Msg Base:  AREA 3  - ASK FATHER (AMDG)
  Msg No: 76.  Fri  9-18-92 11:41  (NO KILL)
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Drucilla Sutter
 Subject: Fasting

DS|Praise God for you answer Father Mateo.  I too believe in fasting before
  |communion, fasting and praying before making any important decision  in
  |your life also.  For a while my late husband and myself did our own little
  |communion in our home. We bought a bottle of Welch's grape juice and I
  |made some homemade yeast bread, and each morning before he would go to
  |work we would pertake of the bread and juice ...and Max would read some
  |scriptures and we would repeat together...As often as you do this, you do
  |this in rememberance of me. We stop eating breakfast at this time while we
  |were having this personal communion with God and became so close to the
  |Lord...but for some reason we drifted away from doing this at home and
  |only received the Lord's supper at church.  But it was a very special time
  |in my life.
  |   What is your opinion of fasting?
  |           YSIC.......................Dru
 
 
 
Dear Drucilla,
 
You ask me, "What is your opinion of fasting?"  I wish I could say I
have great personal experience of fasting.  I could answer your
question more honestly then, and my doctor would be a lot happier
about those pounds he wants me to lose!
 
Fasting means reducing one's intake of food and drink below what is
suitable, and doing so for uniquely spiritual reasons.  Several
caveats are necessary for fasting:
        1) it must be a temporary measure;
        2) it must be done with prudence, so that it causes some
           discomfort, but never sickness or weakness;
        3) it must not interfere with one's duties;
        4) it must not draw attention to itself (Matt. 6:16-18).
 
The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah 58, are scornful
of fasting if it is not backed up with love of God and care of one's
neighbor.  So they anticipate the teaching of Jesus in Matt. 6:16-18.
 
But many texts teach that fasting is a worthy companion of prayer:
Psalms 35:13, 69:11; Joel 1:14, 2:15; Daniel 9:13.  Especially does
fasting seem appropriate in seasons of penance, like Lent, or when
one wants to feel greater sorrow for sin and greater delicacy of
conscience about one's shortcomings and one's need of God.
 
In all things, Jesus Christ is our model.  He fasted 40 days and 40
nights with prayer before taking up His work teaching and miracles
that was to lead Him to the Cross.  When the Christian is faced with
important decisions, he follows Christ when he prays and fasts to
obtain God's light and guidance for the next steps in his life.
 
About Holy Communion, would you like to listen to an audio tape on
this subject?  If you will send me your mailing address (mark it
PRIVATE if you wish), I will send you a tape.
 
                                        Love in Christ,
 
                                        Father Mateo