As we enter deeper into this holy season we will hear the Transfiguration story once again on the 2nd Sunday of Lent. God desires our transformation and renewal so that we may shine with love as God’s children in the world. This reading is proclaimed to assure us of the SUPPORT God gives us as we journey into deeper renewal and grace. SUPPORT is so important in any endeavor. When things get difficult on our faith journeys, the SUPPORT of loved ones and community are so important. The SUPPORT we receive gives us the drive to keep going especially when we want to give up. May we SUPPORT one another as true brothers and sisters in Christ as we all take seriously God’s invitation for conversion and renewal in this holy season of Lent.

As we enter the Lenten Season, we are called to do these 3 spiritual practices: pray, FAST, and to give alms. Since it is the first Friday of Lent, I wanted to share the requirements for FASTING in the Catholic Church.

We technically only have two days of FAST throughout the year which are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. A FAST consists of 1 meal and 2 snacks. Anyone from the ages of 18 to 59 are bound to these rules of FASTING. Throughout the Fridays of Lent, however, all are required to abstain from eating meat.

On a deeper level, the FAST we are called to enter into is meant to make us conscious and aware of all the things that we do or turn to instead of Jesus Christ to heal our wounded hearts and souls. Food, Social Media, Sports, TV and many other things are not necessarily sinful, but when used to escape or self-medicate, then they truly do a disservice to our journey of growth and conversion in Christ. This is why we are called to FAST. FASTING reveals the inner wounds that only get exposed when we refrain from turning to the things of the world that we use to numb our pains. May we take our Lenten FAST seriously as a means to “give up” the things that do not serve us in order to truly awaken and grow in Christ.