Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
ASH WEDNESDAY (Cycles ABC)
Readings:
Joel 2:12-18
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14, 17
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, and that is why we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: Repent Before It Is Too Late!
The forty days of Lent begin on the Sunday after Ash
Wednesday. The fortieth and final day of Lent (counting as the ancient's
counted without a zero-place value and the first Sunday of Lent counting as day
#1) is Holy Thursday. On Ash Wednesday, we commit ourselves to the Lenten journey
in preparation for Easter. It is a day when we recall our mortality since our
days on earth are limited ("ashes to ashes, dust to dust"). Therefore, we need
to prepare our souls to be right with God before we die and face Divine Judgment.
On Ash Wednesday, and the three following days that are our preparation to
begin our Lenten journey, the Scripture readings focus on almsgiving, prayer,
and fasting.
The First Reading is from a poem by the prophet Joel. It begins by describing how God manifests His divine presence among His people. It ends with the exhortation that is an appeal on behalf of God for His people's conversion to "return to me with your whole heart." The passage reminds us that we must not delay confessing our sins, for it may be too late to receive forgiveness if we hesitate. It expresses one's heartfelt sorrow for sins and a commitment to turning back to God that brings us to renewed fellowship with the Lord. Central to Joel's words of warning not to delay is what makes conversion last. Conversion and renewal must begin with sincere repentance and not external acts with no meaning or spiritual value. The inward grieving of the heart is what God requires in a heartfelt expression of penance, to which He responds with compassion.
In the Responsorial Psalm, the congregation repeats the plea: "Be merciful O Lord, for we have sinned." The psalmist feels the burden of his sins. He cries out to God for mercy and forgiveness. Then, the psalmist demonstrates his repentance by taking responsibility for his transgressions that he acknowledges are offensive to God. Taking responsibility is a necessary act of genuine repentance. However, the psalmist's plea for mercy extends beyond his confession of sin. He begs God to renew his inner being so that he can return to fellowship with the Lord by knowing the blessing of God's Spirit is with him.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul echoes the First Reading by insisting that we convert and turn back to God without delay. He reminds us that Christians are God's emissaries sent to call the world to conversion in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we must share the message that the "acceptable time" for receiving God's grace of salvation through Christ Jesus is "now." The time of conversion and salvation will last until the moment when each person faces physical death or until Christ returns in glory at the end of the age. Until then, every day is "the day of salvation," and we should not waste the opportunity to repent and to turn back to God. As St. Peter testified, There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved (Acts 4:12).
In our Gospel Reading, Jesus offers His teaching about the three disciplines of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Concerning these Christian disciplines, Jesus doesn't say "if you fast"; instead, He says, "when you fast" (see Mt 6:2, 5 and 16). Since the Old Testament, each discipline has been a means of obtaining expiation of sins (Sir 3:30/33-31/34; Tob 12:8-9; Jam 5:20; 1 Pt 4:8; CCC 1434). Jesus commands that we practice these acts that enrich our spiritual life with faith and persistence. Our goal is to continue growing in holiness in our walk of faith toward our destination, eternal salvation in the heavenly Kingdom.
God calls us on our forty-day Lenten journey toward holiness to recommit ourselves to live the Law of the New Covenant in loving God and carry on His work of love to our brothers and sisters in the human family. We must also keep in mind Jesus's warning in the Sermon on the Mount: Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil (Mt 5:9-10). Also, in the same teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us to show our love for God by actively demonstrating His love for those in need through our almsgiving. The inspired writer of Sirach promised us a reward for our generosity: Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms stone for sins (Sir 3:30/33). In our acts of charitable giving and fasting united with prayer, we exercise our discipline over the material world in favor of spiritual gifts. The goal of our Lenten Journey should be to effect a change in us to become a more spiritually alive Christian by the end of our forty-day journey to holiness.
