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Pope_Noah_I
Guest
…adopt the fasting Methods of the East? Methinks it would be a good idea, a lot of emphasis on fasting has been lost in the Latin Rite.
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Andruschak
Guest
There is currently nothing stopping anyone from adopting the fasting methods of the East. Or of fasting more then the current Church requires. Many do. Why bother making it mandatory?
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Marina14
Guest
If you’re talking about the Fasting methods of the Eastern Christian Church in or not in union with Rome, the answer is, “Yes”.
I just had a wonderful 3 hour conversation with a Roman Catholic Priest at St. Mel’s Church yesterday. He says that any Roman Catholic, convert or cradle, can adopt the much stricter Fasting Guidelines of the Eastern Churches which equals out to about 50% of the year give or take depending on the year:
Eat only once a day (no snacking) and not beyond satiety and not before the 9th Hour (3 pm).
No Meat or meat products (no fish, except when allowed)
No Milk or Dairy products
No Olive Oil
No Wine (except when allowed)
No Sexual relations with one’s spouse
The Fasting Periods include (I may have missed some in this list):
- Every Wednesday & Friday in honor of Judas Betrayal and the Crucifixion of Jesus (except the week after Christmas and the week following Easter)
- 14 Days in August in Honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God
- The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
- Nativity Fast from 11/15 to Christmas
- approx 50 days leading up to Pascha/Easter
- The approx 2 week Fast in June leading up to the Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul
- Etc.
No Food or Water (or any other drink) from Midnight until after Mass/Divine Liturgy
No Sexual relations with one’s spouse before or after receiving Holy Communion (I think it’s at least 24 hours before & after reception, but I’d have to check with my spiritual father as I’m not married.).
Now that you know how tough it is and that you can, the question is: Do you really want to?
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Andruschak
Guest
Probably not, and most certainly not without clearing it first with my Physician, since I am 63 years old
Followed by a discussion with my Spiritual Directer, to insure that my motives do not involve spiritual pride and a desire to be holier then thou.
My current fast is the simple of one full meal a day (usually dinner) and a smaller meal at supper without meat or fish. A quart of milk for breakfast.
A healthy fast where I am often hungry; but never debilitated, weak, or poorly functioning mentally
My cats eat better then I do
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ForeverAdam
Guest
I think the problem in the Latin Church before Vatican II was that fasting had become more of a legalistic requirement than a spiritual exercise. People fulfilled the fasts out of fear that to not do so would result in damnation. In this context, a mitigation of the official fasts was a true act of mercy. However, this left Roman Catholics without any guidance from their Church on fasting, which is reprehensible. The way out of this predicament is for Papal Rome to return to the Orthodox belief that keeping the fasts is not a legal obligation, but a free spiritual choice. In this way, she can both have strong fasting guidelines and still act with mercy toward her flock.
God bless,
Adam
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Andruschak
Guest
A superb summing up of the situation, and thank you.
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