Today (Ash Wednesday) is a day of fasting and abstinence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Catholics, we abstain from meat today.\u00a0 I seldom go a day without eating meat so this is a sacrifice for me but I do so willingly because God is more important to me than a piece of meat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Catholics, we are also called to fast today, meaning one main meal, and two small <\/em>meals.\u00a0 I like to eat.\u00a0 I like to snack (especially on my favorite candy).\u00a0 As I write this at 8:15 p.m. on Ash Wednesday, I realize that fasting for a single day really isn’t that difficult.\u00a0 I like to tell myself that when I eat it is always because I am hungry.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I think the snacking is more about habit <\/em>rather than hunger.\u00a0<\/p>\n My faith in God is stronger than my desire for a candy bar.\u00a0 I give up the candy bar readily today.\u00a0 What I need is to figure out how to give up candy and any other bad habits for ever.\u00a0 It isn’t that candy is a terrible thing.\u00a0 While, there are certainly more healthy things to eat,\u00a0that doesn’t make eating candy a sin.<\/p>\n If eating candy isn’t a sin, then why should I give it up (or at least eat far less of it)?\u00a0 First, the obvious answer is that it isn’t good for me.\u00a0 The second answer relates to another reason I eat too much candy.\u00a0 When I am stressed, I snack more.\u00a0 I think a lot of people do this.\u00a0 I would be far better off\u00a0turning to God with my stress.<\/p>\n Is there something in your life that you turn to in stress instead of turning to God?<\/p>\n Peace,<\/p>\n Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today (Ash Wednesday) is a day of fasting and abstinence.\u00a0 As Catholics, we abstain from meat today.\u00a0 I seldom go a day without eating meat so this is a sacrifice for me but I do so willingly because God is more important to me than a piece of meat.\u00a0 As Catholics, we are also called …<\/p>\n