And even though Lent is a time when we reflect on the fact that our mortal lives will come to an end, it should not be a time of sadness because we should also be mindful of the joyful destiny for which God created us. Jesus made this clear when He said, "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you" (Mt 6:17-18). Therefore, be joyful in the knowledge that the fast of our earthly Lenten journey will one day end in the Banquet of Just when we celebrate the Wedding Supper of the Lamb and His Bride in the heavenly Jerusalem in the company of saints and angels.
The First Reading Joel 2:12-18 ~ Return to the Lord
12 Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole
heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; 13 rend your hearts, not your garments, and
return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger,
rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. 14 Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind
him a blessing, offerings and libations for the LORD, your God. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly; 16 gather the
people, notify the congregation; assemble the elders, gather the children and
the infants at the breast; let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her
chamber. 17 Between the porch and
the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, and say "Spare, O
LORD, your people and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations
ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their
God?'" 18 Then the LORD was
stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.
Joel was a prophet God sent to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. His prophetic mission was to call the covenant people to public repentance and fasting in a solemn assembly of liturgical lamentation to purify themselves in preparation for impending divine judgment on the "Day of the Lord."
His book has resonance in the New Testament where St. Mark quotes his inspired words (Mk 4:26-29 quoting Joel 3:13), where we find echoes of Joel in the Gospel of John (from Joel 2:2 in Jn 1:5; 8:12; 13:30; 20:1), and where Jesus speaks of "living water" to the Samaritan woman that is reminiscent of Joel 3:18 (Jn 4:13-14). St. Peter also quoted from Joel 2:28-32 in his inspiring homily on the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to indwell the New Covenant Church (Acts 2:17-21). And St. Paul used Joel 2:3 in expounding on the universal reach of the Gospel (Rom 10:12-13; Gal 3:28 and 6:15). Finally, Joel 2:4-6 finds fulfillment when the angel blows the fifth trumpet in the Book of Revelation (Rev 9:7-12).
Our reading is from a poem in Chapter 2, describing how God manifests His divine presence among His people. The passage begins with the exhortation that is an appeal on behalf of God for His people's conversion: "Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart" (verse 12). The warning "even now" is a reminder that we must not delay in confessing our sins because, if one lingers too long, it may be too late for repentance before experiencing God's Divine Judgment. The heartfelt sorrow for sins and humbly turning back to God brings a person to renewed fellowship with the Lord.
13 rend your hearts, not your garments, and return
to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in
kindness, and relenting in punishment.
Central to Joel's words of warning in verse 13 is what makes
conversion last. Confession and spiritual renewal must begin with sincere
repentance and not in external acts that have no value, as the custom of
tearing one's garments as a sign to others of remorse for sins. Instead, it is
the inward grieving of the heart that God requires in a sincere expression of
penance and to which God responds with His compassion and covenant love.
16 gather the people, notify the congregation;
assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; let the
bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the porch and the altar let the
priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, and say, "Spare, O LORD, your people
and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why
should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" 18 Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his
land and took pity on his people.
All covenant community members can demonstrate sorrow for
their sins and internal conversion through fasting, mourning sins, and tears of
regret when turning back to God and rejoicing in His mercy. In verse 17, the
prophet mentions specifically the obligation of the priests to call the people
to repentance and offer intercessory prayers for them. Through these verses, the
Church invites the community of Christ to communal reconciliation and to turn their
lives back to obedience to God on the solemn day of Ash Wednesday. Finally, in
verse 18, the prophet hopes that collective expressions of genuine repentance
and conversion will stir the Lord to compassion, and He will take pity on His covenant
people.
Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14, 17 ~ Confession of our Sins opens us to God's Mercy
The response is: "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."
3 Have mercy on me,
O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my
offense. 4 Thoroughly wash away my guilt and from my sin cleanse me.
Response:
5For I acknowledge
my offense, and my sin is before me always: 6
"Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight."
Response:
12 A clean heart create
in me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 13 Cast me not out from your presence, and your
Holy Spirit take not from me.
