The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
In this question we see one way in which practices that are meant to be spiritual can be a snare. Rather than producing righteousness, their fasting seems to have left them unsatisfied and even envious of the disciples of Jesus. They did not, it seems, look to the heavenly Father to reward them for their fasting and so they instead sought to reward themselves by prideful comparison to others. Fasting most likely seemed to them to be their own effort, and this a mark of distinction, making them better than others. But this temptation was by no means limited to groups who only exist in the pages of history. If we set ourselves to fast as a work of purely human exertion and effort, if it lacks sufficient connection to Jesus, if we do not look to the Father for our reward, then we too will find the temptation to seek our own recompense to be all but irresistible.
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
Jesus presented himself as the bridegroom of Israel, an Old Testament image of God himself. If Jesus was the bridegroom then his coming marked a great wedding feast. In himself he united God and humankind. This called, not for fasting, but for great celebration. But though many were invited to the wedding, most responded with excuses and failed to attend, but instead "they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them" (see Matthew 22:5-6).
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
In what way would the bridegroom be taken away? It could not refer to the Ascension, since it was at that time specifically that he promised to be always present to his Church. Instead, it could only refer to his holy Passion. And although the historical reality of the Passion is in the past, the spiritual reality is the foundation of our faith, and re-presented each day in the Eucharist. We proclaim his death until he comes again. And in particular, we do this liturgically each year on Good Friday. It is in preparation to commemorate liturgically our Lord being taken away that calls for us to fast, in order that we might be made ready to enter fully into the commemoration of his death and therefore also to celebrate his resurrection.
When we do choose to enter into the reality of the Passion of Jesus by setting aside our own pursuits and fasting according to the mind of God the doors are opened for great graces to be unleashed in our lives and upon the world.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
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