Fasting on Good Friday

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Bklynguy

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So, I am working all day tomorrow and am wondering whether there is flexibility in the Church’s law on fasting on Good Friday. I want to obey the Church; however, my wife was telling me that she doesn’t think it is a good idea if I am to be working all day. Apparently, I get very irritable, short, and sometimes throw verbal punches without even realizing it when my blood sugar is too low. On the other hand, I want to obey the Church on acts of penance.

I found this website, americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx, which indicates that not observing individual days of penance is not serious and the faithful should not be scrupulous about it. Also, it indicates there are other more meaningful ways of doing works of penance such as praying the rosary, doing works of charity, etc.

Any thoughts?
 
It sounds like your wife doesn’t want you to fast because you’re working and because you get upset when you are hungry.

Really? That’s all I need to get out of fasting?! Work and hunger? I’m never fasting again! 😉

Seriously … Follow the Good Friday Fast! Man up and be Catholic.
 
I get what you’re saying. I also have blood sugar issues. So, fasting means one small meal with two snacks (which, in total, would comprise of an everyday regular meal). And, of course, no meat. So, having been there, I would suggest protein intensive… peanut butter, eggs, cheese, etc. I wish you well! Eating small amounts at regular intervals should alleviate blood sugar concerns. Anyway, one would be loathe to lose their temper on Good Friday of all days, so do what you have to do to maintain your health and fulfill the fasting and abstinence. It’s between you and God, after all. And he knows your heart!
 
Bklynguy said:
I found this website, americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx, which indicates that not observing individual days of penance is not serious and the faithful should not be scrupulous about it. Also, it indicates there are other more meaningful ways of doing works of penance such as praying the rosary, doing works of charity, etc.

Any thoughts?
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I find it interesting that when some people don’t want to be inconvenienced too much they label things as scrupulosity. Don’t pay them any mind.

If you have a medical issue, then obviously you are excused from fasting IF it really prohibits you from fasting.

No one is saying you have to go a whole day without eating, but surely you can eat less than you normally do. Only you know yourself and what you can and can’t do as well as what is true desire to fast and what are excuses.
 
Why don’t you drink juices, Gatorade, or protein drinks during the day in order to keep up your blood sugar and strength? The fast doesn’t apply to beverages.
 
Bklynguy said:
So, I am working all day tomorrow and am wondering whether there is flexibility in the Church’s law on fasting on Good Friday. I want to obey the Church; however, my wife was telling me that she doesn’t think it is a good idea if I am to be working all day. Apparently, I get very irritable, short, and sometimes throw verbal punches without even realizing it when my blood sugar is too low. On the other hand, I want to obey the Church on acts of penance.

I found this website, americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx, which indicates that not observing individual days of penance is not serious and the faithful should not be scrupulous about it. Also, it indicates there are other more meaningful ways of doing works of penance such as praying the rosary, doing works of charity, etc.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I thought those with health issues were dispensed from the Ash Wednesday/Good Friday fasting?
 
Bklynguy said:
So, I am working all day tomorrow and am wondering whether there is flexibility in the Church’s law on fasting on Good Friday. I want to obey the Church; however, my wife was telling me that she doesn’t think it is a good idea if I am to be working all day. Apparently, I get very irritable, short, and sometimes throw verbal punches without even realizing it when my blood sugar is too low. On the other hand, I want to obey the Church on acts of penance.

I found this website, americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx, which indicates that not observing individual days of penance is not serious and the faithful should not be scrupulous about it. Also, it indicates there are other more meaningful ways of doing works of penance such as praying the rosary, doing works of charity, etc.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Everybody gets more or less irritated when they are hungry, I get really nasty. This is why fasting should be a more frequent penance, it can teach us to dissociate ourselves from discomfort. Unless you have health problems you should be able to work with just one meal in a day. Just have a very good breakfast and then a snack in the early afternoon, that should keep you going. At night when you are hungry and cranky tell your wife how you feel and then spend the rest of time by yourself and go to sleep early, do not have conversations if you know that you are going to get into arguments.

