Welcome to Day 11 of our Lenten Journey

Growing up Catholic, fasting was a part of every day life. Every Friday our meals would be "meatless"and this was especially true during Lent. Our main course would be a thick, bubble-gum like grilled cheese sandwhiche and potato soup or, on rare occassions, fish sticks. When asked about our peculiar diet habits by my non-Catholic friends, I would respond with "it was just something that we do". There's a term for that, it's called 'tradition'. The things we do when the reason for doing them has been lost. I knew that it was supposed to be spiritual and even a righteous or pius thing to do and was told that  that God desired us to do it. To want to do it and to seek Him through it... But... I have to confess, I didn't feel any holier, and I didn't feel any closer, as a matter of fact, I really didn't see much of a change in my attitude or my actions for the better. Saying grace as a family and asking God to bless our "bubble-gum sandwhiches" was even a chore. The only thing that came from my "regular and required fasting" was that I got real tired of eating grilled cheese sandwhiches. My mom would quickly tell me that there were starving children that would be grateful for such a feast. My only "pius" thought at the time was this: if there were starving kids in Africa just send them my cheese sandwhich. 

When I grew older, I began to understand the significance of prayer joined with fasting, the act of denying oneself for the greater gain. Yet, it was still a struggle.

It wasn't until years later that everything changed for me. I was feeling like I was living life from a dry well.  There was a long period of spiritual dryness that I didn't think I would survive and I was afraid of losing my faith completely. I desperately wanted to go deeper and experience what others had experienced through their prayers and fasting. To have that deep spiritual connection and conversion and fathomless faith-filled life. I was several days into Lent that year, I was crying out to God asking Him to reveal to me the junk in my life that was stopping me from succeeding. (Isaiah 58:9) God answered me.

I came to understand that the place of dryness was a necessary part of my faith journey. It was needed to make me completely reliant on Him for refreshing. 

IWe hunger and thirst for the Spiritual truth that it's not who we are that matters, but who God is.

It's not what we do, but what God does with us and through us.

It's not about what we want, but about what we already have and are eager and willing to give.

We are blessed by how we bless others, not for our sake, but for God's righteousness and glory. To be an annonymus giver of good gifts of mercy, justice and peace.

In Isaiah God delivers a message to his people who are frustrated with His lack of response to their fasting and prayer. It's easy to confuse fasting with a hunger strike to get God to do what we want Him to do. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God reminds us of what He wants for us.

Pray that God will use your experiences with discomfort and hunger to permanantly alter how you see the lost and needy of this world. 

Pray also that God empties you out completely of all of 'you' and to fills you up with all that is 'Him'.

Read: Isaiah 58; Matthew 6:1-4

Prayer of consecration

Lord,

I confess my sins and failures to you and I am very sorry for having sinned against You.  Give me the strength to seek and accept Your grace and forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, you poured yourself out completely and died for me so that I would have eternal life. I claim that wonderful and indescribable gift of salvation.

Create a pure heart in me, refresh my spirit and renew my mind and body.

I consecrate myself to you Lord and ask that you use me according to your holy will.

I pray in Jesus name.

Amen