Why Do Some Christians (especially Catholics) Fast during Lent?

Scripture teaches fasting as a way to draw closer to God, ask for the Lord’s guidance, and express sorrow and repentance (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus taught that his disciples would fast in the future, and we can read how people in Acts fasted for various reasons, often used in conjunction with prayer and intercession. Therefore, the early church practiced fasting for self-discipline and seeking God’s word for situations and decisions. Fasting also humbles the heart, helping people recognize their weakness and need for God in all things. 

Since Easter celebrates Jesus’ sacrifice for sin and giving Christians new life, part of Lent included a focus on the destructive nature of sin, a humbling of self to focus on repentance. Biblical fasting ties directly with these ideas. Therefore, Lent includes some form of it.

Fasting remains central to Lent because it encourages self-denial, a “take up your cross” reminder. It helps Christians focus on their complete and utter dependence on God, as Jesus said during his temptation while fasting, “Man doesn’t live by bread alone but every word from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) This humility and dependence creates margin for prayer and reflection. Fasting doesn’t happen in isolation, however; God’s love must be expressed to others, so believers also focus on helping people in need, reflecting how God loves and saves us. 

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Ash Wednesday begins the time of Lent, a 40-day period leading up to Easter. Within Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some Protestant churches, Ash Wednesday invites believers to focus on their relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor. 

The name, “Ash Wednesday,” comes from the tradition of marking the forehead with ashes, usually in the sign of a cross, to start Lent. In liturgical churches, this happens during a service. A priest or minister places the ash on a person and says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The use of ashes humbles Christians and reminds them of their weakness and need for repentance. The ashes are supposed to come from the previous year’s Palm Sunday branches, creating a cycle of the church year and connecting Christ’s sacrifice and human salvation. 

Lent covers the next 40 days. Obviously, the number 40 refers back to many things in the Bible, such as Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. Lent acts as a lead-in to Easter in the same way Advent does with Christmas. Christians prepare their hearts and minds during Lent for the Easter celebration. 

Through these 40 days, Christians might fast from certain foods, beverages, or activities. They spend more time to prayer and give to those in need. Many people, like my aunt, chose to “give up” something like sweets, social media, or other things to show their dedication to God and an act of sacrifice. In place of what they fast from, these believers take the extra time and energy and pray more or do acts of service in the community. 

Many churches hold special Lent services, possibly including midweek gatherings to encourage worship and intercession. Hymns, prayers, and Scripture readings support the themes of repentance and humility. Liturgical colors are usually purple, which also symbolizes penance. 

Along with more individual traditions, some Christian groups have specific rituals. For example, Roman Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays. Orthodox Christians follow a stricter standard, refraining from all animal products. Anglicans and Lutherans encourage fasting, prayer, and studying the Bible and offer resources and gatherings to guide individual participation. 

Lent ends at the end of Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday. The week continues with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and finally Easter Sunday. These days each mark specific Bible narratives and lessons during the final week of Jesus’ earthly life leading to his death and resurrection. 

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The ancient Western churches, especially Roman Catholics, developed a liturgy for the whole year, leading their congregants through the story of the Bible. These liturgies played a useful role, especially for a population with high illiteracy rates. And the repeated resources throughout the year meant every priest and congregation would explore the whole Bible and meaning every year. Longer periods of Advent and Lent prepared the people in practical ways to live and meditate on the meaning of these pivotal moments in the Christian life. 

For many Protestants and especially Evangelicals, a doctrinal focus can mean that they rely more upon a pastor and his gifts or studies, which limits what the people learn. While liturgy had its problems, there are pros and cons to most traditions. 

Lent began as a period of preparation for Easter, influenced by Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-11). Early Christians probably observed fasting before Easter but with various practices. By the 4^th century, Lent became a formal time in most Christian churches. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) mentioned Lent as a significant season, noted before even the development of the Roman Catholic church. 

At first, Lent helped new converts prepare for baptism, which often happened during Easter. In the early days of the Church, as we see in Acts, new disciples were immediately baptized. But as the Church experienced more baptized believers leaving the church and renouncing their faith, leaders developed training and teaching before baptism. For Lent, the congregation joined the new converts in fasting and repentance, a unifying practice and season. Over time, Lent became a more universal season of spiritual preparation and meditation on Christ and Easter, beyond a lead up to baptism. 

