Medjugorje Forum

OnASpiritualJourney2 wrote:I agree with Bluecross - that's a wonderful fast Starbright! There are many ways to fast.

I agree, when I am in the monastery the food isn't very good,so I have no problems to fast when I am there,but at home : keep the chips away from me ,are I am lost..

Jelena's quote about prayer and fasting are essential for noticing heaven around us is true. I believe this with all my heart.

I returned to church slowly in June or July of 08. I went alone but prayed and fasted hoping my family would join me. Now we all attend, my son "Wondrous Dream" John made his communion encouraged by a dream that seemed to come from heaven. This is a miracle to me. The fact that my wife and teenage children are attending church is nothing short of a miracle and many rosarys prayed for this outcome.

More recently, my brother-in-law who my wife deeply loves (her big brother) was diagnosed with lung cancer and the news was poor. Death in 6 months usually with his diagnosis. And her friend at work was diagnosed with breast cancer. I began to fast and pray for them quietly. Yesterday, my brother-in-law was told they had been mistaken. He'll need surgery but he should live a long healthy life. My wifes friend's prognosis has changed to a more optomistic one. Ask and the door will be open. A day with only bread and water is a small price to pay to encounter heaven.

I don't know if this should go in the prayers answered thread, but I feel it was just as much about the fasting as the prayer. It's clear to me just how powerful the combination of the two devotions are. Thanks for listening.

Well done for all who fast. I fail on fasting very often. I have been failing on prayer too more recently. You have my respect. If you have any tips, do share them with me please!

If you have any tips, do share them with me please!

1. persevere.
2. Remember that your fast offering may have fed 5,000 needy people.

Hail Mary...

I do not always succeed but find whether I fail or succeed on fast days I think of God a lot. Either completing the fast and feeling I have pleased Him or failed and know I'll try again. Even a failure is not really a failure but an attempt at expressing the love of God. It seems to be all good. Its effort at pleasing God. I don't want to leavean impression that I always succeed. I failed a number of times while praying for my brother-in-law.

Guys....I have been getting a lot of hints that fasting is what I need to do, from this forum, to praying about it, to my priest telling me to do it at my last confession...so I started last Wednesday...it was tough, bread and water was all I had, but I had a couple of spoons of peanutbutter in the afternoon around 5:00pm to help me....It did, just a suggestion....

Awesome Mitch! What I've also found helps me - and I've just started recently to do this - is to offer the fast up for a particular intention. It keeps me focused on why I'm doing the fast - especially from about 7 pm to midnight!

Also, for any who are able to fast okay while at work during the day and then find it hard coming home to a regular dinner on the table for the rest of the family, maybe ask if they wouldn't mind joining you in the fast - just for dinner time. Those who really can't do the bread only, could maybe have a bite to eat before you get home from work and you can enjoy some bread together with a nice cup of hot water for dinner. I know I would find it really hard to fast if I was preparing a regular meal for the rest of the family, although I did do that for a while.

Mitch,

Sounds good. was happy to hear your priest mention it to yo. I rarely hear our priests ever mention fasting. Perhaps with Lent coming up that will change. It seems to be a much over looked topic in my church. Continued success on your journey.

Mitch, that is excellent. We do get told that starting slowly is better than jumping straight in. Those who go too quickly into it can get disheartened. It is like an athlete, if they try too hard initially they'll give up.

Cheers
Leo.

Mitch,

I started a thread calledWhat helps you during fast days. I wrote somethings that help me. so I won't write it again. Hopefully, others will write their strategies that seem to help them on fast days. Keep trying. Even when I fail, I find a closer relationship with God and think of Him all day, even when I break a fast prematurely. Keep trying. When Our Lady calls it is a bessing. She muct be calling you. She will help, just ask.

the one thing that really works for me is having a warm mug of chicken broth.

i started to think about our dependance on eating, especially in the american culture, and it is done much less out of need--or genuine hunger-- but eating is done so much more to satisfy emotion.

there is a comfort to chicken broth, the warmth, the smell. one can't help but slow down and relax while sipping a broth! it satisfies on that emotional level, and the hungers just seem to go away.

