It is clear that Jesus commended fasting when speaking to the disciples

(The letter can be read here:‘Pancake Tuesday is an old tradition, but we do not need to fast for Lent,’ February 25)

Lenten self-denial or fasting is a feature of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions.

It has been borrowed by some Protestant groups; and fasting itself seems entirely consistent with the witness of the New Testament.

The words ‘if’ and ‘when’ carry very different inferences in English.

Jesus speaking to the disciples says: “When you fast...”

Our Lord clearly commends fasting and the use of the word — ‘when’ — here is important.

Reading the Old Testament reminds us that prayer and fasting both have a long pedigree.

When seeking God’s guidance and protection Church leaders have every right to recommend following this precedent: “... I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we travelled’. (Ezra 8:21)

James Hardy, Belfast BT5