Friday after Ash Wednesday
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of fasting not as an empty ritual, but as a meaningful expression of love and longing: when the bridegroom is taken away, then they will fast. Implicit in His words is a profound trust, Jesus believes in our fasting. He believes that our hearts are capable of desire, of sacrifice, of making space for Him. Fasting, therefore, is not about deprivation for its own sake, but about rediscovering the depth of our hunger for God. It is a way of saying that His presence matters more than comfort, more than habit, more than immediate satisfaction. During Lent, our voluntary renunciations become acts of relationship: we fast because we love, and because we await more fully the joy of communion with the Bridegroom. In this light, fasting is not a burden imposed, but a gift entrusted to mature hearts that seek to grow in freedom and fidelity. Let’s reflect: Lent is the season in which we freely fast out of love, creating space in our hearts for a deeper communion with Christ, the Bridegroom.
Don Giorgio