Second Sunday of Lent

We often associate Lent with the triad or prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. While prayer and almsgiving are part of our regular Catholic observances, many people tend to limit fasting to the season of Lent. In times gone by, people emptied the pantry on Fat Tuesday, which led to quite a bland diet for the next six weeks until Easter. These days, we keep the fast to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstain from meat on each Friday of Lent.

Why fast? Fasting is a spiritual practice and discipline. Its aim is to help us focus on God. By limiting our intake of food, we exercise self-control and discipline over our bodies. Experiencing physical hunger reminds us of our utter dependence on God as well as puts us in solidarity with those for whom hunger is not a choice but a fact of life.

Fasting doesn't have to be only about food; it can spill over to habits, practices, and things that distract us from our relationship with God and others, such as too much time spent at work or too much time on social media.

From what do I need to fast this season? How can I make fasting an experience that is not about deprivation but about changing for the better?