Join Us In A Livable Fast
©2009 Frances Celine Horner, OCD
From September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, until Easter Sunday, the worldwide Carmelite family follows an instruction in our Rule to fast. The Fast of the Carmelite Order resembles the Fast that the universal Church undertakes on Fridays in Lent. However, some nuances color our Carmelite Fast with a richness that deepens intimacy with God and a practicality that makes the Fast feasible for a lifetime. This year we invite everyone to participate us in the Carmelite Fast, and to offer it for the cause of justice in our world so beleaguered by violence, oppression and economic hardship.
The Carmelite Fast is intended to help a person live out contemplative values with greater intention and intensity. Consequently, the months of the Fast of the Order are dedicated to observing and deepening the practice of contemplative prayer, silence, solitude, and justice in community life, through daily small sacrifices and self-offerings.
The most visible and straight-forward of the sacrificial practices concerns food. As with the traditional Lenten fast, Carmelites have one full meal each day, smaller portions for the other two mealtimes, and no food or snacks at all between meals. We also make an effort to avoid non-nutritive eating (junk food!) during the Fast. The object is to consume only what is needed to live healthily, thereby fostering an attitude of justice towards those in material need, and also freeing the spirit to engage in deeper prayer. To practice the Carmelite Fast, our readers might resolve not to eat between meals during these months, and to be more intentional about the amount and type of food consumption. Sundays and feasts are not Fast days, so you have a weekly break!
Perhaps less evident and certainly more challenging is the call to fast from excessive noise and stimulation, both exterior and interior, in order to deepen silence and stillness before God and one another. Carmelites practice exterior silence by refraining from unnecessary conversation and limiting external noise during particular times/days. Silence creates an environment for contemplative prayer and for deepening awareness. It also promotes justice by opening a space for others – we learn not to fill the space of encounter with our own voice, perspective, and vision.
Times of solitude are important, too, so that each person can grow in self-knowledge – who I am before God alone – and embrace aspects of ourselves that need some work. While Carmelites can reserve long hours for silence, most of our readers do not have this opportunity. So instead, one might intensify silence and solitude by reducing audio/visual input – perhaps shutting off the car radio on your commute a few days a week to be silent with God. An MP3 player might not be used one day a week, or television left off until a certain hour. Most importantly, consider making or extending daily time for silent, contemplative prayer. It can be challenging to find even 15 minutes a day at first, but this is a good beginning and over the course of the Fast can change one’s life.
As we hope to foster justice, Carmelites must think deeply about how our way of life affects community. We fast, therefore, from excessive self-occupation and enter wholeheartedly into community celebrations, times of recreation, and service to one another and those who come to us. We strive more intently to be present and listen to those in need, to be a source of joy and encouragement, and to experience God’s intimate presence in the face of each person. Community living also demands a profound thoughtfulness about serving justice, for all people and for all creation. So one might fast from wastefulness of Earth’s resources, like water, with the intention that all will have enough. One might consider the ecological implications of my consumption, and undertake the sacrifices needed to decrease my carbon-footprint. Some might hang clothes outside on warmer days of the Fast, instead of using the electric dryer. Some might car-pool or use alternative transportation. Or one might fast from patronizing companies that impose unfair or oppressive terms on workers or suppliers. Adopting even one new practice of justice during the time of Fast can make a real difference in attitudes and community engagement, and ultimately in our world.
So, please join us in our Carmelite Fast, for the sake of the future of justice and peace that God yearns to bring about. We promise our prayer that your commitment will bear fruit. As we traditionally say to each other on September 14, Happy Fast!
©2009 Frances Celine Horner, OCD
Frances Celine Horner, OCD
Baltimore Carmel