Do not waste time on websites that contradict clear instructions from the Church. Works of charity as an alternate penance are acceptable on the regular Fridays during the year when a person is not going to abstain from meat.
 
I’m planning on fasting today for Good Friday, but I am wondering if I am bound b/c I have acid reflux disease (for which I take a prescription twice a day and have so for almost 20 years). On Ash Wednesday I fasted and also took Ibuprofen several times for a disc problem in my back. I got very sick that evening. This time I’m only going to take Tylenol. But I’m just wondering–is acid reflux disease a disqualifying ailment?
 
Veronica97 said:
I’m planning on fasting today for Good Friday, but I am wondering if I am bound b/c I have acid reflux disease (for which I take a prescription twice a day and have so for almost 20 years). On Ash Wednesday I fasted and also took Ibuprofen several times for a disc problem in my back. I got very sick that evening. This time I’m only going to take Tylenol. But I’m just wondering–is acid reflux disease a disqualifying ailment?
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Veronica, be careful about taking too much tylenol. It can cause liver poisoning if you take too much.
 
One thing I love about the Catholic Church is that it never flies in the face of good old common sense, which, under the name of prudence, is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Here are the fast and abstinence parameters: No meat. Meat is defined as the edible flesh of land dwelling animals. One full meatless meal may be eaten. Two other small meals which do not add up to a second full meal may be added. You can eat dairy and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and starches. Basically, what you’ll be avoiding is meat and junk food. If you cut out the starches you’ll easily get under the less than full second meal bar.

So with a little thought you can pretty easily get through Good Friday (and Ash Wednesday, too, for that matter) without much of a health impact, and without significant hunger. Have a decent breakfast including some eggs, have a fairly light salad for lunch, with maybe a vegetarian soup (lentil soup is a good choice,) and have some cheese and fruit for dinner. If you stay away from baked goods (or maybe just have some toast with your eggs at breakfast) you’ll avoid the complex carbohydrate jag and crash that rubs people’s nerves raw. Drink some water or tea if you feel hungry between meals. And “fast” from uncharitable thoughts, pointed remarks, pettiness, and the temptation to get involved in useless arguments. It’s just one day. People eat more restrictive diets all the time in the interest of losing weight and trying to look good. We get hung up on “the rules,” but basically what we’re supposed to be trying to do is to link a little sacrifice to the great suffering Our Lord undertook for us. What we’re doing is not that big a deal in comparison.
 
Bklynguy said:
So, I am working all day tomorrow and am wondering whether there is flexibility in the Church’s law on fasting on Good Friday. I want to obey the Church; however, my wife was telling me that she doesn’t think it is a good idea if I am to be working all day. Apparently, I get very irritable, short, and sometimes throw verbal punches without even realizing it when my blood sugar is too low. On the other hand, I want to obey the Church on acts of penance.

I found this website, americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx, which indicates that not observing individual days of penance is not serious and the faithful should not be scrupulous about it. Also, it indicates there are other more meaningful ways of doing works of penance such as praying the rosary, doing works of charity, etc.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Are you diabetic if you are you are automatically have a despensation from the fast although you still required to obstain from meat and eat other kinds of protein such as fish cheese and peanutbutter.
 
odile53 said:
One thing I love about the Catholic Church is that it never flies in the face of good old common sense, which, under the name of prudence, is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Here are the fast and abstinence parameters: No meat. Meat is defined as the edible flesh of land dwelling animals. One full meatless meal may be eaten. Two other small meals which do not add up to a second full meal may be added. You can eat dairy and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and starches. Basically, what you’ll be avoiding is meat and junk food. If you cut out the starches you’ll easily get under the less than full second meal bar.

