Fasting during Lent is a reminder of the Sacrifice that Christ made for us for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert without food and water being tempted by Satan. We see how God has made many sacrifices, and has had to even be tempted by a creature He could destroy at any minute.What is the traditional proof given for fasting during Lent, and what is that fasting supposed to entail? (Sorry, I’m not Catholic but I was wondering about this question if you can please indulge me with an answer…)
What are you looking for when you say “traditional proof”? The story of the 40 day fast of Jesus in the desert can be found in Matthew Chapter 4. As for our fasting “requirements” so to speak, we are only required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, allowing one full meal and two smaller meals sufficient to maintain strength. The time of day which these meals can be eaten is immaterial. Fasting is mostly a private devotional tool, since many people, the very young, the elderly, the infirm, and pregnant and lactating women would be unwise to observe a full fast. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops saw that the spiritual benefit of fasting was being somewhat lost in the legalism of the requirement, so they asked people to choose their penances more wisely than just giving up food. For some, fasting from food is a powerful spiritual tool, but not everyone can walk the same spiritual path. So, fasting is supposed to entail some sort of sacrifice. If it is a sacrifice for you to bite your tongue when you hear a political discussion going on, then it might be a good fast for you to give up political discussions for Lent. If it’s a sacrifice for you to give up coffee, or some other food item, then that’s good too, as long as it’s a sacrifice of something that you will miss. The best approach is to choose fasts which will lead you to become a more holy person, and eventually lead you to sainthood. A Lenten fast can last a lifetime if you continue to observe it beyond the 40 days. Our fasts are meant to lead to more contemplation and introspection and a deeper appreciation for the one thing that matters most, God’s love for all of us.What is the traditional proof given for fasting during Lent, and what is that fasting supposed to entail? (Sorry, I’m not Catholic but I was wondering about this question if you can please indulge me with an answer…)
I understand the fasting tradition of Ramadan, it is an austere fast which as a Catholic you could practice if you felt led to do so. The difference is the legality of it. In Islam there are many rules surrounding the fast, whereas in Catholicism the emphasis is on growing closer to God through personal sacrifices. My brother for instance eats one meal a day normally, at the end of the day. He does this because it’s his way and has been for years, not because he practices any faith tradition. But if he did practice a faith, the Ramadan fast wouldn’t really mean anything to him since that’s his ordinary modus operandi. He would probably have to search inside for something more to sacrifice which would be a reminder to him of Christ’s sacrifice for all of us. We choose to observe our fast just prior to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as a preparation for the Easter season.Well, I am a Muslim, and I don’t know much about Catholicism–I admit as much. Muslims fast for 30 days every year–they abstain entirely from all food and drink and marital relations during the day, from dawn until sunset. During that time, it becomes easier for the fasting person to be more aware of God, and to catch their tongue if it is backbiting, and easier to pray, easier to rise up in the middle of the night to pray.
But I didn’t know why Catholics fasted. I know some will say they are “fasting” by avoiding soft drinks or chocolate and I don’t really understand how that is an actual fast and what the significance is. (I don’t mean that to be offensive, I honestly do not understand.)
By the way, in Islam, women on their periods, who are pregnant, anyone who is traveling or ill–they are all exempted from the fast, but they can make it up later.
The truth is, that Catholics who practice an austere fast probably wouldn’t go advertising it to others since it’s somewhat insincere in the Catholic tradition to do so. It shows a lack of humility. Those who give up soda pop and go around advertising it to the whole world are most likely doing the best they can, but they may benefit from some spiritual guidance to deepen their understanding of what it is they are actually doing.But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Yes, those are the rules I’m talking about, but what I said was:The fast is abstaining from all food (not just meals) and all drinks (even water) for all the daylight hours. No snacks, no gum, no cigarettes, no water breaks, etc. And also abstaining from sexual intercourse during the day. Are those the “rules” you’re talking about which take away from the meaning? That’s what makes it a fast, that the person is deprived of things which the body demands, and forces the person to control their body.
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I did not say the rules “take away from the meaning”, I said they can do so. For some they are a good pious practice, for others not so much. If you personally benefit from these particular rules, and you personally feel they accomplish the end means, i.e. a development of a deeper love of God, then by all means observe those rules. Those rules make it a fast in the Muslim tradition, they don’t make it a fast in the Catholic tradition necessarily, because if those rules end up making you cranky, irritable, and just a plain annoyance for others to be around, then maybe you should rethink how you’re approaching your fast. Some folks think so long as they abide by the rules, they’re doing well, but Christ was sent to us to tell us the real purpose, which is interior. It’s not something that can be governed by a set of rules. It’s something that takes deep personal awareness.Rules can obscure real meaning, which is one of the lessons Christ came to give us. He often admonished the religious leaders of His day for practicing the law without interior conversion. Interior conversion is what it’s all about for a Catholic. .
Look up the Black Fast:The reason that Muslims fast (aside from being commanded to) is to gain something called “taqwa” which is like, fear of God, awareness of God, piety, etc. It makes a person more aware of God.
The fast is abstaining from all food (not just meals) and all drinks (even water) for all the daylight hours. No snacks, no gum, no cigarettes, no water breaks, etc. And also abstaining from sexual intercourse during the day. Are those the “rules” you’re talking about which take away from the meaning? That’s what makes it a fast, that the person is deprived of things which the body demands, and forces the person to control their body.
What makes Ramadan special though isn’t the fasting–it’s all the extra prayers (like 1-2 hours every night before bed, another hour before dawn) and reading Qur’an etc.
Not all Muslims have to fast though… children, pregnant women, people who are sick or traveling, they are exempt from the fast–so it is not to cause undue hardship.