In the second presentation of the 2012 Lenten Series at Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati on Wednesday, March 7, Bishop Tom Breidenthal spoke about the discipline of fasting and the church as a training place.
First, fasting is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition as well as in Islam.
In Christianity, fasting is a discipline. As a matter of fact, the Greek root of the term is askein which means to work and from which we also get the term ascetic.
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, ascetic is defined as a person who renounces the comforts of society and leads a life of austere self-discipline, especially as an act of religious devotion.
It is a discipline which supports the belief its practice “releases the soul from bondage to the body and permits union with the divine” , according to the dictionary.
When applied to fasting, there is the emphasis on self-denial, to step outside the comfort zone for purposes of being reminded. First of who we are – the same reminder of Ash Wednesday – that we are mortal like everybody else. Second, that we are all connected. Bishop Breidenthal observed that it is incorrect when we speak of “making connections”. We are already connected by divine design. Fasting reminds us of the fact.
At this point, Bishop Breidenthal stressed that our connection is not limited to other Christians. We are connected to Jews and Moslems and Hindus and all human race. He also reminded the audience of the sensitivity of Jews towards Lent.
For European Jews, Lent was the beginning of their persecution and the horrors leading to WW II.
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