Fasting on bread and water question

[Nan_S]

mercygate:

The fact that our small offerings may be small does not necessarily make them trivial. The Desert Fathers used to say that God is often more pleased with our small sacrifices than with great ones.

When our little disciplines do not interfere with our work, when they do not detract from works of mercy, or better still, if they encourage works of mercy, then they are part of the broader picture of our life in Christ. Gerald Martin may have survived such a severe trial, by God’s grace, partially aided by the spiritual offering of some stranger in Switzerland who fasted on behalf of the flood victims during that time.

Good counterpoint!

I’ll admit I was thinking about how pious and righteous I sometimes feel about my own small suffering. Then I see how someone else overcame great suffering and suddenly feel very ashamed about my meager offering, and realize how much more I could or should have done.

That’s exactly how I felt when I read about Gerald Martin.

 

[blackfish152]

maryalene:

Great post blackfish!

Thank you, maryalene.

 

[Peace-bwu]

Nan S:

I just read an AP news release about Gerald Martin, a 76-year-old New Orleans man who was rescued from his flooded home on Friday. He spent 18 days surviving on only a gallon and a half of water. 16 of those days he was trapped in his attic by the floodwaters, sweltering in 90+ degree temps.

His story makes all of our fasting pain seem trivial.

abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1136296

And then he was joking in the helicopter about stopping at the flooded Taco Bell he saw below! I gathered from the story that he was a good Christian man! What an amazing testament to the power of God and strength of the human spirit!

Martin’s family left before the storm, but he stayed to attend church, later took a nap and woke up to find that his home was filling with water, Madden said.

Man does not live by bread alone! I think he was surviving on much more than water and protected by the angels! Starving and thirsty in the blazing heat… sounds familiar to somethin’ I read in the Bible once. All that suffering so that he could go to church.

 

[frogman80]

Instead of just doing bread and water… give up breakfast or lunch, or both (dinner only.) I know a few people who do this as mortification daily. Heck… just start out by trying giving up snacks for a day… or only drinking water with meals.

 

[dublingirl]

I try to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays - doing the “bread and water” fast. Until about 2001 I would give up sweets and desserts etc on these 2 days (since it was a family custom) but after visiting a place in Bosnia/Hertgovenia where some believe that Our Lady may be appearing (although the Church hasn’t definitively spoken about it) I’ve tried to fast on bread and water on these 2 days. I’ve read about the physical, spiritual and mental benefits of fasting.
I must admit though that I drink tea (as well as water) and usually have margarine or cheese on top of my bread so it’s not strictly “bread and water” although I do believe being strict and just eating bread and drinking water is ideal (still getting there ). Also we have a prayer meeting on a Wednesday evening with food afterwards so I must admit I do usually tuck in:tsktsk:
I think you can eat as much bread as you want on the day(s) you fast and drink as much water as you need. The point of fasting I think is not to starve oneself but to try and grow in holiness through living a simpler life.
I must say that I always feel much closer to God on those days I do “fast” (although I suppose feelings aren’t a barometer of how close one actually is to God), find it easier to pray and be the person God wants me to be, get more insights spiritually and have a MUCH greater appreciation of the Eucharist. Also, food on Thursdays and Saturdays automatically tastes SO GOOD! I’ve heard other people say that fasting from food also helps fighting other demons e.g. lust etc In Matthew 17 v 21 Jesus said that the man with the demon in him could only be cured by “prayer and fasting” - prayer wasn’t enough. I think that fasting can, as well as helping to overcome ones own vices, be used, when offered up to God, to help those with addictions.
Sometimes I do feel a bit weak in which case I eat more bread. The odd time I feel really really weak in which case I do eat normally.

 

[puzzleannie]

sir galahad:

I’m a healthy young man who tries to fast on bread and water once a week. Do I need a spiritual director’s permission for this, as another poster suggested? I don’t have one and it doesn’t look as if in my area, where there are lots of Catholics but a limited number of priests, I’m going to be finding a spiritual director anytime soon.

you don’t need permission if you are doing this sensibly, once a week and understand why you are doing it, to mortify the sense appetites and set aside the day for prayer and penance. If you are a person who goes to extremes or has a compulsive tendancy about spiritual things, you definitely need a director and should not undertake any mortification, penance, vow etc. without direction.

dublingirl makes a great point, the other purpose of fasting is to sharpen our appreciation and thanks for the good things God has given us when we return to their enjoyment.

 

[mercygate]

puzzleannie:

you don’t need permission if you are doing this sensibly, once a week and understand why you are doing it, to mortify the sense appetites and set aside the day for prayer and penance. If you are a person who goes to extremes or has a compulsive tendancy about spiritual things, you definitely need a director and should not undertake any mortification, penance, vow etc. without direction.

dublingirl makes a great point, the other purpose of fasting is to sharpen our appreciation and thanks for the good things God has given us when we return to their enjoyment.

Man! NOTHING on earth tastes as good as that first cup of tea on Thursday morning!

 

[Ninster]

In Medjugorje Our Lady asks us to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays from midnight to midnight on bread and water. Our Lady tells us that this is the “best” fast. The amount of bread and water you consume or the frequency at which you consume it does not matter. What matters is we make this sacrifice and offer it to God. I have many times heard people ask the visionaries about including butter, jelly, coffee, etc., in their fasting. They always respond the same “We can only tell you what Our Lady has asked of us”. There will be times when it is impossible, for whatever reason, to fast on bread and water. On those occasions we can always give up something we like: TV, internet, coffee, alchohol, sweets, cigarettes, etc. and offer it to God.

Read more below.

medjugorje.org/livingmessages.htm#fasting