April 3, 2012 – Catechism 1434-1442
Fasting is something that I have found very prayerful.  I don’t know why, it just seems to focus you more on God.  I don’t know if that is why I started doing it.  I have a very addictive personality I think.  Coffee has been the thing lately, or snacks during the day.  The whole idea of being able to control yourself from physical desires you build yourself up and your relationship with God.  The material world fills us with junk and doesn’t leave room for God.  Anytime we are able to train yourself to deny ourselves physically, we enable ourselves to separate ourselves from the material world and open ourselves up for God. 
I started this last year, but I am fasting Holy Thursday through Holy Saturday night.  We go to Mass Thursday and Good Friday service, so the only food I will have is the Eucharist.  Michelle is going to make a nice meal Saturday night to break the fast.  I really love doing it.  People wonder how and look at it as impossible, but really the longings aren’t as bad as you might think.  It goes back to the attachment we have to material things.  Food is necessary, but the amount we think we need is not what we actually need and is often an unhealthy amount.  Training ourselves to control our physical desires helps us better open ourselves to Spiritual needs.  That is why fasting is always a recommended type of prayer and I have found that it really helps.