Fasting

Today's gospel finds the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees, objecting because Jesus and his disciples do not fast.  Jesus reminds them that wedding guests do not fast while the bridegroom  is with them.  He is the bridegroom and is with them, but the day will come when he will not be and then they will fast. (cf. Mk 2:18-22),
Jesus is not walking among us as he did in Galilee, so in a sense, we might say these are the days he was talking about..Although we strive to make him present in our day, and he is present in the Eucharist, it would seem, just from looking around us at the increasing numbers who have lost their affiliation with "organized religion," the churches of all denominations, the code of moral behavior found in the Ten Commandments",  and have lost respect for themselves and others, even the unborn or elderly, this is the "desert period" Jesus to which Jesus alluded and is definitely the time to fast. "By prayer and fasting, you will cast them out." (Mt 17:21)
What is the best kind of fast?  Our first reading, 1 Sam 15:16-23, stresses the value of obedience over sacrifice. To turn over our will to another as manifested not only in a direct command, but also dictated by the needs of others, which often entails the "sacrifice" of our TIME, is a tangible way of bridling self-centeredness, division and indifference, as well as for showing God's loving care. By putting God and our neighbor ahead of ourselves, we can again strike up the music at the wedding feast!
Bro .Rene