Fasting is all about humility

A section of faithfuls at Holy Family Basilica during celebrations to mark Palm Sunday, on March 20 2016.The day marks the beginning of the Holy Week, the week of events leading up to Jesus' death. PHOTO DAVID NJAAGA/STANDARD)

This Easter weekend, Christians are celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It all began with Lent; a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.

During this period, Christians fast for 40 days and 40 nights, just like Jesus did.

I do not want to bore readers who are not necessarily Catholic or even Christian with liturgical talk.

However, I cannot help but draw parallels between this very sacred time and that of every day living.

I grew up in a Catholic family, and my mother was particularly strict during this season.

She knew it was not easy for us children to fast religiously, and thus cut out the concept of eating red meat on Fridays during the lent period, like many families did (funny, this applied to both chicken and pork).

She would then supplement our protein intake with fish or beans. My siblings and I did not like it one bit but what choice did we have? I mean, we did not buy our own food.

By then, I did not understand what self-denial was all about, and could not wait for the season to end.

The concept of not eating meat must have been used because man is basically carnivorous and meat is also seen as a luxury.

Today, however, there are hundreds of things and habits including smoking and drinking, that one can keep at bay through fasting or self-denial.

By giving up certain habits that are ‘equivalent’ to meat, it is easier to draw nearer to becoming that better person. It is easier to hone your lifestyle when you practice that strength of purpose that more often than not will see you realise your life plans.

It is when you are fasting and denying yourself that thing that you so love (it could be social media or television) that you draw nearer to the very cores of humanity; then you start thinking about the people around you and start giving back to society, either through donating to a children’s home, a church, a school or even a needy family.

Fasting therefore qualifies one to be totally humble, to be meek and reduce yourself to the holiest that you can ever be, (Christian or not).

It is no lie that humility is one thing that humanity could do with more of.

And this very key quality is only acquired through acts that make you forget yourself even for that second as you hand over the eggs that you did not eat during your fast to that hungry person, or give the money that you did not spend to the person who needs it most.

You can also give back by rebuilding a broken or a forgotten relationship with a truly ungrateful or difficult person.

That takes true grace and mercy, the kind that God has shown us.

This way, the other person experiences through us the same grace and mercy.

The Lent season may be over, but life is such that it requires you to give back to society.

So why not fast today or tomorrow, if only to make the world a better place.

Happy Easter, folks.