting, which you can see here, but in case you don't have time to read it, I wanted to share one of the quotes here:

"The primary reason for fasting is to help us acquire mastery over our passions, our instincts, and our sins.  By denying ourselves a pleasure, we increase our capability to deny our temptations and, ultimately, with the grace of God, to overcome sin. 

In denying ourselves, we also engage in a small martyrdom, a death to self, 

which prepares us for the Cross"

The way I look at it, if we can eat less food for a day, we have at least a small amount of self-control. Self-control is key to mastering sin and becoming a better person. Sooo, fasting is good way to practice this and attain the virtue of temperance.

Another good reason for fasting can be found in this quote from a missionary:

"Fasting helps express, deepens, confirms the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, 

even ourselves to attain what we seek for the Kingdom of God."

Fasting is a great way to practice self-denial and show that we are willing to sacrifice things for Christ. He died on a cross for us - I think the least we could do is sacrifice eating as much for a day.

Lenten Overachiever

So Lent is coming. Usually I hate Lent. It's always been my least favorite time of the year. I mean, come on, who really likes giving up meat on Fridays and eating nothing sweet for 40 days? That's pure torture! Not to mention that I really hate seafood of all kind, so it's hard to eat on Fridays.


But Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, and this is usually the moment where I start frantically trying to think of something, anything to do for Lent. And in my scramble for ideas, I usually choose all of them and end up with unrealistic, unattainable, and un....well un-something else goals. I become a Lenten Overachiever who is discouraged and frustrated by the end of Lent.

Last year, however, I decided that I really didn't want to hate Lent and I wanted to get something out of it. I mean, it's supposed to be a time of growth - in virtues, not vices. It's not supposed to stress you out to the point that you end up sinning more than repenting. So rather than give all kinds of things up, I decided to do something - something simple, yet hard. I decided to make it my goal to have a daily prayer time - no matter what.

Practically speaking, this meant that each day I gave up whatever got in my way for praying. Some days it was facebook. Other days it meant not going out for drinks with my friends. Some times it meant getting a little less sleep that night because I didn't get to go pray sooner. (I usually pray at night). Whatever it was, I refused to let anything stop me from praying each day.

By the end of Lent last year, three things had happened:

1) My prayer life was much better
2) I didn't hate Lent anymore, and I came to see it as a time of growth and development
3) I wasn't stressed or mad at myself for not attaining impossible goals

Since last year though, my prayer life has once again become less of a priority in my life due to craziness (and all kinds of other excuses), so I decided that I will be trying my simplified Lenten challenge again this year. Whatever gets in the way of daily prayer is out. Facebook, friends, sleep, fun, etc.

I found this quote online and thought it was fitting. :)

My challenge to you, particularly if you're a Lenten Overachiever like me, is to really consider what you're doing for Lent. What is your goal? What are you trying to attain or grow in by the end?

If you're doing a lot of things simply to show off how holy you are or how much you can do, then you're acting just like the Pharisees Jesus reprimands for being hypocrites.

So this Lent, don't be a Pharisee - be Christ. Be Love. Be Joy. Be an example. 

Do something that will help you grow in virtue, not vice.