So with a little thought you can pretty easily get through Good Friday (and Ash Wednesday, too, for that matter) without much of a health impact, and without significant hunger. Have a decent breakfast including some eggs, have a fairly light salad for lunch, with maybe a vegetarian soup (lentil soup is a good choice,) and have some cheese and fruit for dinner. If you stay away from baked goods (or maybe just have some toast with your eggs at breakfast) you’ll avoid the complex carbohydrate jag and crash that rubs people’s nerves raw. Drink some water or tea if you feel hungry between meals. And “fast” from uncharitable thoughts, pointed remarks, pettiness, and the temptation to get involved in useless arguments. It’s just one day. People eat more restrictive diets all the time in the interest of losing weight and trying to look good. We get hung up on “the rules,” but basically what we’re supposed to be trying to do is to link a little sacrifice to the great suffering Our Lord undertook for us. What we’re doing is not that big a deal in comparison.
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This is a good post—this looks like three meals to me, albeit smaller ones. I’ll was planning on eating less than I normally do (I typically don’t eat a lot for breakfast and lunch on a regular workday anyway) and definitely skip dessert, which is what I really crave.

I know nothing about the website where I pulled that information (americancatholic.org). In other words, I don’t know whether they usually contradict teachings of the Church.
 
thequeen said:
Are you diabetic if you are you are automatically have a despensation from the fast although you still required to obstain from meat and eat other kinds of protein such as fish cheese and peanutbutter.
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No, not that I know of–I don’t have any health problems other than high bp, which has nothing to do with eating.
 
Veronica97 said:
I’m planning on fasting today for Good Friday, but I am wondering if I am bound b/c I have acid reflux disease (for which I take a prescription twice a day and have so for almost 20 years). On Ash Wednesday I fasted and also took Ibuprofen several times for a disc problem in my back. I got very sick that evening. This time I’m only going to take Tylenol. But I’m just wondering–is acid reflux disease a disqualifying ailment?
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You are asking for a medical opinion and we are not allowed to give them. If acid reflux is just something that can be controlled with medication for a day then you should not consider yourself exempted; however, if it is a stage where your doctor tells you that you have to eat to control the problem then probably it is a justification for exemption from the obligation. Talk to your doctor not just because of one day of fasting but because you probably need to be on a controlled diet and medication if the issue is serious enough, especially considering that you are taking large amounts of Ibuprofen.
 
WARNING to everybody. No breakfast and my stomach is already growling! Do not disagree with me or you will see what and hungry/angry stress eater is capable of typing. :D:D:D
 
Cristiano said:
WARNING to everybody. No breakfast and my stomach is already growling! Do not disagree with me or you will see what and hungry/angry stress eater is capable of typing. :D:D:D
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I am sooo hungry too and about to walk to the nearest parish 1.7 miles away and back to go to Confession! Give me strength Lord!
 
Bklynguy said:
So, I am working all day tomorrow and am wondering whether there is flexibility in the Church’s law on fasting on Good Friday. I want to obey the Church; however, my wife was telling me that she doesn’t think it is a good idea if I am to be working all day. Apparently, I get very irritable, short, and sometimes throw verbal punches without even realizing it when my blood sugar is too low. On the other hand, I want to obey the Church on acts of penance.

I found this website, americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx, which indicates that not observing individual days of penance is not serious and the faithful should not be scrupulous about it. Also, it indicates there are other more meaningful ways of doing works of penance such as praying the rosary, doing works of charity, etc.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Catholics are required to fast on Good Friday. It is NOT optional. If you have a health problem with fasting, you should talk to a priest, eg. your confessor, and they can give you a dispensation, but that’s something that needs to be done ahead of time, not Holy Thursday evening.
 
anp1215 said:
I am sooo hungry too and about to walk to the nearest parish 1.7 miles away and back to go to Confession! Give me strength Lord!
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Update, I did not end up having to walk. I found my husband’s car keys, so I did have access to a car! Thanks St. Anthony!

I was very relieved because the road has no sidewalk or shoulder and I was kind of scared to walk on it!
 
I’m praying for all of us who find fasting difficult. I certainly do not fast well, and I see especially how attached I am to all of my appetites today.

My grandmother used to give her own dispensation, “A working man needs his strength,” but that was back when the Church required more fasting, and people worked hard in the fields.

God bless us and help us to fast well today!
 
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