There is something about fasting that is liberating. We have a natural tendency, an instinct, to preen and look after ourselves. This often goes to extreme and people become too self-engrossed, thinking only of themselves. Fasting allows us to stop thinking of ourselves, acknowledge our lowly origins and that, but for the grace of God, our lives are just “candles in the wind” – easily snuffed out and gone.
Our lives are made meaningful not by the accoutrements we put on but by the good we do for others. This is the reason why fasting is not only about denying ourselves of food but also includes rituals like putting on sackcloth and ashes on the forehead. This the reason why fasting must go with almsgiving, that we do good for others. This is the reason that fasting must be accompanied by prayers, our humble acknowledgement of God being in control over our lives.
Then, Jesus warns us against being too engrossed with the rituals and forgetting the essence of what we are doing. I listen to these words with humility and pray over them: