Ash Wednesday Question.

[CWBetts]

Actually, no, I don’t think it is true.

Drinks do not break the fast provided they are not substantive enough to be considered food (like a milkshake). Coffee, tea, milk, juice, etc. are all fine. That’s what it says on EWTN’s site, at least. I haven’t located any ecclesial pronouncements that speak on the subject of drinks while fasting, though.

I believe you are incorrect. If anything other than water or medication breaks the fast required before receiving our Lord in th Eucharist, then why would it not hold true for other fasts? Why the search for “loopholes” to figure out what you can get away with? Even if they don’t technically break the fast, isn’t fasting from all things other than water more in keeping with the spirit of the thing? The purpose of the Ash Wednesday/Good Friday fasts, and the Lenten Sacrifice overall, is an exercise in self denial. How is indulging yourself in drinks other than water during a fast in keeping with this?

 

[Joe_5859]

I believe you are incorrect. If anything other than water or medication breaks the fast required before receiving our Lord in th Eucharist, then why would it not hold true for other fasts? Why the search for “loopholes” to figure out what you can get away with? Even if they don’t technically break the fast, isn’t fasting from all things other than water more in keeping with the spirit of the thing? The purpose of the Ash Wednesday/Good Friday fasts, and the Lenten Sacrifice overall, is an exercise in self denial. How is indulging yourself in drinks other than water during a fast in keeping with this?

I’m not searching for “loopholes”, I’m only searching for an accurate understanding of what the Church actually requires. That way we can avoid presuming that our personal forms of piety are somehow binding on the conscience of all Catholics.

Personally, I agree with you about keeping the spirit of the fast and only drinking water. But my opinion doesn’t really matter.

I still haven’t been able to find where any of this appears in the Church documents. Canon Law is not very specific. But I assume that the guy from EWTN is getting his answer from somewhere. I’ve also seen a similar response from the apologists here at CAF.

The fast before we receive Communion is different from the days of fasting. On days of fasting, we can still have two small meals and one regular meal without breaking the fast. You can’t eat anything in the hour before we receive Communion. So I don’t think this is a suitable basis for inferring that we can only drink water on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

 

[Kathrin]

I also thought drinking fluids was ok… I am not totally sure though. I do think to remember the priest said that during my first “real” Lent, when I went through RCIA to get confirmed…
I also remember something about specific ounces, how much the meals could be, but maybe that was a local thing?

Anyway, I didn’t do it this time, meaning yesterday, but on other Ash Wednesdays / Good Fridays I remember that I did drink fluids other than water, it can help keeping the blood sugar level high enough to be productive and thus doesn’t necessarily ruin the spirit of the fast, does it…

Kathrin