Ash Wednesday became the official start of Lent by the 7^th century. The Old Testament associated ashes and dust with ideas of repentance, where people wore sackcloth and ashes to express sorrow for sin (Jonah 3:6, Daniel 9:3, and more). Marking the foreheads with ashes became an outward symbol for the heart’s humility and need for repentance. 

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For many Evangelical Christians, especially in an American culture focused on consumerism, fasting seems foreign to us. Why would we seek to suffer on purpose? Despite our disconnection with the practice, the Bible consistently teaches that Christians should fast. 

Jesus taught about fasting during the Sermon on the Mount. He says, “When you fast …” and not “if you fast.” He uses the same language as prayer, “When you pray …” Jesus makes it clear the Christian life must include fasting (Matthew 6). He teaches that we should fast with honesty and sincerity and that we should make sure we don’t seek attention for our fasting since it’s meant to be a humbling experience. Instead, we fast privately to God. In Acts 13, God calls Barnabas and Paul to be the first missionaries while they were praying and fasting, which is expressed in the Scripture as a common occurrence. Paul later fasted when choosing elders (Acts 14:23). 

The New Testament examples of fasting, including Jesus, were taught from extensive Old Testament doctrine and accounts. The prophet Joel links fasting to repentance and weeping when speaking to Israel (Joel 2:12-13). When King Jehoshaphat of Judah faced an imminent military threat, he proclaimed a fast for the whole nation to ask God for divine protection and deliverance (2 Chronicles 20:2-3). God responded and saved. Later, during the Jewish exile, Nehemiah serves a foreign king and hears about Jerusalem’s ruins. He “sat down and wept.” And he fasted for several days while praying before God (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah was sent by the king to help rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. Also during the exile, Queen Esther calls for all Jews to fast for deliverance and protection for themselves against the genocidal attack they faced (Ester 4:16). They sought God’s favor, and he delivered them. 

Fasting, therefore, is part of seeking God’s heart, humbling ourselves, and interceding for the salvation of others. Fasting is often the key to true intercession. 

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In our modern, technology-driven world, many people observe Lent by taking a break from social media or general screen time. They take the “digital detox” time to pray and spend time with others. Instead of traditional fasting, some observe Lent by performing intentional, daily acts of kindness, which could include helping neighbors, volunteering, or giving small gifts. In addition, people can get their communities involved by organizing food or clothing drives and giving to a local shelter or ministry. 

In countries like Mexico, Ash Wednesday and Lent have cultural aspects like special parades and music. They fast meals unique to their heritage like the Mexican “capirotada” (Lenten bread pudding). Modern Lenten devotionals might incorporate art or multimedia elements like a Lenten playlist to listen to. Books and online devotionals help guide people through the season with encouragement and Bible lessons. 

Some families observe the tradition through prayer chains via text or in person or lighting Lenten candles. Others use Lent to reconnect with nature, finding time to get outside for walks and focusing on God while enjoying his creation and meditating on repentance and renewal through Christ. Many cultures have shared meals. Fish fries are a common US event in Catholic communities (fasting from beef and other meat). 

For Creative options, some churches offer “Ashes to Go,” where priests or pastors apply ashes in public spaces like parks or street corners. This reaches out to those who might not attend a traditional service but are willing to be engaged with the Gospel through an ancient tradition. The COVID pandemic forced all churches to find creative solutions regarding many things, including Lent, so some fellowships have started virtual or hybrid Ash Wednesday services, extending their influence and allowing more inclusion into the events. People at home get their own ashes or use another household item to symbolize it. 

Some Christians extend the idea of repentance and sin to problems with the environment. They burn locally sourced palm branches or other type of sustainable materials to create the ashes, expressing their belief we should care for creation as good stewards. Others might focus on social justice with interactive arts like painting, writing, or sculpting. 

Most likely associate Lent and fasting with Roman Catholic or other later liturgical religious organizations. As we learned above, Lent came long before the Roman Catholic structure, and fasting is a foundational spiritual practice from both the Old and New Testament. We should all learn to practice fasting in some form, even being creative with it. God cares about the heart and our motivation. He gives grace to the humble, and what better time to fast and humble ourselves than leading up to celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus? Discuss and pray with others about ways to participate this year. 

Peace. 

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