Reading 1 Is 58:1-9a
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
"Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?"
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Gospel Mt 9:14-15
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast."
Meditation: Isaiah 58:1-9
Why do we fast, and you do not see it?” (Isaiah 58:3)
Well-known film director Woody Allen once quipped that 90 percent of success is just showing up. Well, if that’s the case, then the other 10 percent must be absolutely crucial! There are many people who “just show up”—maybe at work, with their families, or in their neighborhoods—but don’t go much further, and the results are evident.
Think about the Israelites in today’s first reading. “Why do we fast, and you do not see it?” they asked the Lord. “Why do we afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” (Isaiah 58:3). They had met God’s requirements by denying themselves, so they wondered why he hadn’t done his part and answered their requests. After all, they “showed up,” didn’t they? The answer was that something was missing from their sacrifice—their hearts! Just maybe it wasn’t God but Israel who needed to come around to a new way of thinking.
Whenever we set out to practice self-denial, it’s natural to want to focus on ourselves. But fasting is really an invitation to put off self-concerns and personal pursuits, and to begin to pursue justice and peace. The kind of fasting the prophet advised is more than giving up food, drink, or pleasure. When we go out and serve others, we are fasting from “self” in the truest sense. We start to see that our comfort doesn’t matter so much, and we become hungry— hungry to do the will of God!
We typically don’t have far to go to find this kind of food. There are hundreds of ways we can give— and receive—a blessing. At home, we can take more time to listen to what family members are saying and to respond with compassion and sincerity. At work, we can put relationships ahead of profit or reach out to a co-worker who is struggling. When we see a homeless person, we can offer them encouragement as well as practical help. Ask the Lord how you can make a difference. He wants you to step out and offer your gifts and talents—and as you do, he will also transform you into his image!
“Holy Spirit, I choose to join you in bringing the good news to those who are hurting. May I bring them your light of compassion and share with them the power of your gospel!”
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