Saints on Fasting

Saint Gregory: "It is impossible to engage in spiritual conflict, without the previous subjugation of the appetite."

Saint John Chrysostom: "Fasting is the support of our soul: it gives us wings to ascend on high, and to enjoy the highest contemplation! [...] God, like an indulgent father, offers us a cure by fasting."

Saint Alphonsus De Ligouri: "He that gratifies the taste will readily indulge the other senses; for, having lost the spirit of recollection, he will easily commit faults, by indecent words and by unbecoming gestures. But the greatest evil of intemperance, is that it exposes chastity to great danger. 'Repletion of the stomach,' says St. Jerome, 'is the hotbed of lust.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda: "Temperance includes the two virtues of abstinence and sobriety...Abstinence also includes fasting. These virtues take the first place in treating of temperance; for nourishment, being necessary for the preservation of life, is among the principal objects coveted by the appetites."

Saint Basil: "Penance without fasting is useless and vain; by fasting [we] satisfy God."

Saint Catherine of Siena: "without mortifying the taste, it is impossible to preserve innocence, since it was by the indulgence of his appetite that Adam fell."

Saint Augustine: "But now the necessity of habit is sweet to me, and against this sweetness must I fight, lest I be enthralled by it. Thus I carry on a daily war by fasting, constantly bringing my body into subjection...And while health is the reason for our eating and drinking, yet a perilous delight joins itself to them as a handmaid; and indeed, she tries to take precedence in order that I may want to do for her sake what I say I want to do for health’s sake....These temptations I daily endeavor to resist and I summon thy right hand to my help and cast my perplexities onto thee."

Saint Francis De Sales: "besides the ordinary effect of fasting in raising the mind, subduing the flesh, confirming goodness, and obtaining a heavenly reward, it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit; and although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast."

Saint Peter Chrysologus: “Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God’s ear to yourself”

Didache: "pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you."

Scripture on Fasting

Fasting is a very important part of Christian living. In fact, it goes hand and hand with prayer. Fasting is a sign of repentance and it is also a great spiritual strengthening. Here is what the Bible says about it:

Samuel 12:16 - David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in a lay all night upon the ground.

Kings 21:27 -And when Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

Ezra 8:21-23 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way; since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good upon all that seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all that forsake him.” So we fasted and besought our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Esther 4:3  -And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 4:15-17 -And now, O Lord God and King, God of Abraham, spare thy people; for the eyes of our foes are upon us to annihilate us, and they desire to destroy the inheritance that has been thine from the beginning. Do not neglect thy portion, which thou didst redeem for thyself out of the land of Egypt. Hear my prayer, and have mercy upon thy inheritance; turn our mourning into feasting, that we may live and sing praise to thy name, O Lord; do not destroy the mouth of those who praise thee.

Psalm 35:13 -But I, when they were sick – I wore sackcloth, I afflicted myself with fasting I prayed with head bowed on my bosom.

Daniel 10:2-3 -In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.

Matthew 6:16-18 -And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 4:1-2 -Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry.

Luke 4:1-13 -And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, He was hungry. The devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took Him up, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to Him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it shall be all yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation; he departed from him until an opportune time.

Luke 2:36-38 - And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Acts 9:8-9 -Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

The Hope of the Nations

What is the International Week of Prayer and Fasting?

The International Week of Prayer and Fasting is a grassroots movement of Catholics and other Christians from around the world participating in a global network of prayer and fasting for the goals of the week:
1. Bring a Conversion of Nations
2. Build a ‘Culture of Life’
3. Create Peace throughout the World
The grasp of the culture of death on our world is growing stronger. Wars, natural disasters, terrorism, abortion, euthanasia, and religious persecution are on the rise as never before. As Christians, however, we are not to despair, but to place our hope in Christ. Now more than ever believers from all traditions and nationalities must unite together to pray and fast.

When is this week held?

This week is held annually in October, the month of the holy rosary.  This is our 19th year and it will be held from October 1st-9th, 2011 to pray for the goals of the week.

How can you participate?
Consistently we see examples in scripture, the lives of the saints and the lives of religious leaders throughout history that prayer and fasting can change the course of world events.  You can participate in many ways:
1.  Pray and fast with your family, with your prayer group, with your parish, or with your community from October 1st-9th, 2011.
2.  Attend the International Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, October 1, 2011.
3.  Attend the Awards Banquet on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at Georgetown Conference Center with keynote speaker Lila Rose, founder of Live Action.  

go here: http://www.iwopf.org/

Blessed S. Johnpillai, Sillalai Catechist

Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for the Beatification of Your faithful servant, Blessed S. Johnpillai, Sillalai Catechist, Amen.

This story inspires me. I stumbled upon Blessed Johnpillal recently and was reminded once again that nothing is impossible with God.  

Annex I
Miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Johnpillai.
I solemnly declare and state the details of my firm belief of a favor obtained through the intercession of late Mr. S. Johnpillai, the holy soul in heaven. The details in brief are as follows:- It is the reconciliation of a Hindu couple separated for nearly two years and who, after all their efforts to reconcile failed, finally decided to divorce. It was at this point, I sought the intercession of Blessed Johnpillai to pray for the couple and to obtain their reconciliation. The fervent prayers continued for three months and at the end of three months, on Maundy Thursday, 09th of April, Mrs. SB called with the glad news. The prayers were answered and the impossible to human efforts became possible to Divine intervention through the intercession of Blessed Johnpillai. There was an apparent change of heart and the couple was reconciled. The lady thanked God profusely from the bottom of her heart. I too join her in thanking the Almighty for His mercy and love and especially to the holy soul of Mr. Johnpillai in Heaven for his intercession.

A. Jesuthasan
13th April 2009.
(NB: The report in full is filed separately)

Blessed Johnpillai, please intercede on the behalf of all spouses in need of reconciliation!

Turning into Pinocchio

Last night I lied.

I am ashamed of myself.  Although, I told a white lie (half truth) to protect my reputation,  I think that in reality I caused more damage. Maybe nobody I told the lie to cares. Perhaps, they already forgot about it.

BUT IT MATTERS.

It matters because:

1) Lying is a sin

2) The fear of truth is not healthy.  It shows that I am unable to accept the reality of a certain situation, because I am too afraid/ashamed to admit a particular problem out loud to others.

3) Lack of true humility. I think that if I say everything "is ok" and pretend certain events didn't happen, I can fix the issues with no shame. No one needs to be the wiser, right? Wrong.

4) I am denying others the opportunity to practice Christian virtue.

5) Lack of trust in God. I realized that I am trying to control the situation/people's reactions, etc.,  where I should just be trusting God to take care of me because the situation is out of my control.

"As Isidore says (Etym. x) "honesty means an honorable state," wherefore a thing may be said to be honest through being worthy of honor. Now honor, as stated above (Q[144], A[2], ad 2), is due to excellence: and the excellence of a man is gauged chiefly according to his virtue, as stated in Phys. vii, 17. Therefore, properly speaking, honesty refers to the same thing as virtue." Summa Theologica