It's Good Friday today, and like all good Catholics between the ages of 18 and 60, I am fasting. Our definition of it is to have one small meal and two other "snacks" that together do not equal a full meal. I've seen people raise their eyebrows at that, with a "that's a pansy way to fast" sort of reaction, but it still is really difficult. We also abstain from meat, so the little food that you do have is really just enough to keep you standing.
Fasting is a very enlightening experience. It takes a great amount of willpower, especially when your meals come from a college dining hall and when you eat with friends who are not fasting. Having a meal and still being hungry when your plate is empty is a very strange experience, but also very humbling when you realize that this is what a lot of the world has to deal with everyday, and we at least have clean, safe water.
One of the most often quoted passages on fasting, and what I think of whenever I do it comes from Matthew 6:1, 16-18 :
"(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
I try to keep this passage in mind throughout the day as I fast. In particular, I make it a point to never complain that I am hungry and only mention that I am fasting if pressed about the amount of food on my plate or in politely refusing offered food. It takes a surprising amount of willpower and strength to make it through the day this way.
Catholics fast as a way to bring us closer to God. We use it to mark the beginning (Ash Wednesday) and end (Good Friday) of Lent, which itself is related to the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert. It is a way for us to understand what wanting is, and drive us to help the hungry who have to live this way every day. Fasting, when done properly, can also help you focus on the spiritual rather than the physical as you turn your thoughts away from the rumblings of your stomach. Lent is a time of penance, and fasting is one of the ways we acheive that.
A short note on abstaining from meat, as I get the question often: The Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent began as a year-round thing. Families would often splurge on meat for their Friday meal, and the original concept was to deny yourself that pleasure, having something less expensive, like fish, instead. The difference in cost would be given as alms to the poor (another tenant of the Lenten season). In a lot of ways, people have forgotten this original purpose to the tradition, but it remains an important part of our Lenten observance.
I believe fasting is an interesting way to test your willpower and feel in solidarity with the poor and hungry of the world. If we can understand and empathize with another's suffering, perhaps we can better work together to bring about a better world.
On a closing note, Good Friday is my favorite day in my religion. The idea that Christ would die for my sins is very comforting and mind-boggling in the degree of love it shows. Have a wonderful Easter. :-)
