FATHER SLAVKO BARBARIC'S BOOK ON FASTING

Fr. Slavko Barbaric's Book on Fasting

In one of Her early Medjugorje messages, Our Lady emphasized on the value of fasting and reminded us that wars and natural disasters can be prevented by prayer and fasting. According to Her, fasting cannot be substituted by almsgiving and those who do not fast are actually excluding the element of growing in holiness in their lives. Even Jesus fasted and according to Luke 4:1-4, he fasted for 40 days in the desert before proclaiming the Gospel. It should be noted that there are many references to fasting in scripture, a practice which is seldom carried out in our every day lives. 

According to Father Slavko Barbaric, "Fasting will lead us to a new freedom of heart and mind." When we fast, we free ourselves from materialism and this is when we realize our spiritual emptiness and deep longing for God. Fasting therefore helps us to understand ourselves better and to develop a renewed relationship with God as we surrender ourselves to Him through prayers. And of course, this is the way to inner peace and happiness. Those who wish to learn more about fasting can refer to Father Slavko Barbaric's book on fasting (photo above). In this book, Father Slavko explains to us very clearly why fasting is necessary and why we should fast on bread and water. It is a very interesting book which exphasizes on the importance of fasting and prayer as a process of purification. Every word in it is full of meaning. It is a book which is really worth reading a thousand times.

THROUGH FASTING OUR HEARTS BECOME PURE
Through fasting, our hearts become more pure because we see reality in a better way from a different perspective. When we are fasting, we find it easier to discern what we have, what we need and what we don't need. We are free from the insatiable desire for more and better things in life and feel thankful for what we are and what we already have. We will begin to see that material things may not be as important as we think and that happiness only comes with inner peace and not fleshly or physical things. 

Living in a highly materialistic world, we tend to be excessively concerned with money and material possessions rather than with spiritual things. We forget that we are only strangers and pilgrims here on Earth. Since this world is not our permanent home, why ask for so much? There are many people who would be happy and contented if only they could have a roof over their heads and a little bit of bread every day. Just imagine how happy the refugees and homeless people would be if they could have what we have. And yet, we are often unhappy and discontented with what we have although we have a lot more than what they have. According to Father Slavko, "The reason for the discontent lies in the fact that we don't see the essential anymore. We have become blind to the essential. Therefore, we are convinced that we need to have many things. With fasting, we find it easier to see the essential things of life." That is why fasting is so important. It sets us free both physically and spiritually, bringing us closer to God so that we can enjoy the peace and joy of His presence.


WHY FAST ON BREAD AND WATER?
In Medjugorje, Our Lady has asked for a return to fasting. In response to the question, "Which type of fasting is the best?", the Virgin responded, "Bread and water, of course." Although surviving on bread and water is not the only way to fast, but, according to the Madonna, it is the best way. Therefore, if we intend to fast the Medjugorje way, we have to learn to fast with bread and water and familiarize ourselves with this type of fasting. For those who have never fasted at all, it may sound rather discouraging to fast on bread and water but once they have become familiar with this type of fasting, they will feel comfortable with it. For me, it is not difficult to fast with bread and water as I don't have to starve - this type of fasting is certainly much better than not eating anything at all for the whole day. And, of course, there are other ways of fasting that would result in the same outcome while at the same time helping us to discover which type of fasting is the best for us. As suggested by Father Slavko, abstaining from certain foods, eating foods without seasonings, eating foods we dislike, skipping dessert, or simply eating less at each meal are just a few ways of fasting. The most important thing is that we begin to fast in some way right now. 

In Medjugorje, Our Lady has emphasized fasting on bread and water as there is a profound meaning to it. Why bread and water? Bread has always been considered as the food of poor people. To the poor, bread is actually life as it is their first necessity and is therefore essential for their existence. According to the Bible, the poor are very close to Jesus as they always follow Him around and listen to His words. Therefore, fasting on bread and water would also mean that we are close to Jesus. Further, since bread has been the staple food in many parts of the world for centuries, it is an integral part of human existence. 

Bread has a lot of significance in the Bible. God provided bread (manna) which fell from heaven for Moses to feed his people during their journey across the desert. Once, an angel gave bread and a jar of water to the prophet Elijah when he was exhausted by the many challenges he had to face, and, after eating and drinking, he was revitalized and continued with his journey. After feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never thirst" (John 6:35). By multiplying the loaves, he was actually preparing them for the Bread from Heaven. During the last supper, bread became the body of Christ. He broke the bread and gave it to His disciples saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this as a remembrance of me (Luke 22:19).

According to Father Slavko, "The willingness to live on water and bread for one day shows a willingness to be poor before God, well-disposed towards His will. It means following in the footsteps of the prophets and those who have been put to the test in order to give testimony to their faith."

Bread is known as the staff of life because it is the basic food and stands as a symbol or representation of life. Water is fundamental to our well-being - it is a precious and irreplaceable resource. Water is also a symbol of spiritual purification and cleansing. Thus Our Lady's call to fast on bread and water clearly conveys Her message, "Come back to life and live. Cleanse youselves from everything that contaminates your body and spirit and be pure." In Medjugore, Our Lady invites us to live on bread and water two days a week because surviving on bread and water is the best kind of fasting. Needless to say, those who can fast two days a week on bread and water are certainly doing a great favor to their body, spirit and soul. 

You may also like to read FAST WITH THE HEART BY FATHER SLAVKO BARBARIC; FATHER DR. SLAVKO BARBARIC, THE SAINT OF MEDJUGORJE; and IN MEMORY OF FATHER DR. SLAVKO BARBARIC. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

Reference:

FASTING by Fr. Slavko Barbaric, O.F.M. Informativni Centar Mir Medjugorje.