Prayer, charity, fasting

...are spiritual weapons to combat evil

But why do we fast?

Let me hand over to Pope Benedict:

"Fasting, to which the Church invites us during this time, is not born from motivations of a physical or aesthetic order, but springs from the need the person feels for interior purification, to be detoxified from the contamination of sin and evil."

Benedict XVI said that fasting educates in "those healthy self-denials that free the believer from his 'I,' and make him more attentive and ready to listen to God and to serve his brothers."

I kinda mentioned this in my post about Lent and fasting a few days ago; denying yourself something you really want helps to strengthen your will, and is actually liberating; you are freed from being a slave to yourself, and so are more open and able to hear God's voice, you aren't blinded by your own selfishness, and have the strength to freely choose to do His will.

But along with fasting go prayer and works of charity.

We should especially try during the Lent time to be more charitable to everyone.

Force yourself to smile when you want to scowl.

Give people what they ask, even if you really wanted it yourself (the nicest looking steak, the bit of cake with that extra cream on top...)

and give more to charities...to your Church in the collection plate and to any good wholesome organisations (maybe like a monestray, a convent, a Catholic hospital, a pro-life group...be careful with big secular organisations because lots of them (even like UNICEF) sponsors abortions and contraception policies in the 3rd world).


"For this reason, fasting and the Lenten practices" of prayer and works of charity, in particular almsgiving, "are considered by the Christian tradition spiritual 'weapons' to combat evil, evil passions and vices," the Pope said.

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