Ash Wednesday + Joel 2:12-19 + Matthew 6:16-21
In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Today the Lenten Fast begins. The practice of fasting during Lent is an ancient church tradition. Originally Christians fasted on the day before Easter. Then it was lengthened to Thursday, then to the Sunday before Easter. Eventually the Lenten Fast was lengthened to forty days to mirror our Lord’s time of fasting in the wilderness. The early church used fasting as a means of bodily preparation for the yearly celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. Fasting was an exercise is self-denial, repentance, and sorrow over one’s sins. But it’s important to note that Jesus never commanded fasting. He didn’t mandate that His disciples fast. Nor did He determine how one ought to fast or for how long one ought to fast. The only thing He taught about fasting was that when His disciples do it, they should maintain the proper inner disposition. He says, “ Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a s...