A question about fasting.

[William_Pitts]

When does a fast begin, i.e. what time? When does a fast end, what time? Is it from sundown the night before until sundown the next day?

 

[corsair]

Aside from my weekly Friday Fast, which I begin as soon as I get up in the morning and ends when I get up the following morning and the same scenario for Ember days, I sometimes Fast for a longer period of time for a special purpose. But I generally will not eat after the evening meal and then follow the general rules for Fast & Abstinence.

Now that I’ve sort of “muddied the water”, any questions?

 

[I_love_rocks]

I wake up in the morning and enter into prayer, offering the fast to God for … (the intentions). A one day fast lasts through the night until the next meal I take the following day. I have low blood sugar, so I can do a strict fast, but I have to take in something. I have coffee (because I need the sugar or I’ll wind up in the hosital) and bread. That’s allowed for medical reasons… (the coffee)… When it ends depends on what you are fasting for… Here’s my thoughts, but they are personal opinion, not Church teaching. Deeper understanding 1 to 9 days. Depends on the topic and your receptivity to the answers. Repel the attacks of the evil one 3 days before confronting (at least). As an offering of thanksgiving or anything like that 1 or 2 days. Before a major decision, depending on the decision… 1-9 days, but averaging 2-3. Lent 40 days, but not a strict fast. A fast from what you’ve given up and an addition of virtues God wants you to focus on. It’s also not a bad idea to just talk it over with God and see what He thinks. I used to be so proud of myself for completing a fast when I first began to come into to the Catholic Church. Wow! was I way off base. The Lord showed me the starving who eat 1 meal a week and all of a sudden, I began to focus on the heart and the surrender, much more than what I considered ignorantly to be the intensity of the sacrifice. Don’t worry. If you’re His… He perfects even your most humble or imperfect efforts. And if you forget or cave… don’t worry. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, acknowledge it to Jesus and begin again if that’s what He wants for you.

 

[ConstantineTG]

When does a fast begin, i.e. what time? When does a fast end, what time? Is it from sundown the night before until sundown the next day?

There is really no strict rule, it is totally up to you. Technically the fast begins from your last meal until your next.

 

[Phemie]

When does a fast begin, i.e. what time? When does a fast end, what time? Is it from sundown the night before until sundown the next day?

If you’re talking about the fast on Good Friday or Ash Wednesday, legally, it’s midnight to midnight (00:00:00h-23:59:59h).

 

[laszlo]

Traditionaly from Midnight to Midnight. This was explicitly emphasized on the Carnival (Carne vale = good by meat) which silenced exactly at midnight before Ash Wednesday.

Also traditionally there was an exception: if festivity followed a fast day (e.g, Vigil days) then the fast ended with the Vespers. We in Hungary fasted on Christmas eve (December 24) but not for the diner, so was for Holy Saturday.

 

[I_love_rocks]

Breakfast was considered exactly that… the breaking of the fast. The first meal of the day…