Lent #24:  Discipline 4 of 7—Fasting.

With fasting …Who knows?

(Joel 2:12&14)

“Who knows?” Maybe the Lord will bring an end to Joel’s locus infestation and the Lord “will bring rain, as before. And, the vats will overflow with wine” (Joel 2). That’s the same thing David said when fasting for the life of his child: “I fasted and wept; for I said ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and the child may live’” (2Sam 12:22). Fasting does not presume. It’s a humble discipline. It does not remove us from suffering; nor, does it guarantee calamity will be avoided. Who knows?

Ancient locus infestation continue to plague us to this day. So too, with viral breakouts. As moderns, we’ve come to imagine that science has put an end to such ancient scourges. It hasn’t. That’s the scary thing about our present viral outbreak; science seems to have lost its magic. The malicious virus continues to have its way. The death toll rises.

The Prophet Joel calls us to fast and pray for God’s deliverance. It’s not to say science will not eventually find its magic: “There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, for they too pray to the Lord that he grant them success” (Sirach 38:13). Maybe this time, those who imagine we can handle things without God, will “pray to the Lord” and the Lord will “grant them success”.  Let us who pray, pray so.