From early dawn until dusk turns to dark, nothing will pass my lips, neither food nor drink, neither medicine nor toothpaste.
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Nor common sense. |
Posted on 10/08/2004 5:05:28 PM PDT by sidewalk
While I am a member of the Secular Franciscan Order and of St. John the Baptist parish in Schenectady, once again this year, I will fast at least one day during the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic lunar calendar. (This year, Ramadan lasts from Oct. 15 through Nov. 14.)
From early dawn until dusk turns to dark, nothing will pass my lips, neither food nor drink, neither medicine nor toothpaste. While fasting, I will pray. I will remember, in my hunger and with the bad taste of "fasting breath" in my mouth, those who go hungry involuntarily and whose breath may be foul for reasons beyond their control. I will be mindful of generosity and compassion.
I will not be the only Christian uniting my fast with that of Muslim brothers and sisters. This project of interfaith solidarity began last year when Pax Christi USA, the Roman Catholic peace movement, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation USA, an interfaith peace organization, initiated a call for Christians to join with Muslims.
Emmaus House in Albany and Rosa House in Troy, both Catholic Worker communities, once again will coordinate the project with Mohamad Mafi, a teacher at RPI in Troy and member of the Al-Fatemah (Shia) Islamic Center in Colonie.
Last year, Christian participants were invited to the evening prayers at Al-Fatemah to mark the end of one day's fast and to the abundant feast that followed, called "iftar," beginning with the traditional breakfast food of dates.
Why would Catholics engage in such an interfaith exercise? Pope John Paul II, in keeping with vision of the Second Vatican Council, has encouraged ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. He has led the way with his interfaith gatherings in Assisi, Italy. The roots of such practices can also be traced in part to the work of people like Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk who died while at a conference on Eastern and Western monasticism in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1968.
In an essay in "Contemplation and Dialogue," he argues that really fruitful dialogue has to go beyond "a polite diplomatic interest in other religions and their beliefs."
Dialogue must also be experiential, reaching for that level where religious traditions "bear witness to a higher and more personal knowledge of God than that which is contained in exterior worship and formulated doctrines." He concludes: "All religions, then, seek a 'summit' of holiness, of experience, of inner transformation."
Those of us who fast with our Muslim brothers and sisters do so as a gesture of compassion and solidarity with those who suffer from discrimination and even harassment in a social climate where bigotry is too often the response to fear of terrorism.
Perhaps this spiritual discipline, practiced in solidarity with people of another faith tradition, can transform our own attitudes and lead us to reclaim a spiritual discipline practiced by Jesus Himself.
(For more information, contact Emmaus House at 482-4966.)
Brothers and sisters...until they kill you. Happy ramadan.
Fast away, but remember you may not have a head left later on to eat with.
Wait a minute. What about the ROman Catholic doctrine of no salavation outside the Church? What of the countless people who died fighting the Muslims for the Church and the preservation of the faith?
Screw them. "Religion of Peace" my @ss
Shoot, we can't even get Catholics to fast during Lent for our own Savior, and Brother Beansprouts wants us to do it for somebody else's false Prophet. No wonder Holy Mother Church is in an unholy mess.
I find it hard to fast every friday (im a trad. catholic). Like today I had to eat fried clams that didnt go well with my stomach
at first a least (they are terrible)
We used to have fried filet of sole every Friday night when I was a kid. It was my favorite meal of the week.
Matthew 6:16-18:
16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
From early dawn until dusk turns to dark, nothing will pass my lips, neither food nor drink, neither medicine nor toothpaste.
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Nor common sense. |
LOL!
I'll be observing Ramadan tonight at Oktoberfest with a nice pork roast, some blood sausage, good music, and copious amounts of dark beer.
Tomorrow morning I'll follow this up with bacon, eggs, coffee and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Tomorrow night I'll have to poop and I'll wipe my butt with the Koran sura 73: The Enwrapped.
But Islam has already reached its summit. It is unchangeable. The only thing to be gained here is that non-Islamics might eventually learn that beating your wife, cutting off hands and heads, strapping a dynamite harness on your kids, and blowing yourself up in a crowded place are acts of 'holiness.'
Oh, and did I mention:
I'd be curious as to why a member of the Secular Franciscan Order of St. John the Baptist believes the month of Ramadan is holy.
Perhaps if the Roman Church had maintained the early Church tradition of extensive and hard fasts, this clown wouldn't be so impressed with a day off from food in honor of monster. Question to the RCs here; is this sort of syncretism acceptable in the Roman Church? If not, what will happen to this fellow?
Someone post a picture of the Pope kissing the Koran. This is an abomination.
ROTFLMFAO!! Hey, if you ever come across a Quran with absorbant pages that flushes easy, freepmail me. I had a heck of a time trying to get the unholy pages in my old one to flush when I was done with it.
ping - isn't one of you from this area?
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