First Reading (Isaiah 58,1-9a)
Reading of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
This is what the Lord God says: “Shout loudly, without ceasing, lift up your voice like a trumpet and denounce the crimes of my people and the sins of the house of Jacob. They seek me every day and want to know my purposes, as people who practice righteousness and have not abandoned the law of God. They demand righteous judgments from me and want to be close to God: ‘Why did you not rejoice when we fasted, and ignore him when we humbled ourselves?’ – It is because on the day of your fasting you do business and oppress your employees. Is it because at the same time that you fast, you engage in disputes and quarrels and merciless aggression. Do not fast in this spirit, if you want your request to be heard in heaven? Do you call this fasting, a day grateful to the Lord? Isn’t it the fasting that I prefer: – breaking unjust chains, loosening the bonds of the yoke, freeing those who are detained, in short, breaking all types of bondage? Is it not sharing bread with the hungry, welcoming the poor and pilgrims home? You will recover more quickly; your righteousness will walk ahead and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Then you will call on the Lord and he will answer you, you will ask for help, and he will say: ‘Here I am.’
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Matthew 9,14-15)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, John’s disciples approached Jesus and asked: “Why do we and the Pharisees practice fasting, but your disciples do not?” Jesus said to them, “Can the bridegroom’s friends mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from their midst. Then, yes, they will fast.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
How many times have we heard the expression “appearance versus reality”? Think about that fruit that looks perfect on the outside, but when we cut it, we discover that it is spoiled on the inside. Or that person who dresses elegantly and speaks eloquently, but whose actions reveal questionable character. Our spiritual life is not immune to this contrast between the outside and the inside, between what appears to be and what really is. And it is precisely this tension that our readings today invite us to reflect on.
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah conveys a powerful message from God to the people of Israel. “Shout with a loud voice without ceasing, lift up your voice like a trumpet and denounce to my people their crimes, to the house of Jacob their sins.” What a strong start! Isaiah is not being subtly diplomatic here. He is called to be like a trumpet, an instrument whose sound is impossible to ignore.
But what is the crime that demands such a vehement denunciation? People are apparently doing everything right. They “seek me every day,” says the Lord, “they show a desire to know my ways.” They practice religious rites, fast, and even wonder why God does not recognize their efforts: “Why do we fast, and you have not seen it?”
The divine answer is revealing: the problem is not the absence of religious practices, but the incongruity between these practices and the way they live their daily lives. “On the day of your fast, you conduct business and oppress all your workers.” Their religious fasting coexists with social injustice. Their apparent piety masks a reality of exploitation and oppression.
The prophet then presents an alternative view of fasting that pleases God. It is not simply abstaining from food, but “breaking the unjust chains, untying the bonds of the yoke, making the oppressed free, finally breaking every kind of yoke.” It is feeding the hungry, welcoming the homeless, clothing the naked, and not hiding from your fellow man.
This is a deeply challenging message for us today. How often does our own religious practice become disconnected from our everyday lives? We can be faithful to Sunday Mass and still treat our employees badly on Monday. We can pray fervently and still ignore the suffering of those around us. We can know the Church’s doctrine in detail and still fail to love our neighbors in the concrete situations of life.
The fasting that God desires is one that moves us to action in favor of justice and compassion. A fast that does not end when we break abstinence, but that fundamentally transforms the way we relate to others and the world.
And what is the promise for this type of fasting? “Then your light will arise like the dawn, and your wound will soon be healed. Your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you.” What a powerful image! The light of dawn dispelling the darkness, wounds being healed, justice opening the way, and divine glory as a protective rearguard.
And further: “Then you will cry out, and the Lord will answer you; you will ask for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am’.” The promise is not just of personal and social transformation, but of a renewed intimacy with God, a direct and immediate communication in which God responds promptly to our call.
Now, let us turn our gaze to the Gospel. John the Baptist’s disciples approach Jesus with a seemingly simple but deeply meaningful question: “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
This question reflects the concern, often present in religious circles, with external conformity to pious practices. John’s disciples and the Pharisees were faithfully observing the practice of fasting, while Jesus’ followers seemed to be ignoring this important religious tradition.
Jesus’ response is fascinating. Instead of condemning fasting itself, he redefines its meaning and context: “Can the guests at a wedding be in mourning while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from their midst. Then, yes, they will fast.”
Jesus is introducing a new understanding of fasting here. In Jewish tradition, fasting was often associated with mourning, penance, and waiting for something better. But Jesus is saying: the best is already here! The Kingdom of God has arrived in the person of the Bridegroom – Christ himself. This is a time of celebration, not mourning.
Jesus is not abolishing fasting, but transforming its meaning. There will be an appropriate time to fast – when the Bridegroom is taken away (a reference to his death and ascension) – but now is a time for celebration, for joy, for celebrating God’s presence among us.
What a fascinating contrast between these two readings! Isaiah is criticizing a fast that has become an empty ritual, disconnected from justice and compassion. Jesus is pointing to a new understanding of fasting that is rooted not in external rules but in a living relationship with God.
Both readings call us to a religious practice that goes beyond appearances, that flows from a heart transformed by God’s love and that manifests itself in concrete actions of justice and compassion.
So what do these readings mean for us today? How can we apply them in our lives?
First, we are invited to examine our own religious practice. Are our prayers, our fasting, our participation in Mass and the sacraments connected to a life of justice and love for others? Or is there a disconnect between our piety and our everyday lives?
Second, we are called to recognize the presence of the Groom in our lives. Christ is with us now! This should be a cause for joy and celebration. Our religious practice should not be dark and heavy, but radiant with the joy of knowing and following Christ.
Third, we must be attentive to the needs of those around us. The fasting that God desires is not just an abstention from food, but an active response to the hunger and thirst for righteousness in our world. It is about breaking unjust chains, freeing the oppressed, sharing our bread with the hungry.
Fourth, we are reminded that there will be times of celebration and times of fasting on our spiritual journey. There will be times when we intensely feel Christ’s presence with us, and times when we feel His apparent absence. Both are part of the rhythm of spiritual life.
Finally, we are called to live in Isaiah’s promise: “Then your light will arise like the dawn.” When our religious practice is aligned with God’s will, when our fasting manifests itself in acts of justice and compassion, we become light in the world, reflections of the light of Christ himself.
My dear brothers and sisters, may we be a people whose fasting pleases God. May our religious practice not just be an external ritual, but an expression of hearts transformed by the encounter with Christ, the Bridegroom. May our light emerge like the dawn in a world often darkened by injustice and selfishness.
And that when we cry out, we experience God’s ready response: “Here I am.” Because ultimately, this is the essence of our faith – not empty rituals or external practices, but a living, transforming relationship with the God who loves us and is always present with us.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
