It dawned on me today that perhaps there are students who are thinking of participating in the fast. If that is the case, please do not! The purpose of me sharing my Lenten journey with students is not to encourage them to join in but to help us each gain a deeper understanding of a practice that is so instrumental in another religion. Two jobs of a teenager are to learn and to grow up healthy. You can learn in many ways that do not involve this type of fasting. This is not a healthy way to fast for teenagers and it is not a way to diet. If you are a teenager and would like to fast during Lent I would suggest that you fast from something that keeps you from deepening your relationship with Jesus: an unhealthy habit, the way you relate to a person you find very challenging, an attitude that could stand some readjusting, etc. If you feel you must fast with food, perhaps make a promise to eat healthier (ditch the pop in favor of water or skip the fries and eat some veggies instead) but please, please, please do not fast in a way that would cause you to eat less. No Lenten practice is worth risking your health.
If you are an adult, your decision to participate for a day is entirely up to you and I would invite you to take part as much or as little as you feel comfortable.
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