The Nativity Fast in my office

Last night, I could not go to sleep. It was that feeling I get the night before I am about to leave on a trip. I was so excited and could not wait for the imaginary rooster in my head to “Kikiriki” and wake me up.

Let me tell you though, as soon as I opened one eye, I was wishing for a couple more hours of sleep. I then remembered how long the beans were going to take to cook and I jumped out of bed and went straight to my images of God and Mary. I sat there and prayed that I’d allow God to guide me throughout this fast and just be open to his will.

I walked over to the kitchen and knew there was not any time to waste so I right away grabbed a bowl of pinto beans, washed them and placed them in a pot. A couple of my coworkers agreed to do this Nativity Fast so I promised them I’d bring lunch for us all. I usually get up around 6am so let me tell you, it felt like a BIG sacrifice when I first offered to do this but as I was standing there waiting for the water to boil, I was so thankful for their yes. They have given me the opportunity to bring God to them and that is priceless. I would be willing to get up early every single day for them to be able to experience God like I have during my fasts. They are worth it. Their families are worth it.

During our lunch, I let them know we would be doing Lectio Divina as soon as we were done eating. We are so lucky to have this available through our awesome leader Iwona. I very simply explained what Lectio Divina consisted of and they followed my lead as we began searching deep within. We read Luke 17:11-19, the story of when Jesus heals the 10 lepers but only one comes back to praise him. As we shared what phrase stood out to us, Ashley shared “Your faith has saved you”. She explained that the lepers had had enough faith to believe they would be healed but that after, they did not have the devotion and faith to continue walking with Jesus. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” stood out to Yenny. It reminded her of times when her prayers had been answered and how quickly she had forgotten God soon after. We finished off by making a promise to ourselves and sealed the deal with a couple of tears. We were all so happy after.

Next Tuesday is the beginning of our Thanksgiving break. I pray to God that he gives them the strength to continue this fast and newly found prayer life. I will stop worrying and remember to always be thankful to God for blessing us with what he has. He has begun the healing process in our hearts and I know that he will use us to heal those around us. I will praise his name and share the great news like the leper that came back did