Gospel: February 20, 2026
February 20, 2026 (Friday)
Friday After Ash Wednesday
Psalter: Week 4 (Violet)
Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up)
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
1st Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9a
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
Then the disciples of John came to him with the question, “How is it, that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?”
Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, they will fast.
Reflection:
Embrace the call to transformative action.
Fasting is an ancient practice observed by many world religions. Even Jesus fasted for 40 days before His public ministry. However, in today’s Gospel, Jesus does not require His disciples to fast, seemingly contradicting this tradition. His response to John’s disciples reminds us that spiritual journeys include moments to recharge and draw closer to God. Jesus likens His disciples to the bridegroom’s friends during a wedding celebration, with Himself as the ‘Bridegroom, making it a time for rejoicing.
In Isaiah’s reading, fasting is redefined—not as merely abstinence, but as actively seeking justice, mercy, and compassion. When we break “fetters of injustice” and end oppression, God lives in us. Celebrating this presence, as Jesus’s disciples cherished being with Him, reflects true fasting. Let us embrace this call to transformative action, embodying the kind of fasting that pleases God.