Response:
14 Give me back the
joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. 17 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
Response:
This psalm, attributed to David, gives a beautiful example of genuine, heartfelt repentance and expresses the psalmist's confidence that God is merciful and will extend His forgiveness. Was David thinking of King Saul's sins that resulted in the loss of the protection of God's Spirit and the loss of his dynasty (1 Sam chapter 15)? The loss of God's protection left Saul an empty and tormented man. We can compare the prophet Samuel's condemnation of Saul's imperfect offerings in 1 Samuel 15:22-23 to the definition of true sacrifice attributed to David in Psalm 51:18-19, For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.
In the opening verses, the psalmist feels the weighty burden of his sins. He cries out to God for mercy and forgiveness (verses 1-2). In verse 3, the psalmist demonstrates his true repentance by taking responsibility for his transgressions that he knows are offensive to God. Honestly taking responsibility for our wrongdoings is a necessary act of genuine repentance. In verses 10-11, the psalmist's plea for mercy extends beyond his confession of his transgressions. He begs God to renew his inner being so that he can return to fellowship with his Lord by knowing the blessing of God's Spirit is with him.
In verse 12, the psalmist refers to God's salvation. Spiritual salvation is the gift of life that God possesses and bestows through His Spirit. It is a gift that the prophets wrote about (Jer 24:7; 31:33; Ez 25-27) that will appear in the New Covenant that God will make with His people in the Age of the Messiah (Mt 26:28; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). Finally, in verse 13, the psalmist expresses his joy in praising the Lord for delivering him, sustaining him, and spiritually restoring him.
The Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 ~ Now is the
Time to be Reconciled to God!
5:20 We are ambassadors
for Christ, God as it were appealing through us. We implore you, in Christ's
name: be reconciled to God! 21 For
our sakes God made him who did not know sin to be sin, so that in him we might
become the very holiness of God. 6:1 As
your fellow workers, we beg you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, "In an acceptable time I have
heard you; on a day of salvation I have helped you." Now is the acceptable
time! Now is the day of salvation!
Christians are God's emissaries sent to call the world to conversion in Christ Jesus (20a). In his second letter to the Christians at Corinth, St. Paul insists that they convert and become reconciled to God without delay (20b). Reconciliation with God and restoration of fellowship with Him became necessary after the loss of grace through the original sin we inherited from the personal sin of Adam and Eve. To save us, God the Father sent God the Son, taking the form of man, to redeem all men and women from the curse of sin and death.
Through God's mercy, Jesus Christ had brought about our redemption. He was like all men except without sin (verse 21). God made Him one with sinful humanity to make humanity one with His obedience and saving justice (Rom 5:19; 8:3; 2 Cor 5:14; Phil 2:7; Is 53:5-12; CCC 602). Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb of God who took away our sins (Jn 1:29, 36) as God extended His forgiveness to us through Jesus's sacrifice on the altar of the Cross. He bore the penalty for the sin and offered Himself as an atoning sacrifice for humanity's sins in every age (1 Pt 2:22-25). When we sincerely confess our sins and offer penance, God in His mercy cleanses us of the transgressions that separate us from Him. Through the atoning blood of Jesus's sacrifice applied to our lives, we are reconciled to God as He restores us to fellowship with Him (CCC 1421-24).
In 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, St. Paul exhorts Christians that to accept the "grace of God in vain" is to neglect the graces which God continues to bestow through Jesus's sacrifice. The "acceptable time" for receiving God's grace of salvation through Christ Jesus will last until the last moment when each person experiences physical death or until Christ returns in glory at the end of the age. Until then, every day is "the day of salvation," and we should not waste the opportunity to repent and turn back to God before it is too late.
The Gospel of Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 ~ The Disciplines of
Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting
Jesus said to his disciples: 1"Be
on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect
no recompense from your heavenly Father. 2
When you give alms, for example, do not blow a horn before you in
synagogues and streets like hypocrites looking for applause. You can be sure of
this much, they are already repaid. 3 In
giving alms, you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing. 4 Keep your deeds of mercy
secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. 5 When you are praying, do not behave like the
hypocrites who love to stand and pray in synagogues or on street corners in order
to be noticed. I give you my word, they are already repaid. 6 Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your
door, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees what no
man sees, will repay you. [...] 16 When
you fast, you are not to look glum as the hypocrites do. They change the
appearance of their faces so that others may see they are fasting. I assure
you, they are already repaid. 17 When
you fast, see to it that you groom your hair and wash your face. 18 In that way, no one can see you are fasting but
your Father who is hidden; and your Father who sees what is hidden will repay
you."
