Does fasting end at midnight?

[Neil_Anthony]

Is it acceptable to have a snack at midnight after the ash wednesday (or good friday) fast? Or do you have to wait until morning?

 

[Orionthehunter]

Is it acceptable to have a snack at midnight after the ash wednesday (or good friday) fast? Or do you have to wait until morning?

Is the purpose of this discipline legalistic in nature or to stimulate a change in heart?

 

[strngrnrth]

Many people work nights.

 

[CentralFLJames]

Is it acceptable to have a snack at midnight after the ash wednesday (or good friday) fast? Or do you have to wait until morning?

Well, I have been tempted myself to wait up and get a jump start at breakfast.

The early church fasted each of the 40 days by abstaining from meats and so on. They did permit a break from fast at 3:00 though. But what we have now is a cake walk in comparison. So, just think of that and go to bed hungry. Then wake up and have a nice breakfast in the morning.

James

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I guess maybe the question is so stupid that no one took it literally: of course the day ends at midnight. I only asked because I’ve heard things from people like "in the bible, the day starts at sunrise"or 6am, or “in the church the day starts the evening before, thats why we can go to Sunday mass on saturday evening” etc.

But I think that must all be bunk… the church day probably starts and ends at midnight like the secular day.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I reall years ago we considered whether it was midnight standard time or daylight savings time, and could we use one for Friday abstinence and the other for the Sunday Eucharistic Fast [whichwas from mid-night at the time].

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I reall years ago we considered whether it was midnight standard time or daylight savings time, and could we use one for Friday abstinence and the other for the Sunday Eucharistic Fast [whichwas from mid-night at the time].

thats funny

Well in my case I gave up my late tuesday / early wednesday midnight snack and I didn’t want to give it up two days in a row

 

[cameron_lansing]

… the church day probably starts and ends at midnight like the secular day.

Canon 202
§1. In the law, a day is understood as a period of time consisting of 24 continuous hours, and it begins at midnight, unless otherwise expressly provided . . .

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Canon 202
§1. In the law, a day is understood as a period of time consisting of 24 continuous hours, and it begins at midnight, unless otherwise expressly provided . . .

Thank you! Now I don’t have to go to confession for ‘cheating’ with a midnight snack. I didn’t think I’d ever get to sleep if I didnt have something to eat.

 

[Andruschak]

Canon 202
§1. In the law, a day is understood as a period of time consisting of 24 continuous hours, and it begins at midnight, unless otherwise expressly provided . . .

OUCH! Thanks for the heads up. I will have to talk to my Spiritual Director about this. I more or less assumed it was from getting out of bed to going back to bed.

I work for the USPS, Yes, I am a Disgruntled Postal Worker! 3PM - 11:30 PM. I get home at midnight, and go to bed at 2 AM. I have regarded the Midnight - 2AM time period as part of the previous day as far as fasting and abstinance goes.

That applied to Ash Wednesday. I had a “breakfast” and lunch of a quart of milk each. Off to work. After getting off work at midnight, I stopped by a restaurant and had 3 cheese blintzes, my first solid food of the day.

 

[Gamera]

I told my wife that a day of fasting meant we could only eat fast food. She didn’t believe me.

 

[Andruschak]

I told my wife that a day of fasting meant we could only eat fast food. She didn’t believe me.

But a nice try:clapping:

 

[NTOT]

Thank you! Now I don’t have to go to confession for ‘cheating’ with a midnight snack. I didn’t think I’d ever get to sleep if I didnt have something to eat.

But you could possibly still cheat if your clock happens to be running fast!