“He was in the wilderness forty days . . .”

Dieting is something most of us do religiously: we eat what we want and pray we don't gain weight. We try one fad diet after the other in the hope of finding an easy way to stay trim. But few of us succeed at losing weight and keeping it off because dieting alone is not enough. We have to exercise, too.

A similar principle is at work in the spiritual realm. Bible study, prayer, meditation and the Holy Eucharist strengthen our souls, but we also need the disciplines of abstinence and fasting to remain spiritually fit. Abstinence and fasting are forms of penance and self-denial that help us to detach from the things of this world.

Ironically, these two spiritual disciplines have fallen out of favor even as dieting has grown in popularity. Yet, fasting and abstinence may be easier to do than many of the fad diets. The U.S. bishops have defined fasting as eating only one full meal a day. Some food (not equaling another full meal) may be eaten at breakfast and around midday or in the evening. Abstinence simply prohibits the eating of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat.

Aside from the  health benefits, there are the obvious spiritual advantages of fasting. The Bible refers to fasting 24 times, including nine mentions in New Testament.

Before beginning His ministry, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. Saint Mark tells us the spirit drove Him out into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. There are two things about this passage that bear closer attention:

1. 1.Jesus began His ministry with a fast thus affirming its high priority in our spiritual lives. If we are to put first things first, we must follow the Lord’s example. Fasting is a wilderness experience but it is not an empty one. It is spiritually fulfilling. It reminds that all life is a struggle and that the greatest struggle lies within. By exercising self-control, and conquering our personal demons, we gain the strength and grace we need for what lies ahead.
   

2. 2.The devil tempted Christ for forty days - - he was persistent, relentless, determined to change Jesus’ mind. We can expect no less from our adversary. He will keep coming at us. Most likely the greatest temptation we face will not come from grievous sin - - that would be too obvious for the master of deceit. Rather our greatest temptation may come from the persistent, relentless demands of a frenzied, fast-paced, non-stop lifestyle that crowds God into a small corner of our day. The Devil would like nothing better than to engage us in a life-long game of “Trivial Pursuit.” The next time you pray the “Our Father” consider the possibility that the temptation you are praying to avoid is “busyness.” Ask for the grace to stay focused on your critical path, ignoring all distractions. Then erase one small thing from your calendar.