February 17, Ash Wednesday, Lent began. In chapter 6 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus teaches about prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Throughout the season of Lent, these and other penances may be practiced to outwardly symbolize an inward conversion of heart–a conversion away from sin and toward virtue. It is not difficult for us to understand the importance of turning to God through prayer, or turning to our neighbor through almsgiving or charity; however, the practice of fasting is a bit more difficult for us to get our heads around.

Fasting was practiced by Jews in the Old Testament and Christians in the New Testament and throughout the history of the church. Jesus himself fasted for 40 days in the desert.

Fasting has been associated with abstaining from food altogether for an extended period of time-days or parts of the day (for example, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset during Ramadan)-or limiting one's food intake during the day (for example, one main meal with two smaller meals and no snacking). However, during Lent, it is also common to fast from certain types of foods or drinks (like desserts, chocolate, snacks, coffee, alcohol, etc.) or even non-food items (like TV, social media, movies, etc.). When money saved from fasting, it is often given to a charity to help those in need.

When fasting from food, our hunger reminds us of our deeper hunger for God, as well as the hunger of many in our community and our world who fast involuntarily because of poverty. Moreover, fasting from anything helps us to master our instincts and to live freely.

Freedom is not just doing whatever pleases us; rather, freedom is being able to choose that which is truly good. To be really free, we must be able to say "no" to immediate pleasures in order to achieve that which is best for us in the long-term. If we cannot say "no" to immediate pleasures, then we must say "yes", and, if we must say "yes", then we are not free. Rather, we are a slave to our desires, passions, and instincts. Fasting exercises and strengthens our will, and, the more we exercise our will, the freer we become.

So, exercising our will on something relatively harmless, like chocolate, can prepare us for decisions that have real moral consequences. Saying "no" to chocolate today can prepare us to say "no" to drugs, gossip, pornography, violence, etc. tomorrow.

There is still time to strengthen our participation in the Way of the Lord through prayer, charity and fasting in preparation for the feast of Easter with its festal season of 50 days, which exceeds the number of days we fast during the season of Lent.

Fr. Steve Werner

St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Dayton

St. Marks, Waitsburg

Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Pomeroy