One other thng that i've noticed that i have not mentioned. Fasting is not a bout success for failure but relationship. Fast days for me are a lot obout thinking of God. I think more than succeeding or failing God wants us to connect with Him.

Yes. I think the day I fasted for the Fatima intention of 'in reparation for the sins and sacrileges by which He is offended' I felt really, really close to God, and added a few Divine Mercy chaplets and some free prayer as well. So what I'm saying is that having an intention really helps, and also that when you fast you quite often feel a lot closer to and engaged in God

keeping the fast on fast days, certainly causes me to rethink my eating habits on non-fast days, too!

am i wasteful in my cooking, too concerned about what tastes good? this kind of thought, for me, tends to then flow in other aspects of my life.

the 'fasting attitude' then just seems to translate into other areas of life. it causes me to look at what is 'earthly' and what is 'spiritual', to better understand the difference between the two, to cling more to what is eternal, and less to what is only temporary.

i've just begun to see what our lady is teaching us about fasting, it's not that a two day fast becomes the 'goal', but it is the first step on a journey to spirituality.

I agree Mamamary,

Learning to think with heavenly logic not earthly logic.

All in the spirit of love and fun.

Just to share something funny but serious I heard a couple of years ago when one of the visionaries was in London.

After holy Mass there was a talk, then question and answer time. The one that sticks out in my mind, someone asked the visionary if it would be ok to have a cup of coffe in the morning on the day of the fast, and the visionary replied, "I'm sure it would, if you can get up before Our Lady in the morning"

Sorry, but that meets my sense of humour spot on. Oh and I fail miserably on the fast front, but I keep trying anyway.

I can see why Our Lady suggests bread and water as the best fast, it is the most difficult fast. She has said give up something, every sacrifice no matter how big or small is appreciated. My experience has been that fasting on bread and water is certainly the most difficult. Sometimes I think eating and drinking nothing would be easier than bread and water.
Bread and water is not the only fast just the best, and the best would imply the most powerful in assisting the Holy Mother working to fulfill God's plan. Her messages are always so clear. Fasting--yes--eat plain bread and drink water only--that is the best. Just like all guidance from heaven, it's easy to say but hard to do.

Andy you're right it is hard, and you're right that sometimes having nothing is easier. Considering that Jesus had nothing for His forty days in the desert, I think having nothing is also an acceptable fast.

I've avoided reading this thread for a long time because I am such a failure with fasting.

But, lately Its been on my mind a lot. I think that Jesus and Mary are urgeing me to make some type of an attempt - no matter how small.

Through the years I have made small fasting attempts. I have fasted from chocolate for sometimes a day at a time - up to a couple of months.
(I am a very huge chocolate addict).

I actually once tried to fast on only bread and water, and only made it half a day. I never tried again.

I have a non-Catholic, Christian friend that used to frequently go on 30 day liquid fasts for various prayer intentions. I was always amazed and in awe!
But, it also gave me inspiration. (although - I've yet to attempt it - even for a day).
Instead of bread and water - she had things such as V-8 Juice (tomatoe juice), chicken broth and other nutricious liquids.

I do have health problems, including low blood sugar problems, so a fast on only water and bread may not be a good thing for me to do at this time - but perhaps I can at least start small - a little at a time.

It has been easy for me to use my health issues as an excuse to make no attempt at fasting - no matter how small of a fast.

So - perhaps I'll start with my chocolate again. I should think I could survive 2 days a week without it. LOL!
(Although I am sincerely so addicted to my daily ration of chocolate! )

Then I could gradually work my way up to slowly fasting from other things.

Perhaps bread and liquids on the fast days and perhaps eventually I could manage to switch the liquids to just water?

Reading this thread has given me many ideas.

I suppose, instead of just sitting around thinking I just 'can't' fast, I should change my thinking to "How?" can I fast.

Thank you for all of your posts - you have all really inspired me.

