This week, we begin our Lenten efforts by making no efforts to fast whatsoever. This is an important reminder: God does not need our fast, but we always stand in need of his grace. No matter what efforts we make or fail to make during the coming weeks, our fast is not our project, much less our accomplishment: it is merely a small attempt to repent—which is to say, to make ourselves more susceptible to Christ’s mercy, and that mercy is all that matters in the end. Fasts and services will pass away, but the mercy of the Lord endures forever. The Lord loves and rewards our efforts, and he hallows and respects our choices, but we are nothing without his loving-kindness.
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