When people have experienced an unhealthy relationship with food, one of the questions comes out of that and they say, okay, but I'm a Christian and I know I've been called to fast. How do I do that? Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and this is Ascentia presents. Lent has begun and the season of fasting and prayer and almsgiving has begun. Is the only way I can experience a fast, because we were also called to embrace penance throughout the whole course of Lent. Is the only way I can experience a fast, because we were also called to, you know,

embrace penance throughout the whole course of land. Is the only way I can experience a fast through

food. We know that we're surrounded by people who have been, have negatively affected by

the role of food in their lives, have been negatively affected by body image and maybe some body

dysmorphia and even just that sense of, you know,

we realize food is powerful, it's a powerful force. And for many people, food means more than just

what fuels me. When it comes to any penance, the church will always say, okay, but if there's a

person who's too young or too old, the person who's a pregnant person who's sick, then they're

exempted from some of these like fasting rules, person who's sick, then they're exempted from

some of these, like fasting rules, rules of fasting. And if you're someone, or you know someone

who's experienced this, again, unhealthy relationship with food and has become sick because of this

kind of a situation, then the church extends mercy. The church extends grace. And it also extends other options.

That reality that, okay, no, because of a sickness, whether that be a physical sickness

or a mental sickness, emotional sickness, because of that, because of that wound, individuals

who this is part of their story are given other options.

Once again, we have these

options for those who are too young or too old or too pregnant or too sick. The heart of fasting,

the heart of any kind of penance is never just about food. It's about emptying ourselves

so that God can fill us. But here's another aspect of our lives. I think one huge aspect of so many of our lives

is they're just too full. I don't mean with food. I mean they're just too full. So what might a fast

look like? Well, a fast looks like emptying where it's full. If I'm food fasting, I'm eating

less food so that I'm making space for God to come in.

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