Vigils Reading

PRAYER, FASTING,

AND MERCY

From a homily by St Peter Chrysologus

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Perseverance in faith, devotion, and virtue is assured by three things:

prayer, fasting, and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting gains entrance,

mercy receives. These three things, prayer, fasting, and mercy are all one and

they give life to each other.

Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one

try to separate them, for this is impossible. If we have only one of them, if we

have not all three together, we have nothing. Whoever prays, then, must also

fast; whoever fasts must also show mercy. If we want our own petitions heard

we must hear the petitions of others. God’s ear will be open to us if we do not

turn a deaf ear to other people.

When we fast we should understand what it means to be really hungry. If

we want God to take account of our hunger we must feel for the hunger of

others. If we hope for mercy we must show mercy. If we look for kindness we

must show kindness. If we want to receive we must give. Only a shameless

person would ask for himself what he refused to give to others. In showing

mercy this should be the rule: show it in the same way, with the same

generosity, with the same promptness as you would wish it to be shown to you.

Let prayer, mercy, and fasting, then, be one single appeal to God on our

behalf, one speech in our defense, one threefold plea in our favor. What we have

lost by despising others let us regain by fasting. By fasting let us offer our souls

in sacrifice, for we can make no better offering to God, as is proved by the

prophet’s words: A sacrifice pleasing to God is a contrite spirit. A contrite and

humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Offer your soul to God, make him an oblation of your fasting so that your

soul may be a pure offering, a holy sacrifice, a living victim, remaining your own

and at the same time made over to God. Whoever fails to give this gift to God will

not be excused for you are never without the means of giving if the gift to be

given is yourself.

To make these offerings acceptable mercy must be added. Fasting bears

no fruit unless it is watered by mercy. When mercy dries up fasting is arid.

Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth. However much you may cultivate your

heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out your vices and sow virtues, if you do

not release the springs of mercy your fasting will bear no fruit. When you fast a

thin sowing of mercy will mean a thin harvest. When you fast what you pour out

in mercy overflows into your barn. So do not lose by saving, but gather in by

scattering. Give to the poor and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to

keep what you have refused to give to others.