Why do we fast? What exactly is fasting?
St. Basil the Great tell us “The fast is the weapon of protection against demons.” Monsignor Charles Pope says fasting helps us “make more room for God in our life.”
The Church asks us to fast or abstain from food or meat because it is elemental…it is like air or water, necessary for life. When we fast or abstain from food, we cannot take it for granted.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1434 we hear: “The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others.
READ: 1 Corinthians 7:5--Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, to be free for prayer, but then return to one another, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
RESOLUTION: Each week we encourage all small group members to make a resolution related to the topic. For fasting, think about how you fast and when. Discuss your resolution for this week. Some ideas: