Can I fast on any day?

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sorrowful1

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Although, I’m a little bit fragile in my health to observe fasting, I decided that I should try little by little ( I was sick, once, when I fasted , avoiding to eat anything at all).

I just know , that traditionally, Wednesdays and Fridays are the days for fasting. But could I just do it any other day in the Lord’s name or would it have no “value” or significance?

Advice pls.
 
I don’t want to talk about my own fasting (because then I’ll feel like I am bragging about it), but yeah, you’re right about those days. HOWEVER, so far as I know (at least in the western Church) you can fast whenever you want.
 
I guess you derive the same spiritual benefit from fasting irrespective of which day you do it, although it would be odd to choose a Sunday or a weekday feast. However, from what you say, it sounds like you maybe shouldn’t be fasting at all. You should definitely talk it over with a physician or similar professional before doing anything that could risk your health. Christianity is pretty pragmatic that way - preserving your life and health is definitely more important than whatever you seek to gain by fasting.
 
Just make sure you aren’t fasting on major feasts. It would be inappropriate to fast on Christmas but very appropriate to fast on Christmas Eve.
 
Let’s start with some advice from Voltaire: “The problem with common sense is that it is not all that common.”

Fasting is required only within a narrow window by the Church. Fasting in and of itself, if done for the right reason (and offering to God) is always a good thing.

Fasting if you have fragile health needs to be done with common sense (see the first paragraph); the Church does not approve of fasting to the point of negatively impacting your health.
 
Not really. Overeating is a legitimate problem I have, so it is a good idea.
 
Weave said:
It would be inappropriate to fast on Christmas but very appropriate to fast on Christmas Eve.
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Less than 100 years ago, Christmas Eve was a day of fasting. The 1917 code of canon law listed the vigils of Pentecost, the Assumption, All Saints, and the Nativity as days of fasting. I don’t remember when the liturgical law was changed (thinking early 1950s), but the general idea still exists in many Eastern rites where you would fast as a form of preparation for the feasts.
 
Yeah, I’ve thought about that.

But I just wanted to do fasting by avoiding food or things I like. In the past, I used to be harsh on my body , for example , by refraining from eating anything at all!! That was stupid of me.

Jn
 
sorrowful1 said:
Yeah, I’ve thought about that.

But I just wanted to do fasting by avoiding food or things I like. In the past, I used to be harsh on my body , for example , by refraining from eating anything at all!! That was stupid of me.

Jn
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Well, even avoiding only foods you like needs to be done in a sensble way.

We all need a good.variety of food to keep us healthy, after all. And some of us need to keep.up.our consumption of specific foods due to specific health needa.

You are usually best off discussing any major change to your diet with your physician.
 
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sorrowful1 said:
Although, I’m a little bit fragile in my health to observe fasting, I decided that I should try little by little ( I was sick, once, when I fasted , avoiding to eat anything at all).

I just know , that traditionally, Wednesdays and Fridays are the days for fasting. But could I just do it any other day in the Lord’s name or would it have no “value” or significance?

Advice pls.
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In addition to the usual good of fast and abstinence on any day are the witness of using a common day with other Christians. See St. Pope Paul VI from Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini:
In order that all the faithful, however, may be united in a common celebration of penitence, the Apostolic See intends to establish certain penitential days and seasons(63) chosen among those which in the course of the liturgical year are closer to the paschal mystery of Christ(64) or might be required by the special needs of the ecclesial community.(65)
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http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-...cuments/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini.html
 
There are different types of fasting. Google it. A Jewish fast went from morning till 6 pm. I’d eat after 6. I’m not Jewish. I did it daily till a major problem was solved. I’m a wus now.
I’m old enough for it not to matter but I’d like to try sometimes. SIGH
GOD BLESS
 
Instead of eating no food at all, you might consider just eating a reduced amount of food. On official fast days (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday), members of the Latin Catholic Church within the United States are only required to reduce their normal daily food intake by at least one-third:
When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. (USCCB on Fast & Abstience)
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sorrowful1 said:
Although, I’m a little bit fragile in my health to observe fasting, I decided that I should try little by little ( I was sick, once, when I fasted , avoiding to eat anything at all).

I just know , that traditionally, Wednesdays and Fridays are the days for fasting. But could I just do it any other day in the Lord’s name or would it have no “value” or significance?

Advice pls.
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If your health is fragile, then fasting of any kind should not even be the first thing on your mind. Your diet must be something discussed with your health professional. The Church wisely defers to their advice.

Further, fasting in the Catholic Church is not the complete avoidance of food. One full meal is allowed on precept days of fast and two smaller snacks if needed to keep up one’s strength.
 
sorrowful1 said:
I used to be harsh on my body , for example , by refraining from eating anything at all!! That was stupid of me.
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This is actually quite common in the Eastern church. People tend to eat no food at all on Good Friday, for example. Some eat no food during the first 3 days of Lent (with their Spiritual Father’s blessing, of course).
 
ReaderT said:
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sorrowful1:
I used to be harsh on my body , for example , by refraining from eating anything at all!! That was stupid of me.
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This is actually quite common in the Eastern church. People tend to eat no food at all on Good Friday, for example.
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That sounds like Yom Kippur. Is there any connection?

That is not as ignorant a question as it might seem to be. Some say that Eastern liturgies are closer to Jewish temple rites than anything else in Christendom.
 
Honestly I haven’t heard of that correlation - it seemed to me that it was solely for the Crucifixion, but I’m no theologian 😎 😆
 
@LilyM Thank you for the suggestion,I think I really should see a physician. I’ve been just randomly picking and avoiding food.

@Todd_Easton
@porthos11 Thank you for throwing some light on assistance from food. This fool was hell bent to “fast” blindly just because she wanted to without knowing the proper rules.
 
That’s a bit of a worry. The thing is, if you’ve had a period of eating in an unhealthy way, e.g. not eating at all, it sometimes doesn’t take much to set you back. You know how somebody who has been an alcoholic will typically avoid alcohol completely, because one drink can undo all the progress they’ve made? If you now have a healthy pattern of eating, you really don’t want to do anything that could upset that.
 
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