Fasting--i've Had It Wrong For Almost 20 Years.

[Pliny]

Somehow I got it into my head that the Church defined fasting as reducing our intake of food BY one meal.  But I was reading my church's website today and it was defined as consuming the equivalent of just one meal.  Is that how it has always been?  (the past two decades)

 

In other words if one daily consumes 2,100 calories, the amount to be consumed on a fasting day should be about 700?

 

Anyway, this has been my 20th Ash Wednesday as a Catholic and the 20th time I thought two meals in one day was "fasting."

[PhuturePriest]

I was always told two very small meals, and one full meal that is to be eaten at lunch.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

you can eat one full meal whenever you want during the day, and two smaller snacks, but the two snacks cannot equal another full meal. 

[PhuturePriest]

you can eat one full meal whenever you want during the day, and two smaller snacks, but the two snacks cannot equal another full meal. 

 

I'm pretty sure Canon Law has something in there about the full meal having to be at lunch, since most people work during the day and they don't want you to pass out.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

i don't think so. but if you can provide the canon law that says so i would be interested.

[Lil Red]

I'm pretty sure Canon Law has something in there about the full meal having to be at lunch, since most people work during the day and they don't want you to pass out.

 

yeahhhhh, I'm almost for positive there is nothing in Canon Law about when that full meal has to be. 

[PhuturePriest]

yeahhhhh, I'm almost for positive there is nothing in Canon Law about when that full meal has to be. 

 

Sorry, not Canon Law. Probably the Catechism. If it's in there, anyway.

[Not The Philosopher]

I have it in the evening. If I had it on a day that I knew was going to be particularly physically arduous then I'd have it at lunch.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Not The Philosopher

[Tony]

"Fasting The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday [Canon 97] to the 59th Birthday [i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday] to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Such fasting is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The fast is broken by eating between meals and by drinks which could be considered food (milk shakes, but not milk). Alcoholic beverages do not break the fast; however, they seem contrary to the spirit of doing penance."

 

 

http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm

 

I've been doing it wrong for a while too. I always thought it was 1 full meal OR 2 smalls. It's AND. (I guess what I didn't know didn't hurt me in this case haha)

[Lil Red]

Canon Law on fasting: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM

CHAPTER II.

Days of Penance

Can.  1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.

 

Can.  1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

 

Can.  1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

 

Can.  1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

 

Can.  1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.

 

=====================================================

From EWTN: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm

 

Abstinence  The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Moral theologians have traditionally considered this also to forbid soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted, as are animal-derived products such as gelatin, butter, cheese and eggs, which do not have any meat taste.

 

On the Fridays outside of Lent the U.S. bishops conference obtained the permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential, or even a charitable, practice of their own choosing. Since this was not stated as binding under pain of sin, not to do so on a single occasion would not in itself be sinful. However, since penance is a divine command, the general refusal to do penance is certainly gravely sinful. For most people the easiest way to consistently fulfill this command is the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year which are not liturgical solemnities. When solemnities, such as the Annunciation, Assumption, All Saints etc. fall on a Friday, we neither abstain or fast. 

 

During Lent abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory in the United States as elsewhere, and it is sinful not to observe this discipline without a serious reason (physical labor, pregnancy, sickness etc.).

 

Fasting The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday [Canon 97] to the 59th Birthday [i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday] to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Such fasting is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The fast is broken by eating between meals and by drinks which could be considered food (milk shakes, but not milk). Alcoholic beverages do not break the fast; however, they seem contrary to the spirit of doing penance.

 

Those who are excused from fast or abstinence Besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment,  manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.

 

Aside from these minimum penitential requirements Catholics are encouraged to impose some personal penance on themselves at other times. It could be modeled after abstinence and fasting. A person could, for example, multiply the number of days they abstain. Some people give up meat entirely for religious motives (as opposed to those who give it up for health or other motives). Some religious orders, as a penance, never eat meat. Similarly, one could multiply the number of days that one fasted. The early Church had a practice of a Wednesday and Saturday fast. This fast could be the same as the Church's law (one main meal and two smaller ones) or stricter, even bread and water. Such freely chosen fasting could also consist in giving up something one enjoys - candy, soft drinks, smoking, that cocktail before supper, and so on. This is left to the individual.

 

One final consideration. Before all else we are obliged to perform the duties of our state in life. When considering stricter practices than the norm, it is prudent to discuss the matter with one's confessor or director. Any deprivation that would seriously hinder us in carrying out our work, as students, employees or parents would be contrary to the will of God.

----   Colin B. Donovan, STL

 

============================================================

Catechism: 

2043 The fourth precept ("You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church") ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.⁸⁵

 

^{{85 Cf. CIC, cann. 1249-1251; CCEO, can. 882.}}

 

1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice.³⁶ These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works). 

 

{36 Cf. SC 109-110; CIC, cann. 1249-1253; CCEO, Cann. 880-883.}

Edited March 7, 2014 by Lil Red

[Ash Wednesday]

A priest told me, very explicitly: "two small meals, and one meal that doesn't add up to just a regular meal."

 

 

In other words, eat less and get your mind right. That's all.

[Pliny]

So I wasn't as wrong as I thought I was.  It should be just under the equivalent of two meals.

[Ash Wednesday]

I've heard different things, but they are all fairly similar. That sounds along the lines of what many have said, within reason.

 

 

[AugustineA]

O wow. I guess I should have read that. I remember a few years ago doing that fast for a long period of time but drinking lots of hot chocolate all day haha.There's such a high sugar content that it really satiated my hunger. 

[Winchester]

What's worse: Not fasting, or murdering people? Because food keeps the rest of you lot tolerable.