Fasting?

[dove51]

I was just wondering, has anybody here ever fasted for a spiritual reason? Other than the times when it’s required, I mean. Can I ask how that experience went for you? What did you learn, why you did it, how things turned out?

(Please don’t feel obligated to share if you don’t wish to. I know the Bible says that we shouldn’t boast about fasting in Matthew, so if you wish to keep it personal, I totally understand!)

I’m looking at some websites on prayer and fasting, and seeing that some people believe that it draws us closer to God. This is fascinating to me, so I wanted to ask about it here.

P.S. Am I posting too many new threads on these forums? I don’t want to be annoying!

 

[Saint_Gemma]

I know someone who does a mini-fast each weekday in preperation for joining the Confraternity of Penitents when she is baptized. She has milk for breakfast, a light lunch without any dessert and a regular sized dinner. According to her, it has helped relieve her temptations against purity.

 

[Carthusianish]

I fast occasionally “out of season” on a Friday here and there. I really do feel more connected in my prayers. Sometimes it is tough to do but most of the time it is very rewarding. I am very focused and I try to do it as a penitence so I hope it helps me “in the long run.”

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I was just wondering, has anybody here ever fasted for a spiritual reason? Other than the times when it’s required, I mean. Can I ask how that experience went for you? What did you learn, why you did it, how things turned out?

(Please don’t feel obligated to share if you don’t wish to. I know the Bible says that we shouldn’t boast about fasting in Matthew, so if you wish to keep it personal, I totally understand!)

I’m looking at some websites on prayer and fasting, and seeing that some people believe that it draws us closer to God. This is fascinating to me, so I wanted to ask about it here.

P.S. Am I posting too many new threads on these forums? I don’t want to be annoying!

Post away! …you can start as many new threads in these forums as you like! Some members don’t post many…others frequently post and start new threads. Sometimes, I have found in posting quite a few threads, I can find it very difficult to keep up with them, especially if one posts a thread that other members find very interesting and there are quite a few posts. But dont be at all concerned about how many times you post, or may start threads.

I see you are a new member…
…W E L C O M E!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_3_36.gif

Fasting is like any other spiritual or ascetic exercise…when first starting it can be difficult…lapses in one’s resolution can occur - what brings success is to pray for the Grace to be faithful and to persevere even in the face of lapses, even many lapses. Prayer and perseverance will create a habit with God’s Grace …“whatever you ask of The Father in My Name will be given to you”. Of course, Jesus does not tell us how long it will be before The Father grants our prayer…and so persistent and persevering prayer is necessary. Also Jesus tells us that “some spirits are cast out only by prayer and fasting” - hence fasting is highly recommended in a spiritual life. Fasting within the bounds of common sense and I think the Church’s regulations defining a fast are quite within the bounds of common sense.

I must confess, that I do not know what exactly and precisely fasting is meant to achieve…except that it is an excellent exercise in penance and self control intrinsic to a healthy spiritual life and a healthy and positive spiritual life will bring us closer to God. I’ll have a wander around the internet and see what I can come up with re fasting and that will be a good eduction for myself and I will also post anthing I can find together with the link into this thread.

The other alternative if one has some sort of question on our Catholic Faith is to pose the question into the Apologetics or Ask an Apologist forums - they usually come up with a precise and accurate answer.

Looking forward to reading your threads and posts:thumbsup:

Blessings and Peace…with Joy…Barb
Edit: I came up with this article quite quickly from the internet:

Why Catholics Fast (this is a really excellent article on fasting)
americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=1599

 

[brigid12]

My speculation (and only my personal speculation) is that fasting may have some spiritual effect that humans aren’t normally aware of - the demons may realize that, yes, we’re serious in our prayer, 'cause not eating doesn’t feel good.

 

[Andruschak]

I was just wondering, has anybody here ever fasted for a spiritual reason? Other than the times when it’s required, I mean. Can I ask how that experience went for you? What did you learn, why you did it, how things turned out?

As a member of the Confraternity of Penitents…

penitents.org

…I fast frequently. And abstain 4 days a week. I cannot say that I feel like a spiritual giant because of this. I do feel hungry a lot of times. But being hungry is not the same as being malnourished, which I most certainly am not.

It may be that it may take some time for me to sort it all out. But the basic idea is, after all, to say the God is more important then 3 meals a day. Two is enough. God is more important then snacks and candy between meals.

BYW, at age 63, I cleared all this fasting with my Physician BEFORE undertaking this sort of prolonged fasting.

 

[puzzleannie]

through most of my married life we have continued with the traditional fast and abstinence practices we grew up with, never saw any reason to change. not rigidly or compulsively, but within a context of a conscious desire to make at what amounts to really a token sacrifice, for the sake of the humility and spiritual discipline for ourselves and our family. Nowdays, sticking to my rather rigid diabetic diet, which is far more strict than even those older rules, is rigorous enough, but more meaningful when I do make it a conscious spiritual decision and commitment as well.