Ash Wednesday
the
Catholic practice of fasting as it stands today is pretty lax.
It’s
only expected of us two days a year—
today
and on Good Friday—
and
it’s a matter of eating less than usual,
rather
than eating nothing at all.
But
in ages past, Lenten fasting was much more intense.
In
fact, in the lives of the saints,
we
find many examples of men and women
subsisting
on a little bread and some water
for
the entire season—or even longer.
There’s
a legend about a monastery outside of Munich, Germany,
where
the monks once embraced a most unusual Lenten fast:
for
40 days, they would consume nothing other than beer.
I
know: it sounds more like an idea
coming
out of a frat house than a monastery,
but
many monasteries—as a matter of health—
made
beer for their common beverage
at
a time when the water was generally unsafe to drink.
These
monks had a special brew for this time of year:
a
fortified beer that was rich in carbohydrates and vitamins.
It was
nicknamed “liquid bread.”
We
know for sure that the monks made the beer—
we
still have their recipe.
But
did they really live on nothing else for all of Lent?
Five
years ago, a man from Des Moines, Iowa,
decided
there was only one way to find out:
he’d
make the “beer fast” himself.
For
the entire season of Lent,
4
beers a day during the week
and
5 beers a day on the weekend
(when he had “fewer obligations”).
He
lost 25½ pounds that Lent…but he gained so much more.
What
did he discover?
For
one thing he discovered
“that
the human body is an amazing machine.
Aside
from cramming it full of junk food,
we
don’t ask much of it.
We
take it for granted.
It
is capable of much more than many of us give it credit for.
It
can climb mountains, run marathons
and,
yes, it can function without food for long periods of time.”
Once
his initial pangs of hunger had passed, however,
“My
fast…underscored for me
that
there is a difference between wants and needs.
I
wanted a cheeseburger, but I didn’t need one.
I
also didn’t need a bag of chips or a midday doughnut.
I
needed nourishment,
and
my [beer]… was enough to keep me strong and alert….”
Now,
I don’t generally think of drinking a few beers
as
something that can uncloud my mind,
but
that’s exactly what it did for this daring homebrewer.
“My
body…switched gears, replaced hunger with focus,
and
I found myself operating in a tunnel of clarity
unlike
anything I’d ever experienced.…
The
benefits of self-discipline can’t be overstated
in
today’s world of instant gratification.
The
fast provided a long-overdue tune-up and detox,
and
I’ve never felt so rejuvenated, physically or mentally.”
J.
Wilson’s fast did more than prove to him
that
the legend of some monks
living on beer alone was probably true.
living on beer alone was probably true.
“It
left me with the realization that the monks
must
have been keenly aware
of their own humanity and imperfections.
In order to refocus on God,
of their own humanity and imperfections.
In order to refocus on God,
they
engaged this annual practice
not
only to endure sacrifice,
but
to stress and rediscover their own shortcomings
in
an effort to continually refine themselves.
Though
they lived out their faith
at
a higher degree of daily devotion than the average person,
they
could sense their loss of focus.
Taking
nothing for granted,
they
took steps to rectify that problem on an annual basis.
Shouldn’t
we all…?”
Just
to be perfectly clear:
I’m
not going on a beer fast this Lent—
and
I don’t exactly recommend that you do, either.
But
doesn’t Mr. Wilson make some important points
for
our consideration on this Ash Wednesday?
Lent
is a time for us to get back to basics.
The
traditional practices of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting—
which
Jesus himself commends to us today—
are
meant to strip away our attachments to the things of earth
that
we might get greater clarity
and
regain our focus on the things of heaven.
Whatever
your chosen Lenten discipline this year—
whether
you plan to “give something up,”
do
something extra, or some combination of the two—
make
sure that it’s aim is to free you from distractions
and
return your attention to what really matters in the end.
We
are about to be marked with ashes.
From
ancient times,
ashes
have been a vivid sign of the need for repentance.
We
were made from the dust of the earth,
and—on
account of our sins—to that dust we shall one day return.
It’s
a fact we’d rather ignore or deny:
we
are sinners destined for death.
But
we’re marked with those ashes in the form of a Cross.
Although
sinners, there is a God who loves us nonetheless—
loves
us enough to send his Son to die for our salvation:
to
die on the Cross that we might live forever.
We’re
sinners, yes…but we’ve been redeemed.
A
most unusual fast helped J. Wilson
to
distinguish between what he wants and what he needs.
This
Lent, whatever you do—on don’t do—
make
sure its goal is to help you
want
to know God and his loving mercy more than anything else.
By
God’s grace, maybe by Easter you’ll have then discovered
that God and his love are really all you ever need.
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