If this helps you, Tessa:

I never fast on Wednesdays. I fast some Fridays (it's getting more). Mostly now it's on bread and normal drinks, but before it used to be half a day. I'm starting to try to cut out more of the normal drinks and have water, hot or cold, instead. I'm having some slow success.

Today I started well but met a friend in town. I haven't told her I fast because I don't think she would understand, being lapsed, and so I had no bread, becasue that would have elicited questions, so in the end I bought a prawn and crab mayonnaise baguette roll. I was going to have just cheese but the seafood tempted me Anyway when I got home I just had bread and water all evening.

I think you have to do it very slowly and just build up when you feel honestly that you could push it just a little more.

yes I've noticed that sometimes it is better not to eat at all. I might have a slice or two of bread but I try to drink lots of water and that fills u up. I also agree that if u do it for a special intention then there is extra motivation to keep it up and make it till the end of the day. I am trying to fast more often but it is difficult. Although sometimes I feel better after not eating for a day. I think we eat too much food the rest of the week. sharonw

Since fasting seems to be so important I am surprised that priests don't encourage it more. I don't hear them mention it very often. If anything it is the opposite-- there is always a waffle breakfast after morning mass or a BBQ or spaghetti dinner or some other kind of food fund raiser!! it's great to get together for the fellowship but maybe they should dedicate more days to fasting .

sharonw

We had a great sermon about this from our deacon a few weeks ago. It was during ordinary time - Easter time had ended - and one of the readings that day was about that when you fast, don't do like the hypocrites do ... Well the sermon focused on the fact that the Church put this reading in ordinary time for a reason. We are supposed to fast throughout the year - not just during Lent. He also stressed that in the scriptures it doesn't say "if" you fast and pray, but "when" you fast and pray. It was an awesome sermon! And you're right - it should be talked about much more often than it is. I had no idea until learning the messages of Medjugorje. Thank you Blessed Mother!

leo daly wrote:Interestingly I find it easier to fast by not eating at all. I do have water and maybe one coffee in the morning. There is a fasting bread recipe somewhere on the www.childrenofmedjugorje.com website.

I admire your efforts but slow down. As Bluecross said you may end up doing nothing.

cheers
Leo.

'I find it easier to fast by not eating at all'

I am the same as Leo I only manage to fast these days by not having one meal,no breakfast, so my lunch becomes breakfast and then evening
I have an evening meal includes fruit, once I start eating it's much harder

sometimes I fail in the evening by having jelly, perhaps I will look up the website you have given.I rationalise this by saying jelly is only water.

twenty years ago I could fast no food for three days with just water and
I would drink tea? I do not recommend long fasts it could damage your tum, also I would sometimes start without prayer consequences of this is i thought I was feeling spiritual even though painful but to be honest it's just a high feeling nothing spiritual about it. I had to learn this through trial and error.It is really helpful to read what's been written about this other peoples experiences is so helpful.

I better have a look at the rest of this thread as ive only read a few.

God Bless patricia

Fasting is my own particular spiritual Achilles Heel.

Having done the 'psycho' stuff at uni, I am aware that I use food as my 'comforter'/'soother' - there are and have been for a long time, a lot of stressful issues in my family and extended family. At present there is a 'battle' going on between me and 'the devil', where I am, by prayerful means and psychological 'exercises', attempting to lower my feelings of stress, while the devil appears to be doing his worst to prevent it.

I believe the 'good guys' are slowly making progress, but bad habits and lack of spiritual and mental discipline most certainly haven't helped.


Peace and Love.

Is there anyone that has fasting all sorted? One week is good, the next not so good. Its something that has to be worked at all the time. Ill health has posed its own problems and now I am trying to experiment with a slightly different approach. I have finally decided that I must have some butter on my bread rolls..not much but a little. Dry bread (via vagal nerve stimulation) induces profound bradycardia (slow heart beat) and something for which I had a pacemaker inserted in 2005. There is no sense in deliberately creating a harmful situation so I am hopeful that my latest strategy is a good compromise and will also prolong the battery life of my pacemaker !