Unfortunately, today’s reflection verse accurately describes what I used to resemble during my yearly fasting during Lent. I thought giving up food caused the dour countenance, probably due to low sugar levels or some other “I’m not eating” related malady. I eventually learned that fasting is much more than giving up chocolate or certain foods. Fasting allows us to consciously let go of attitudes and behaviors that keep us from loving God, loving our neighbor, and loving our own dignity. I needed something in my preparation that focused on this idea of fasting. Fasting can help us “de-centralize the self,” which is crucial in making space for God. There are three aspects of de-centralizing ourselves: The first is through prayer, which de-centralizes the mind; the second is through almsgiving, which de-centralizes our heart; and the third is through fasting, which de-centralizes our body. The noted spiritual writer Richard Rohr says, “Fasting is the opportunity to surrender to the divine flow that leads us to a peaceful inner opening that keeps the conduit of living water flowing. It is a quiet willingness to trust that you are a beloved son or daughter of God.” This allows us to draw our strength from what God has deposited within our soul. The generating motor is inside us now instead of a lure or a threat from outside. We do things going forward because they are true, not because we have to or because we are afraid of punishment.