Ash Wednesday Question.

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I know Catholics should abstain from eating meat and have one full meal and two smaller meals on Ash Wednesday.

Instead of having one full meal and two smaller meals at three sittings, would it be ok to eat this same quantity of food, throughout the day, when one wants to?
 
Computer8 said:
I know Catholics should abstain from eating meat and have one full meal and two smaller meals on Ash Wednesday.

Instead of having one full meal and two smaller meals at three sittings would it be ok to eat this same quantity of food throughout the day but when one wants to?
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No, part of the fast for Ash Wednesday is just that, fasting. That is no eating between meals. All that is eaten today is the two small and one larger meal.
 
Computer8 said:
I know Catholics should abstain from eating meat and have one full meal and two smaller meals on Ash Wednesday.

Instead of having one full meal and two smaller meals at three sittings, would it be ok to eat this same quantity of food, throughout the day, when one wants to?
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no. Not unless you have some medical reason…if so call your pastor for a dispsensation to be sure…
 
What constitutes a “full meal” vs. a “smaller meal”? Would a wrap and bag of chips be a full meal or a small meal…it all seems quite ambiguous to me
 
CWBetts said:
What constitutes a “full meal” vs. a “smaller meal”? Would a wrap and bag of chips be a full meal or a small meal…it all seems quite ambiguous to me
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I would think for the average person, that would qualify as a full meal.

“Smaller meal” is typically a snack…piece of fruit, slice of bread, maybe some cheese and crackers. Or at least, that seems to be the rule of thumb for folks my age (thirties) in good health (my own personal experience).
 
Computer8 said:
I know Catholics should abstain from eating meat and have one full meal and two smaller meals on Ash Wednesday.

Instead of having one full meal and two smaller meals at three sittings, would it be ok to eat this same quantity of food, throughout the day, when one wants to?
Click to expand...
that would not be fasting, which is not the amount of food, but going without food for a period of time

what constitutes a smaller size meal is usually what is smaller size than your normal meal. If you get a sandwich and chips every day any how, just have soup or salad, or skip the chips, or eat half a sandwich.

playing the bare minimum game, as in, what can I get away with, defeats the whole purpose, so why not just forget the whole thing.
 
CWBetts said:
What constitutes a “full meal” vs. a “smaller meal”? Would a wrap and bag of chips be a full meal or a small meal…it all seems quite ambiguous to me
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Hi.

This web article should be a big help, which notes the official canonical recommendations of the Church.

In short, on an abstainence/fast day, don’t eat any meat (eggs, milk products and animal-fat based condiments are OK) and keep your meals as small as you can–but don’t scruple over it. If you have a medical condition or are under 15 or 60 and over–you can choose not to abstain or fast.
 
SpaceNeedle said:
I would think for the average person, that would qualify as a full meal.

“Smaller meal” is typically a snack…piece of fruit, slice of bread, maybe some cheese and crackers. Or at least, that seems to be the rule of thumb for folks my age (thirties) in good health (my own personal experience).
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For me this morning it was a half a grapefruit and a bowl of hot oatmeal, and a mug of coffee (black). I left out my usual yogurt. My breakfasts are generally light anyway when I’m not fasting.

For lunch, when I typically have a full meal, I had two pieces of buttered toast and a cup of black coffee. One of the pieces was the end crust that nobody likes to eat, and it was whole wheat bread which I hate 😉

Dinner will be a plate of fettucini with a meatless alfredo sauce, and no glass of red wine like I usually have (which I am giving up for all but Sundays in Lent).

I will probably wake up with raging hunger in the middle of the night and will need to have a glass of milk or a bowl of yogurt sometime past midnight 😃
 
CWBetts said:
What constitutes a “full meal” vs. a “smaller meal”? Would a wrap and bag of chips be a full meal or a small meal…it all seems quite ambiguous to me
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It’s supposed to be ambiguous. 😉

This is one of those matters where the Church wants us to make our best judgment on the matter. What might be a small meal to a large man in a first world country might be a large feast for a smaller person in a third world country. You can’t really draw up a dietary plan that would apply equally to everyone.

Spencerian said “keep your meals as small as you can–but don’t scruple over it.” That’s the whole thing in a nutshell. We want to avoid the twin dangers of (a) trying to get away with eating as much as possible without “technically” breaking the rules; and (b) beating ourselves up because the piece of bread on our PBJ sandwhich seemed slightly larger than average.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Is there a best time to eat the one full meal and two smaller meals?

What times of the day do Catholics have their three meals?

Also, is it ok to break the fast after the midnight of Ash Wednesday?
 
Computer8 said:
Thanks for the replies.

Is there a best time to eat the one full meal and two smaller meals?

What times of the day do Catholics have their three meals?

Also, is it ok to break the fast after the midnight of Ash Wednesday?
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I think it depends on what works best for you.

I only have dinner. I make a modest dinner meal for my fiance and myself (otherwise, he’d have a lent full o’ filet o’ fish).

If I do have a snack, it’s whenever my stomach is really growling or I otherwise get the sense I should…but never more than twice on a fast day.
 
I’m having my meal at night.
I was wondering about that too, whether it matters, when you have it.
And the midnight question… I started the fast at midnight last night, so can I assume that means it is over at midnight today?
 
The time of the meals doesn’t matter at all. It depends on your schedule. Typically people tend to eat their smaller meals at the same exact time they would have eaten their larger meals, but it isn’t required.

Yes, the fast ends at midnight but that doesn’t give you permission to be a glutton either.
 
So, is it still all right for one’s sacrifice for Lent to be something like never having lunch?
 
Young_Thinker said:
So, is it still all right for one’s sacrifice for Lent to be something like never having lunch?
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In general, what you sacrifice and the terms of that sacrifice is totally up to you. The only days where the terms of the sacrifice matter are Fridays during Lent (no meat), Ash Wednesday (fasting and no meat), and Good Friday (fasting and no meat.)
 
Marauder said:
In general, what you sacrifice and the terms of that sacrifice is totally up to you. The only days where the terms of the sacrifice matter are Fridays during Lent (no meat), Ash Wednesday (fasting and no meat), and Good Friday (fasting and no meat.)
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Thank you.
 
Am I correct in that the only fluid one should drink on Ash Wednesday/Good Friday (apart from the drinks with the meals) is water?
 
Computer8 said:
Am I correct in that the only fluid one should drink on Ash Wednesday/Good Friday (apart from the drinks with the meals) is water?
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CWBetts said:
This is true of any fast
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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.
 
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