Fasting is the Soul of Prayer

9/3/2004 - 7:00 AM PST

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By Father Jonas Abib
Founder Cancao Nova
�Catholic Online 2004

Think about the meaning of fasting: if you want God to be sensitive to your hunger, be yourself sensitive to your fellowman�s hunger. Likewise, if you need God�s Mercy, be yourself merciful, if you need compassion, be compassionate, if you want to be helped, go and help your fellowman.

Fasting helps you recover values you lost because you have not given proper appreciation to them : immolate your soul in fasting because that is the best you can offer your God. As the prophet says, "my sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart" (Psalm 51, 19).

Your sacrifice pleases God if accompanied by mercy; be merciful, pour mercy over your fasting so that it can give you its fruit: fasting runs dry in the desert of mercilessness. Mercy fecundates fasting the way rain fecundates the ground. In the freedom of your mercy, you will fill up your barns with blessings.

Contact

Cancao Nova
http://www.cancaonova.net TX, US
Fr. Jonas Abib - Founder, 817 281-0766

Email

eua@cancaonova.com, vinicius@cancaonova.com

Keywords

Fasting, Prayer, Cancao Nova, Abib

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1 - 2 of 2 Comments

Peter
2 years ago
I hope this recognises that fasting is still meritorious with God even if one does not give money or food to the poor on the day of fasting?

This is not to suggest ritual fasting but surely it is valuable as Mary at Medjugorje says on its own to give efficacy to prayer and to obtain graces.
DNS
3 years ago
Great article on Catholic fasting and its merits.

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