Keto Means
Keto Means
Photo: Diana Agapova
When you begin your fast, invite God to be with you. Then, offer your fast for your chosen intention, ask for the grace to complete it and tell God that you accept as a gift whatever he chooses to bring out of it.
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Read More »Fasting is a voluntary abstinence from something good, usually food. It’s a familiar spiritual practice for most of us, but it’s also a practice we tend to take up only during Lent or only when the Church tells us we have to. That’s unfortunate because fasting is, in the words of St. Basil the Great, a powerful “weapon of protection against demons.” Similarly, Christ tells his disciples that certain kinds of demons can only be cast out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). With this in mind, we should want to be well-practiced at fasting and have this form of prayer in our spiritual arsenal at all times.
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Read More »Fasting doesn’t need to be elaborate. That’s what makes food such an obvious choice for many people. With food, we can be certain that we will desire it at certain times of the day, that giving it up will be a sacrifice and that (for most people in good physical health) skipping an occasional meal should not have any real negative effects. Still, we can legitimately fast from lots of other things too: drink, conveniences, media, hobbies, pastimes, the Internet, etc. Make sure your fast is good for you and your relationships Use good judgment. Your fast should be a legitimate sacrifice, but it also should not become a punishment for you or a burden for your family. Fasting from using your car to get to work would probably be a true sacrifice, but if it makes your kids late for school and makes you angry when you get home for work, it’s probably not a good idea. Remember: you’re voluntarily choosing to fast out of love. Use good judgment. Your fast should be a legitimate sacrifice, but it also should not become a punishment for you or a burden for your family. Fasting from using your car to get to work would probably be a true sacrifice, but if it makes your kids late for school and makes you angry when you get home for work, it’s probably not a good idea. Remember: you’re voluntarily choosing to fast out of love. Watch out for rationalization If you get an idea for a fast and find yourself immediately rationalizing why not to do it, that might actually be a good sign to consider fasting from it. Rationalizations tend to be surface-level reasons that conceal a deeper, truer motivation. In the case of fasting, rationalizions sound like, “Yes. That would be a good fast, but that’s how I relax each day.” Or, “Yes. I could do that, but that’s the one thing I get to have for me.” Rationalizations are different than justifications , which are reasons founded in truth that correspond to true motivations. They sound more like, “Yes. But my doctor says I need to make sure I eat three full meals a day.” Or, “Yes. But giving that up always makes me irritable and unable to sleep.” If you get an idea for a fast and find yourself immediately rationalizing why not to do it, that might actually be a good sign to consider fasting from it. Rationalizations tend to be surface-level reasons that conceal a deeper, truer motivation. In the case of fasting, rationalizions sound like, “Yes. That would be a good fast, but that’s how I relax each day.” Or, “Yes. I could do that, but that’s the one thing I get to have for me.” , which are reasons founded in truth that correspond to true motivations. They sound more like, “Yes. But my doctor says I need to make sure I eat three full meals a day.” Or, “Yes. But giving that up always makes me irritable and unable to sleep.” Keep it between you and God and your spiritual director We have good scriptural grounds for fasting in secret (see Matthew 6). At the same time, if someone notices our fast and asks about it, there’s nothing wrong with explaining it. Similarly, including our spouse, close friends or spiritual director in our decisions about fasting can also be a great idea. They can help us keep our head straight and our plan on track. Remember, fasting is a powerful tool against evil, and we can be certain the devil will try to confuse and discourage us during a fast. Good friends are important and helpful, and their assistance or guidance does not diminish our sacrifice. We have good scriptural grounds for fasting in secret (see Matthew 6). At the same time, if someone notices our fast and asks about it, there’s nothing wrong with explaining it. Similarly, including our spouse, close friends or spiritual director in our decisions about fasting can also be a great idea. They can help us keep our head straight and our plan on track. Remember, fasting is a powerful tool against evil, and we can be certain the devil will try to confuse and discourage us during a fast. Good friends are important and helpful, and their assistance or guidance does not diminish our sacrifice. Come up with a plan for your fast Having a start date, end date and general plan for a fast will take the decision out of the moment and also increase your likelihood of follow-through. For example, setting two alarms for the morning inevitably means snoozing the first and falling back on the second. Similarly, if you plan to decide your fast in the moment, then you’re more likely to slide in your commitment. Pick a specific moment and duration for your fast, and you’ll be more likely to complete it. Example: “I will fast from television Monday through Thursday for the next three weeks.”
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