Fasting on Good Friday

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BrianIndy

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My family always has a big get together on the evening of Good Friday. We usually have a fish fry for everyone and eat a big meal together.

I have been told the Good Friday fast ends at sundown. We never eat before dark on Good Friday but I was wondering if we’re breaking the rule.

When does the Good Friday fast officially end?
 
I always thought it lasted all day.

If you didn’t eat anything all day then you could eat one regular meal at dinnertime, that would be within the guidelines.
 
I’m not aware of anything that specifies sundown for the end of the Good Friday fast. However, the Church requires that we eat one full meal and (if necessary) two smaller meals that do not equal one full meal. Your family fish fry could serve as your one full meal - no one says you must stuff yourself at this meal. And you could eat two very light meals during the day in preparation, or nothing at all, depending on your work and your health.

Betsy
 
BrianIndy said:
My family always has a big get together on the evening of Good Friday. We usually have a fish fry for everyone and eat a big meal together.

I have been told the Good Friday fast ends at sundown. We never eat before dark on Good Friday but I was wondering if we’re breaking the rule.

When does the Good Friday fast officially end?
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It ends at midnight on Good Friday.
 
thistle said:
It ends at midnight on Good Friday.
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Are you certain? Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. Saturday evening anticipation Mass (Ordinary) begins at sundown. I can’t find the answer in the Catechism.

I agree that of we stick to that being our one full meal, we’re good to go.
 
it is a fast day as well as a day of abstinence, so the family get-together would be everyone’s main meal of the day, whenever it is served (and should end at a reasonable time so folks are not eating and snacking all evening long for hours on end). If you eat late, most will probably want one and maybe two smaller meals, as permitted throughout the day, if they need it.
 
BrianIndy said:
Are you certain? Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. Saturday evening anticipation Mass (Ordinary) begins at sundown. I can’t find the answer in the Catechism.

I agree that of we stick to that being our one full meal, we’re good to go.
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As long as you all eat moderately.

The answer will probably be in Canon Law rather than the Catechism. A ‘day’, unless otherwise specified, has its normal meaning - midnight to midnight.

And there’s no reason to end the Good Friday fast at sundown - in fact the Church encourages us to continue fasting right up to SATURDAY evening, the Easter vigil, if we can do so.
 
BrianIndy said:
My family always has a big get together on the evening of Good Friday. We usually have a fish fry for everyone and eat a big meal together.

I have been told the Good Friday fast ends at sundown. We never eat before dark on Good Friday but I was wondering if we’re breaking the rule.

When does the Good Friday fast officially end?
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12:00 AM, Saturday morning
 
Good Friday for us usually meant crawfish etoufee, shrimp creole, or a decent batch of boiled crawfish, corn, and potatoes. We had one meal and it was usually way late in the day.
 
brotherhrolf said:
Good Friday for us usually meant crawfish etoufee, shrimp creole, or a decent batch of boiled crawfish, corn, and potatoes. We had one meal and it was usually way late in the day.
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Sounds like our house on Good Friday. We like our crawfish.
 
Chatter163 said:
You have been told incorrectly. The fast ends when Good Friday ends, at midnight. However, fasting is encouraged the following day, also.
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Encouraged by whom?

Frankly as overweight as most Americans are, we ought to fast daily for awhile. I’m guilty.
 
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