Isaiah teaches that God rejects empty religious fasting. True fasting is not ritual sadness but conversion expressed in justice: freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and restoring relationships. When love replaces selfishness, God’s presence and healing appear. In the Gospel, Jesus reveals why his disciples do not fast: the Bridegroom is present. Fasting belongs to longing — the time after he is taken away. Together the readings show the meaning of Christian fasting: not a performance to impress God, but a heart that loves and waits for Christ. Authentic fasting unites sacrifice with charity, turning hunger for food into hunger for God and compassion for neighbour.