19 January 2026
Dear friends, Jesus is questioned why His disciples do not fast like others. He replies: “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” Fasting is not mere ritual or self-denial for its own sake. Its true purpose is to create space in our hearts and lives, emptying ourselves so that Jesus, the Bridegroom, may fill us more deeply. This Bridegroom returns to us in the Eucharist. Just as new wine demands fresh wineskins, the new life of grace cannot be contained in rigid, self-focused practices. Fasting humbles us, sharpens our hunger, and opens us to receive Christ fully in Holy Communion.