In Chapter 6 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus continues His Sermon on the Mount, moving from teaching on the commands of Mosaic Law to teaching on other standards of Christian discipleship. Jesus warns His disciples against external actions that are not generated from a sincere heart but only motivated by the desire to be admired. He gives three examples of acts that should be offered secretly in the private lives of Christians to not divert glory to God into glory to self:
Jesus's teaching in this passage is similar to the message of the prophet Joel in the first reading. External works of penance have no value in themselves. Genuine deeds of atonement must be related to actual, heartfelt conversion to God. One must be careful since the danger of hypocrisy in seeking human praise is always present, and earthly praise is its own reward. The only reward that counts is when your heavenly Father sees your offering, and you can relate your gift to continual conversion and your love for Him.
Christians can express interior mortification in many ways. However, Sacred Scripture and the Church Fathers insist that genuine expressions of interior penance, aside from the purification of Christian Baptism and martyrdom for the faith, are found in the practices of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. These three acts of Christian virtue express continual conversion in turning away from sin in three ways:
Each of these acts of religion offers the Christian a means to obtain the expiation of sins (CCC 1434; Sir 3:30/33-31/34; Tob 12:8-9; Jam 5:20; 1 Pt 4:8).
Jesus's homily continues with His three-part teaching concerning the hidden motives of the heart and interior holiness. He discusses the righteous Christian's obligations in these three acts of virtue, which are the hallmarks of Christian penance (CCC 1434, 2043, 2447, 2462, 2744-45). The Catholic Church continues to encourage these three necessary acts of holiness: "The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others" (CCC 1434).
JESUS TEACHES ABOUT ALMSGIVING
Matthew 6:1-4 ~ Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father. 2 When you give alms, for example, do not blow a horn before you in synagogues and streets like hypocrites looking for applause. You can be sure of this much, they are already repaid. 3 In giving alms, you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Jesus is not questioning the giving of charity to the needy. Providing for the needs of the poor was an obligation commanded in the Law of the Sinai Covenant (Ex 21:2; 22:20-26; 23:10ff; Dt 15:11). Instead, Jesus is criticizing the intent of giving in the misuse of charity for self-glorification. He contrasts the insincerity of the "hypocrite" with the proper conduct required of His disciples. Once again, His emphasis is on the internal origin of true holiness.
2When you give alms,
for example, do not blow a horn before you in synagogues and streets like hypocrites
looking for applause.
Jesus condemns the ostentatious way some wealthy Jews drew
attention to themselves by flaunting their almsgiving. Interestingly, Jesus uses
the Greek word "hypocrites;" there is no counterpart for this Greek word in
Hebrew or Aramaic (the common language of Jesus's time). In Greek, the term
refers to playing a part in Greek drama. In other words, the insincere
almsgiver is only "play-acting" for an audience and not sincerely giving from
the heart.
St. Augustine wrote: "A hypocrite is one who pretends to be something one is not. This person pretends to be righteous yet shows no evidence of righteousness ... they receive no reward from God, the searcher of the heart, only reproach for their deceit. They may gain a temporal reward, but from God, they hear, 'Depart from me, you workers of deceit. You may speak my name, but you do not do my works'" (St. Augustine, Sermon on the Mount 2.2.5).
3 In giving alms,
you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your
Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Jesus is not suggesting that giving alms is an option for
the Christian. Jesus says, "When you give alms" in verse 2
and not "if you give." Jesus also says your acts of charity should not
be shared with friends and acquaintances because their admiration will be your
reward. However, your heavenly Father will reward you if you act in secret. An
eternal reward is a far greater blessing than mere temporal acknowledgment and
praise.
The Catholic Church teaches the following about almsgiving:
See CCC 1434, 1438, 1969, 2447, 2462.
