The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-03-16
REASONS FOR FAST AND ARsTiN
ENCE.

To the intelligent Catholic the peni-
tential precept imposing fasting and
abstinence can hardly appear strange.
True it is that in these busy, strug-
Cling, nerve-consuming days a large
proportion of good Catholics are un-
equal to performing properly their
daily duties on fasting diet, and
hence the greater number, perhaps,
have cause for exemption, or else for
obtaining a dispensation. This is
specially the case in our colder, damp
er Northern climate, while to the in
habitant of the SUMMER. South fasting,
with it's restriction on the quantity of
food allowed, causes no great hard
ship, since at no time is he copious
eater. But the precept entails no
small privation and discomfort in the
case of Britisher or German, writes
Father Zulueta, S. J. Still fasters
do survive amongst us-all hon.
our to them-and to such a few
observations may prove of some SER
vice.
On the other hand, to Catholics,
members of the Church, the laws of
fasting and abstinence may appear
meaningless. What reasonable pur-
pose can be served by curtailing my
usual allowance of food? What can
be the use of depriving myself Of
fiesh-meat? Do you mean to say that
Almighty God delights in the discom-
fort or suffering of His creatures?
Has he not given us the good things
to earth for our use and enjoyment?
These and like questions are often
put as arguments against the peniten-
tial laws of the Catholic Church. But.
in truth, it was not the Church that took
the lead in enjoining the duty of NOR
LITIGATION and self-denial. All she has
done is to fix the way in which our
Lords own example and teaching in
this matter shall be carried out by her
children. 1t was Christ Himself who
set the example by His fast of forty
days in the desert; it was our Lord
Who declared: He who would come
after Me, let him deny himself, take
up his cross, and follow me-
The religious object and advantage
to be secured by penitential deeds
notifying to the flesh is, one would
think, sufficiently obvious: namely,
that of keeping the desires of the ami
NAL portion of our human nature
under due control by thwarting them
even in things otherwise lawful, in
order that may not gain the upper
hand of reason
God has indeed given many good
gifts to men for their use and graft
fication. Nevertheless, since the fall
of Adam, with it's attendant loss to
man of his original justice, human ma
ture has ever tended towards abuse
and excess in the handling of these
Divine benefits. Hence it stands in
constant need of the curb of abstin-
ence. It is not merely intemperance
or gluttony that the present precept
combats, but all passions of our lower
nature. More than this: self-restraint
of any kind adds force and vigour to
the villa useful provision against
temptations of every sort.
Needless to say, it is not human
pain as such that pleases God, but the
virtue and advance in holiness which
suffering tends to foster in the Chris
tan soul. Just as Almighty God does
not desire human distress for it's own
sake, so, too, it would be irrational
for us to seek it as an object in it.
SELF 1t is means, and not an end
an aid to virtue, not virtue itself. The
mere fact that thing is unpleasant
to our natural feelings can be no suf
ficient reason for embracing it-obvi
ously, rather the reverse. To argue
as good people do at times, That is
disagreeable, therefore l ought to dc
it, is unreasonable. Right reason re
quires that there should be some goot
object to be secured beyond the I'm
pleasantness itself.
Here we see the difference, the es
sential difference, between the grue
some self-torture of the Indian-fakir
and the self-imposed austerities of the
Catholic Saints, which, however, we
have sometimes seen put forward by
non-Catholic writer's as manifestations
of one and the same senseless spirit
of fanaticism. The Catholic ascetit
mortifies himself, not for mortified
tons sake, but with view to some
Interior and virtuous end, while tn,
fanatic derives a morbid satisfaction
from self-inflicted pain as meritoriou!
in itself, or perhaps seeks merely tt
obtain praise for holiness, or liberia
aims, from his fellow-creatures.
Again it Is part of the wondrou
efficacy of Christ's Atonement for mel
on Calvary that the Christian is en-
abled through Him to atone for hi!
own sins by personal acts of penance
AS we know from the doctrine of In
dulgences, heavy amends may still
be due to Divine Justice, for sin com
mitted, even after a sinner has beef
substantially restored to the friend
ship of God through repentance ant
sacramento absolution Satisfaction