Lent: Why the Christian Must Deny Himself (with Scriptural references)

I must add that the physical aspect of fasting is very good as well. For example, it costs hundreds of dollars for a procedure called hydrocolonic cleansing, which has the same effect of fasting. I've done this procedure and feel an incredible energy after.

Basically the homeopathic medical procedure cleanses your insides, or gives you an internal bath. A lot of junk accumulates within us. The toxic waste slows down our body and immune sytem. Just like sin accumulates and weakens our spirit.

I would also assume that our body chemistry changes while fasting, and enhances our prayers. There is much more to this than meets the eye.

Fasting shows you how vulnerable you are. It is an object lesson in humility: you don’t just sit and think of how much you depend on the Providence, your stomach tells you.

And, yes, it does something on the mental level. It makes you more alert.

It is true that one cannot just decide to be humble, and that ostentation destroys humility. It has to be a work of prayer as well as fasting....This is why we recommend fasting, and we have examples of Jesus and many saints who also fasted.

Our Lord Jesus fasted but was there ever a time when He was not humble...when He was seeking for humility?

But please note what you state in the first two sentences; the first you state that a person cannot just decide to be humble and in the second you state that it must be the work of fasting. Sorry, but foregoing eating is not going to make you humble. In fact, if you want to seek after humility you simply cannot find it. Humility is a chastening of the soul. It is God who humbles us so as to reveal what lies in our hearts.

Deu 8:2 "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

In my mind there are precious few Christians today who really want God to humble us by revealing to us what is truly in our hearts.

If you seek after any virtue, humility or any other, if you do so prayerfully, God will give it to you. Fasting is just an accompaniment to prayer, as it is the most direct way of denying self.

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt 16:24)
Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. (Lk 11:9)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.