In the book of Tobit, the archangel Raphael praises prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as virtuous acts. However, he especially commends almsgiving, saying, Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life; but those habitually guilty of sin are their own worst enemies (Tob 12:8-10).
JESUS TEACHES ABOUT PRAYER
Matthew 6:5-6 ~ When you are praying, do not behave like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in synagogues or on street corners in order to be noticed. I give you my word, they are already repaid. 6 Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees what no man sees, will repay you."
Speaking to a Jewish audience, Jesus's words "When you are praying" are not referring to communal prayers in the local Synagogues or the Temple. Instead, he refers to the observed traditional hours of private prayer time, both of which corresponded to the twice-daily Temple liturgical worship services and the daily sacrifices of the two Tamid lambs. See the book "Jesus and the Mystery of the Tamid Sacrifice."
Jesus recommends that communal prayer must not be the only form of communicating with God, and He stresses the necessity for private prayer. At many times during Jesus's ministry, He found it necessary to withdraw from the crowds and from His disciples to pray in solitude to His Father, as He did in His last prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (for a few of many examples, see Mt 14:23; 26:36-46; Mk 6:46; 14:32, 34-35; Lk 6:12, 9:28; 22:40-46).
Once more, Jesus addressed the necessity of seeking an interior desire to please God rather than exterior actions gaining the attention and approval of others. And once again, Jesus used the Greek word "hypocrites" in verse 5 (as He did in 6:2). He used this word twelve times in Matthew's Gospel; six of those times in Matthew 23:13-29, where He applies the rebuke directly to the "teachers of the law" and the Pharisees.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught His disciples about prayer:
6 Whenever you pray,
go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private. Then your
Father, who sees what no man sees, will repay you."
When not praying as a faith community, Jesus recommends that
we pray in a confined space to avoid earthly distractions. It is also possible
that He may be referring figuratively to the "inner room" of our inner-most
hearts and minds when we shut out the distractions of the world and focus
entirely on speaking with God. Notice that Jesus continually says "when" you
are praying in verse 6.
Jesus is not banning public prayer, which He often led during His ministry (see Mt 11:25ff; Mk 6:41; Lk 11:1; Jn 11:41-42). Public prayer was as much an integral part of the liturgical worship in the Jerusalem Temple and the communal assembly in the local Synagogues as in our congregation gathered for liturgical worship in the Mass. Prayer is not an arbitrary choice. It must be God-centered and not self-centered. It is both our personal and collective communication with our heavenly Father. It is one of the ways we demonstrate our love for Him and strengthen our intimate, covenant relationship with Him.
JESUS TEACHES ABOUT FASTING
Jesus now turns to the third topic of the exercise of Christian virtues, fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18 ~ When you fast, you are not to look glum
as the hypocrites do. They change the appearance of their faces so that others
may see they are fasting. I assure you, they are already repaid. 17 When you fast, see to it that you groom your
hair and wash your face. 18 In that
way, no one can see you are fasting but your Father who is hidden; and your
Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.
Once again, Jesus used the Greek word "hypocrites" for one who "plays a role." It is not a coincidence that the teaching about fasting should follow the instruction concerning prayer. Fasting, then and now, is a bodily cleansing that accompanies a spiritual cleansing in concentrated prayer. According to the Law of the Sinai Covenant, God required His people to fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16:31). However, in Jesus's time, the practice of regular fasting and prayer was common, especially in the forty-day period that led up to the Day of Atonement. Fasting from food was how the faithful prepared themselves for communal repentance and reconciliation (as in our Lenten observance in which we prepare for the Easter Triduum). Notice that Jesus used "when you fast" in verses 16 and 17; it is the expected discipline of a disciple.
Moses fasted during his forty-day encounter with God on Mt. Sinai (Ex 24:18; 34:28). Likewise, Jesus fasted forty days after His baptism by John the Baptist just before His trial of temptation in the wilderness (Mt 4:2; Lk 4:2). John the Baptist and his disciples, and the Pharisees practiced the discipline of fasting regularly (Mt 9:14).
