The first Saturday of Lent, still fragrant with the ashes of penance, places before us two luminous scenes: the prophet Isaias calling us to the fast that pleases God (Isa 58:9–14), and the Gospel of St. Mark recounting Our Lord walking upon the waters and healing the sick (Mark 6:47–56). In the ancient Roman liturgy, this day gathers the themes of interior conversion, confidence in prayer, and the merciful nearness of Christ to those who seek Him.
The Fast That Reaches Heaven
The prophet declares: “If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee… when thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry… then shall thy light rise up in darkness” (Isa 58:9–10, Douay-Rheims).
The Church reads this passage at the dawn of Lent to purify our understanding of penance. Fasting is not mere bodily affliction; it is the loosening of injustice, the breaking of interior chains. St. Leo the Great teaches that “the sum of Christian religion consists in mercy and humility,” and that fasting without charity is but an empty observance. True abstinence restrains not only the appetite but also anger, pride, and hardness of heart.
St. Augustine likewise warns that one may fast from food yet feast upon sin. The fast acceptable to God, he says, is the bridling of iniquity and the sharing of bread with the poor. When Isaias promises, “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear,” he reveals the secret: charity gives wings to prayer.
In Lent, the Church forms us in this harmony—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—so that our cry may pierce the heavens.
The Lord Who Treads Upon the Waves
The Gospel transports us to the Sea of Galilee. The disciples, tormented by contrary winds, labor in the fourth watch of the night. Then comes Jesus, walking upon the sea.
St. John Chrysostom sees in this image the Church amid persecutions and interior trials. The boat is battered; the night is long; Christ appears distant. Yet He is not absent. He comes at the hour when hope seems weakest. His walking upon the waters manifests His dominion over chaos and fear.
St. Augustine interprets the sea as the restless world, swollen with pride and uncertainty. Christ treads upon it, showing that all earthly tumult lies beneath His feet. When He says, “It is I, fear ye not,” He speaks not only to the Apostles but to every soul in the storm of temptation.
In this first week of Lent, we are keenly aware of contrary winds: habits that resist reform, distractions that trouble prayer, discouragement in penance. Yet the Gospel assures us that Christ approaches precisely in the midst of our struggle.
The Hem of His Garment
After the storm, the people recognize Him and bring the sick, begging only to touch the hem of His garment. “And as many as touched him were made whole.”
The Fathers delight in this detail. St. Bede the Venerable sees in the hem of Christ’s garment a figure of His humanity—accessible, tangible, humble. Though His divinity is infinite, He allows Himself to be approached through visible signs.
In the sacred liturgy, we too touch the hem of His garment. In the sacraments, especially in Holy Communion, we approach not merely the fringe, but the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Savior. The same power that calmed the sea and healed the sick flows now through the mysteries of the Church.
The Sabbath Delight
Isaias concludes with a promise: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath… and call the sabbath delightful… then shalt thou be delighted in the Lord.”
The Sabbath, fulfilled in Christ, signifies rest in God. Lent is not a season of gloom but of ordered love. When we withdraw our feet from sin and worldly distraction, we begin to taste true delight—not in indulgence, but in communion with God.
St. Gregory the Great teaches that the rest promised by the Sabbath is the joy of a conscience at peace with God. The discipline of Lent, though austere, prepares this joy. By restraining ourselves, we are enlarged; by humbling ourselves, we are lifted up.
A Lenten Resolution
On this Sabbato post Cineres, the Church gently but firmly directs us:
- Fast, but let your fast be filled with mercy.
- Pray, but pray with confidence: “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear.”
- In storms, do not despair—the Lord walks upon the waves.
- Approach Him in humility, even if only to touch the hem of His garment.
If we persevere, the promise of the prophet shall be fulfilled in us:
“The Lord will give thee rest continually… and thou shalt be like a watered garden.”
May this first Saturday of Lent deepen in us the peace that comes from true penance and the unshakable trust that Christ is near—even in the darkest watch of the night.