"One of my fondest memories about Islam, admittedly one of the very
few, was waking before sunrise to eat with my mom during Ramadan. I was
very young, six or seven, but I looked forward to the dark mornings when
the house smelled of freshly steeped tea. In the quiet of the night, we
ate our tahini bread and drank our tea. Until sun down, there would be
no food and no drinks - not even a glass of water or a piece of gum. Even
though often fasting all day brought out the worst in people, Ramadan
is a very special time of the year in every Muslim country. The
community pulls together and there is a very strong sense of reverence
and awareness of things that are not of this world.
"After those few cherished childhood days, for a long time I didn't
give any thought to Ramadan except when we had to make sure to refrain
from eating in public during Islam's holy month. Years later, a bunch of
Catholics from our tiny parish in Ankara went out for lunch. An Eastern
Catholic friend ordered a very boring meal with no meat and dairy,
while we dined on kebabs. That was the very first time I learned that,
back in the day, Christians fasted with vigor during Lent as they
prepared for Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Finally, I
understood where Muhammad got the idea of a monthlong fast that ends
with a feast. While Catholics left the unifying traditions behind,
Muslims still cling to fasting.
"Being a Catholic nowadays is hard, and shadow is forever lingering
over our lives, but we are not helpless, because this is a spiritual
fight first and foremost. We must offer up reparation for sins and pray
that the Lord will cleanse His Church, including our own souls. What is
one sacrifice every Catholic can make? Fasting.
"St. Thomas Aquinas says fasting is good for three purposes."
In a recent commentary, writer Derya Little reflected on the importance of fasting as a form of penance and as a way to free our minds to the contemplation of heavenly things.
To access Ms. Little's complete post, please visit:
National Catholic Register: Blogs: Derya Little: Fasting, Ember Days and Reparation of Sins (18 SEP 19)
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