MOMENT OF CLARITY.
Raised as a Catholic, you are probably trying to figure out why I would be discussing the sacred Islamic tradition. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29-30 days. It is characterized by the fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking, during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, and humility.
IT STARTED AS RETURNING A FAVOR. My wife, who is Muslim, embarked on practicing Lent for the past two years – which is a Catholic practice of self-sacrifice, to celebrate the time when Jesus fasted in the desert for some 40 days. Last year I chickened out on Ramadan – but now I’m ready.
Each Tuesday, at least this month I’ll be discussing how I’m coping, for I don’t think ever in my lifetime I’ve ever gone over 8 hours in eating, unless of course I was sleeping.
Today is Day 1, so far so good. I ate at about 3:30am, which was rough to wake up just to eat, when you’re not necessarily hungry. I have two main motivations in doing so – As my wife put it, I want to have a reminder how food and drink for us is aplenty. And of course, it’s to get closer to Ayda, a person in which the Islamic faith is ensconced in her mind, body, and soul.
I have no idea how to deal with it. I haven’t eaten in 6 hours, and it’s 10 hours until I touch water or any morsel of food. But next week maybe I’ll have an idea of what I’m dealing with.
“Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity. Enter again into yourself.” – Saint Augustine
Until tomorrow.
-Pino44
