The First Saturday of July, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"FASTING CLEANSES THE SOUL, RAISES THE MIND, SUBJECTS ONE'S FLESH TO THE SPIRIT, RENDERS THE HEART CONTRITE AND HUMBLE, SCATTERS THE CLOUDS OF CONCUPISCENCE, QUENCHES THE FIRE OF LUST AND KINDLES THE TRUE LIGHT OF CHASTITY." (ST AUGUSTINE).

"The disciples of John ap­proached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?”

" Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9: 14 - 17).

Saturday July 2nd of the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is the First Saturday of July and Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

In the Gospel of today, Jesus is queried about the fasting practices of His disciples. Jesus is saying: There is time for everything. A time to fast and a time to feast. As for the disciples not fasting, It seems as if the kid goats watch their mother as she chews the cud and do what they see their mother do.  Be that as it may, Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving are the 3 pillars of Christian spiritual life.

Do you fast? How often? When? What do you fast from?
On the three pillars of the spiritual life, the Church teaches:

"The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one’s neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity “which covers a multitude of sins.” (CCC 1434).

Some Christians abstain from meat and alcohol on Friday and Wednesday. Others abstain also from television, movies and gambling.

The truth is that if you consider yourself a good Christian, fasting is part of your Christian armor.

7.2. “Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious It is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world.” (Pope Clement).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com