In Acts 13:1-3 and 14:23, the early Church practiced fasting in association with prayer. The Christian leaders of the Church at Antioch fasted and prayed when making a petition for divine assistance when deciding to elect Paul and Barnabas for a missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3). Likewise, Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed when appointing the leaders of the newly founded Christian communities (Acts 14:23). The Pharisees and John the Baptist's disciples questioned Jesus as to why His disciples did not fast, but He told them that while He was with them, it was a time of joy, and fasting would be necessary later (Mt 9:15; Mk 2:18-20; Lk 5:33-35). Jesus taught on the discipline of fasting in this passage because He knew that the time was coming when fasting would be appropriate for His disciples, and He wanted to prepare them for that time.
Once again, in verses 16-18, Jesus's emphasis is on being God-centered and not self-centered. Therefore, Christians should fast secretly to receive a heavenly reward. It is a form of penance in which a person limits the kind or quantity of food or drink consumed. On the other hand, abstinence is refraining from certain food or drink as an exercise in increasing one's spiritual welfare or as prescribed by ecclesiastical law (universally or locally). As commonly understood, abstinence is the action that inclines a Christian to the moral virtue of the moderate intake of food and drink as dictated as an act of faith inclined toward his own moral and spiritual welfare. A typical example of abstinence is refraining from eating meat as a personal sacrifice offered to Jesus. From the earliest years of the Church, Christians have observed days of fasting and abstinence, notably during the season of Lent, in commemoration of Jesus's Passion and death.
The obligation of the Catholic to observe days of fasting and abstinence is the 5th Precept of the Catholic Church (see CCC 2043, also see 1387; 1434, 1438). CCC 2043b: The fifth precept ('You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.') ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts; they help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart. The Church's universal law, found in the Code of Canon Law, states that all Fridays of the year are days of abstinence from meat unless the local bishops' conference has made other provisions (with the approval of the Holy See). The Conference of the American Bishops has ruled the requirement for abstinence only on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. However, abstinence on other Fridays of the year is encouraged. This devotion may also be expressed by an act of mercy that replaces the penance of abstinence from meat. Prescribed days of fast and abstinence for the universal Church are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
You should use the next three days (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) to prepare for your Lenten journey. Begin by submitting to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, by proclaiming your sacrificial Lenten gift to God through acts of charity, and by offering a forty-day penitential abstinence from certain foods and drinks. You should also commit to increasing the quality of your prayer life and observing the Church's teaching on the Friday fast and abstinence from meat during the forty days of Lent. For more about Lent, see the document "The Lenten Journey: Everything you always wanted to know about Lent."
Catechism References (* indicated Scripture quoted or paraphrased in the citation): Joel 2:12-13 (CCC 1430*)
Psalm 51:12 (CCC 298*, 431*)
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (2844*), 5:20 (CCC 859, 1424, 1442); 5:21 (CCC 602); 6:2 (CCC 1041)
Matthew 6:1-6 (CCC 1430*, 1969*), 6:2-4 (CCC 1753*, 2447*), 6:2-4 (CCC 1753*, 2447*), 6:2 (CCC 1063*); 6:5 (CCC 1063*); 6:6 (CCC 1693*, 2608, 2655, 2691*); 6:16-18 (CCC 1430*); 6:16 (CCC 1063*); 6:18 (CCC 575)
Through the atoning blood of Jesus's sacrifice applied to our lives, we are reconciled to God and restored to fellowship with Him (CCC 1421*, 1422, 1423*, 1424*).
The hallmarks of Christian penance (CCC 1434*, 2043, 2447*, 2462, 2744*, 2745*).
The virtue of almsgiving (CCC 1434*, 1438, 1969*, 2447*, 2462)
Definition of prayer (CCC 2559*)
Prayer and the Christian life (CCC 2564, 2565*)
The obligation of the Catholic to observe days of fasting and abstinence (CCC 2043, also see 1387, 1434*, 1438, 2043b)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2014; revised 2022 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.