A Trappist monk once told me that when he was new to the monastery he would spend all of his time in the chapel. The Abbot called him in and the monk explained he was trying to become holy. The Abbot suggested, “If you want to be holy, spend your spare time helping the gardener with this planting and weeding.” The monk came to realize by focusing on himself he was missing the presence of God and others in his life. We should not think of our Lenten practices as some kind of spiritual aerobics directed toward our self-improvement. The Prophet Isaiah warns us that the only fasting which is acceptable to God orients us toward caring about others. Fasting is not about me.