Breaking the Word

Saturday after Ash Wednesday – 05^th March 2022 – Lk 5,27-32

Ripple Effect of Grace

Levi responded to Jesus’ call to follow him with amazing promptness. He was so overjoyed at his salvation experience and of his apostleship that he invited many of his friends to rejoice with him in a great banquet. Levi had three purposes for arranging this great feast. He wanted to honour the Lord, to witness publicly to his new commitment, and he wanted to introduce his friends to Jesus. The overflowing grace of repentance that Levi radiated was already evangelizing those around him. His old friends could sense something profoundly different in him. Of him Jesus said later to the chief priests, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt 21,31). Levi was first in line of the stunning converts made by Jesus. In his turn, Levi communicated to others the grace Jesus gave him. His conversion had a ripple effect of grace.

Friday after Ash Wednesday – 04^th March 2022 — Mt 9,14-15

Appropriate Fasting

Jesus’ meal with his disciples in the tax collector’s house raises question about fasting. To the disciples of John, Jesus responds with three parable-like analogies from everyday life. They pull together unlikely elements: weddings, mourning and fasting. In the context of the disciples’ question, mourning refers to fasting, though ‘to mourn’ is not an appropriate response for fasting. Fasting is inappropriate for two reasons. Firstly, it accompanies solemn and distressing circumstances of repentance and confession (1 Kgs 21,27-29; Neh 1,4; Dan 9,30). Secondly, it seeks forgiveness and atonement for sin (Dan 9,3). Jesus has evinced forgiveness, healing and exorcism in his ministry through personal fast. However the time appropriate for fasting will be when Jesus will be taken away. It is the time between his resurrection and Parousia or return in triumph (Mt 24,3). We are in this “in-between” time, in which fasting is indeed necessary. As a spiritual discipline, fasting sustains disciples (Mt 6,16-18) in an appropriate way of life. Nevertheless, God’s chosen fast is to loose the bonds of injustice, to break every yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked (Isa 58,6-14; Mt 5,3-12; 25,31-46).