Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Fasting and the Lenten Promise

The topic that seems to be on most priests' minds this winter has been fasting.  Explanations of why it is important to the body and the soul have been given multiple times.  As we approach Ash Wednesday the subject matter has increased.  Brett and Nick went to Theology on Tap tonight at Bub's and it was the main focus of the speaker.   Father Andrew also discussed the importance of fasting, especially in a country as rich as ours.  Meg's Bible study group did as well.

All of the talk about fasting and Lenten promises has led to some great discussions inside the Heinisch family.  Brett thoughts surrounding the topic led him to wanting more history behind the idea of fasting.  Cal was more interested in his Lenten promise this year.  He and his friends each decided to give up something and the one who stopped following it first had to attend 8 a.m. mass for six Sundays in a row.  Cal vowed to give up meat and eating out until Easter.  Meg wasn't as big on fasting as she felt that it wasn't possible for everyone.  I agreed with her on that one.  She instead talked about forgoing social media for Lent.  Cameron shared what he had learned in his Faith Journey class at Bethany about suffering.  From the discussions, he decided that he believed that giving up something or fasting made you closer to God as each time you thought about your promise or what you were giving up, you were thinking about Him.  Doug felt that neither a promise nor fasting were important to bringing one closer to God.  He believed that living life in moderation was the best way to do so.  I appreciated everyone's thoughts on Ash Wednesday and the upcoming Lenten season.  It made me feel really good about my decision to catch up on all of the Bible in a Year podcasts and follow it through with it until the end of the year.  

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