Fasting for a conversion

[Anrai_Manach]

I have a friend whom I love like a brother. He is loyal and has many good qualities. He has also lived his whole life regarding religion, and catholicism in particular, as basically a joke. He find catholics particularly ridiculous due to our rituals and also because of the large volume of hypocritical unfaithful catholics we were exposed to growing up who sadly form the baseline in his understanding of what it means to be catholic.

He struggles mightily with many vices as we all do, although he does not necessarily see them as vices and he prizes his attractiveness to women over all things.

Nonetheless, as we consider each other brothers I feel a certain responsibility for his fate, and that it is incumbent on my own soul that I do absolutely everything I can to help him while we still have time. I pray for him, but I know that I need to do more. I understand that traditionally (and this is why I have chosen this forum), the faithful would fast for some noble purpose and so I have gotten into my head that I might fast for this friend of mine.

I am new at this. During Lent I give up meat and I eat fish on Fridays. But knowing this guy as I do I know that I will need to make a serious commitment. I was hoping some one out there had undergone a successful fast and could share the “recipe” as it were. I am willing to endure pretty much anything that will keep me in good enough physical condition to continue my office job as I obviously cannot compromise my other responsibilities. Anyways, I hope some kind soul will understand what I am getting at and offer me some efficacious advice. Help me strike a blow against the enemy for the sake of a friend’s soul, and my own.

 

[MJE]

“Prayer joined to sacrifice constitutes the most powerful force in human history.”

-Blessed Pope John Paul II

 

[JM3]

True fasting is taking what you would have eaten and giving it to someone who has nothing to eat.

 

[autumnmoon]

I have a friend whom I love like a brother. He is loyal and has many good qualities. He has also lived his whole life regarding religion, and catholicism in particular, as basically a joke. He find catholics particularly ridiculous due to our rituals and also because of the large volume of hypocritical unfaithful catholics we were exposed to growing up who sadly form the baseline in his understanding of what it means to be catholic.

He struggles mightily with many vices as we all do, although he does not necessarily see them as vices and he prizes his attractiveness to women over all things.

Nonetheless, as we consider each other brothers I feel a certain responsibility for his fate, and that it is incumbent on my own soul that I do absolutely everything I can to help him while we still have time. I pray for him, but I know that I need to do more. I understand that traditionally (and this is why I have chosen this forum), the faithful would fast for some noble purpose and so I have gotten into my head that I might fast for this friend of mine.

I am new at this. During Lent I give up meat and I eat fish on Fridays. But knowing this guy as I do I know that I will need to make a serious commitment. I was hoping some one out there had undergone a successful fast and could share the “recipe” as it were. I am willing to endure pretty much anything that will keep me in good enough physical condition to continue my office job as I obviously cannot compromise my other responsibilities. Anyways, I hope some kind soul will understand what I am getting at and offer me some efficacious advice. Help me strike a blow against the enemy for the sake of a friend’s soul, and my own.

More people should be so kind as you. What a selfless act to shroud yourself with during Lent. Because of your love for your friend, God will give you the strength to accomplish this journey. I’m a diabetic and I use a hot. broth with a small pack of knox unflavored. jelliton . you can get a box of 4 for about $2.00. It is tasteless so it doesn’t kill the taste of the broth. And it is a protein booster. I hope i wasn’t off track

 

[Batfink]

What you can handle physically is really individual to you.

I fast three non-consecutive days a week, eating no solids from midnight to midnight but having as many liquids as I want, only not things which are blatantly just liquidised food, such as milkshakes and soups. So I drink tea, coffee (sometimes with a spoon of sugar), water, fruit squash etc. In Lent, I don’t eat between meals on non-fast days so the fast goes e.g. from after supper on Thursday, through all of Friday, to breakfast on Saturday.

I’m a mother to a pre-school child and work a part-office based, part-active job. I cycle about 25 miles to work a couple of times a week, usually one of these is on a fast day. I’m in my mid-30s and of medium build.

This level of fasting works for me and I can handle it without compromising on my responsibilities (although I do tend to go to bed early on fast days), but you need to work out what your body can handle.

As others have said, the key to fasting is not exactly what you give up, but the prayerful spirit in which you do it. And almsgiving where you can (what I save moneywise is limited since I still have to cook meals for the rest of the family) to at least the value of what you’ve saved by not buying food.

So, every time you feel a hunger pang, offer it for your friend’s conversion. When it comes to mealtimes, take a more prolonged period of prayer. This really is the main deal with fasting - use the physical mortification as an opportunity to pray pray pray.