Fast to focus

The psalm chosen in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today is Psalm 51. The introduction to this psalm places the characters of David, the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba in our mind. In Psalm 51 we hear the deep contrition of the sinner and yearning for restoration to the joy of life in communion with God. This psalm is a powerful reflection piece for our own journey and struggle with sin. The Liturgy of the Hours morning prayer on Friday returns us to these verses weekly. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the fasting of those who are the subject of the passage from the Book of Isaiah. These people are those who have returned to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon and they find life difficult and they feel the promises of God have not been kept. The fasting which moves us forward in our journey to deeper intimacy with God is action in which we focus on God and others and place our selfishness behind us. The struggle against putting our pride, privilege, possessions, passions and pleasure at the forefront of our lives requires recall of our conviction and experience of true life involved in the mission of Jesus. Fasting helps refocus us on our deep need, like David, to be in communion with God. The fasting which occurs in the passage from the Gospel of Matthew after the Bridegroom leaves is the mourning fast which Friar Jude comments is the reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus and a small opportunity for us to share that sacrifice for the salvation of the world.