by Fr. Nicholas Beasley

The practice of fasting shapes many of the Church’s spiritual and worship practices during Lent. Though it takes various forms, fasting is the act of abstaining from food in order to deepen our awareness of our dependence on God and to gain some mastery over the appetites of the flesh. We pray that the Holy Spirit will enter the space created by fasting, filling what we have emptied with his own gifts.

Some will fast in a traditional sense, particularly on the weekly fast days of Wednesday and Friday. Do so with care for your health; for many, plenty of water and a light meal constitute an appropriate fast. Others may take a more creative approach, giving something up for Lent as a form of fasting. Sweets, alcohol, french fries, Netflix—any of these can become something we abstain from, trusting that God will fill the resulting emptiness with something greater than what we have set aside. Pray for that when you give something up.

As a Church, we also fast corporately from some of the beauty of our worship during Lent. The ornate cross is veiled; flowers and the seven-branched candelabra are removed from the altar. Plainsong chants and minor keys replace melodies in major keys that we might naturally find more beautiful. By fasting from some of the beauty of our faith, the mystery at its center comes into sharper focus: the loving forgiveness of God in the Cross of Jesus Christ, which awaits us at the end of our Lenten journey.

Learn more about other important updates in the latest church newsletter: The Epistle – April 24, 2026