Fasting for the poor

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PattyPryor

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I thought I would fast for the poor but since I get headaches (mygraines) really bad if I don’t eat I thought I would do smaller meals for 4 days.

An example

breakfast- oatmeal

lunch sandwich and apple or yogert

supper- soup (1 cup)

also water only water

I will not buy anything in veding machines or on my college campus or restarants. and I won’t have snacks

Is this okay or is this not considered fasting because I don’t think I can go without any food. Someone said they go without food and water. But 4 days is a long time for me. I never really did this before

so is this sound like a fast to anyone?
 
It certainly seems like a form of simple fast, yes. Actually, it seems to go further than what the Church calls for in regard to fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
 
if you have a medical condition I would not do any fast (or diet) without your doctor’s approval. the Church has traditional fasting disciplines. If you want to do something harsher, you should get approval from your spiritual director or confessor. “somebody said” is not Church teaching authority.
 
I don’t want to do anything harsher. I just can’t skip meals and this is what I came up with along with my priest.

I’m in perfect health I just get headaches and like to function throughout the day 🙂
 
It really doesn’t matter if it’s a proper fast or not, it is more your intentions tied to what you are doing. You could ruin a fast if your just doing it to show off. A meager fast with the right intention is worth more than the other one. It sounds like a sacrifice and the intentions are good, so I see it worthy. Although if you are going to really start more than just something simple, it’d be a good thing to get a spiritual director or confessor to help guide you. Also it is important that you don’t do anything that would be adverse to your health.
 
PattyPryor said:
I don’t want to do anything harsher. I just can’t skip meals and this is what I came up with along with my priest.

I’m in perfect health I just get headaches and like to function throughout the day 🙂
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Hi Patty…if you and your priest have come up with anything at all, let that be your answer and dont look any further. By doing this you are effecting humility and obedience. If my director and I decide on something…that is it for me, full stop and no other discussion entered into with anyone at all other than with my director - all within the bounds of common sense of course “common sense is the guide of all the virtues” (St. Albert).

Over and above that the fast you outline is exceptionally strict and harsh I think and your fast is much stricter than that prescribed by the Church and indeed by contemplative enclosed monastics I know of anyway.
If you experience migraine headaches then our obligation to take good care of our health and life I should think, would ask that you check out your fast with your doctor…presupposing you are receiving medical treatment for your migraines.
I am rather surprised that your director did not ask you to do this if you are receiving medical treatment. I receive medical treatment and my director always asks if I have checked something out with my doctor if what we are discussing is an issue in any way connected with my medical condition. My diet is important re my own condition and very often what I do rather than actually fast is to buy food that is not quite up to the standard that I would like and can afford to eat - this cuts down on my grocery bill and the extra money I have surplus for some work of mercy. This is a form of fasting since my diet is important to my health.

Here is a link to our obligations re fasting:
ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm

God’s Blessings and His Peace.
 
Just had to return to say that I really admire you and your motives!..and God looks at our motives!..

God’s Many Blessings and His Peace…Barb:)
 
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