Fasting

[rivera01]

When is fasting still considered fasting? I am little confused as far as what I have read online at new advent about fasting. Is fasting still in effect only if one meal is taken in a day? My thought of a perfect fast was to deprive oneself from food completly for a certain period of time. If I am incorrect in this thought, I would like some clarification on this. Oh and BTW, I’m not refering to fasting during lent, I mean just fasting as an act of moritification, for the sake of receiving God’s grace any time during the year.

 

[mediatrixx]

All it really means is depriving yourself of something: meat, eggs, cheese, even not sleeping was/is considered a type of fast. One meal a day could definitely be considered a fast.

 

[otjm]

Fasting, as the Church generally defines it when requiring it, means having one regular meal, and two other lesser meals that totaled together would equal a second meal.

So, if a meal consists of 12 ounces of something(s), then the other two meals would consist of 6 ounces each of something(s).

As to any other fasting from food, giving up part or all of a meal would be considered fasting. That is, od days when the Church does not require fasting, one is able as a penance or act of self-mortification, to determine what is to be given up; always, of course, using good (as in, common) sense. One is not to fast to the point of damaging one’s health, as that would be damaging to the body; and the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Body is not a bad thing; it is a gift from God and to be treated with respect.