Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Encourage and teach with patience

Fasting

"We might wonder what value and meaning there is for us Christians in depriving ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance.

The Sacred Scriptures and the entire Christian tradition teach that fasting is a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. For this reason, the history of salvation is replete with occasions that invite fasting.

In the very first pages of Sacred Scripture, the Lord commands man to abstain from partaking of the prohibited fruit: 'You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die' (Gn 2, 16-17)."

To learn more about fasting, read this message from Pope Benedict.

almsgiving

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that “voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering brother” (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 15).

Through fasting or other similar acts of self-denial, we would then have more resources to share with those in greater need than ourselves. 

Imagine, for example, what would happen if we gave up buying lunch and instead brought from home a more simple fare.  The money saved could help feed those who are truly experiencing deprivation of one kind or another.

Each one of us can find specific ways by which to practice the self-denial of fasting, which then leads to the life-giving support of almsgiving, deeds of mercy.