Feast Days during the Lenten Fast

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Eric_Prine

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I heard that the fast should be broken for the Solemnity of St Joseph (March 19th), but should it also be broken for the Chair of St Peter Feast that I believe is coming up later in the month?
This year I’m trying my hand at a more traditional lenten fast. I heard that meat should not be eaten for the entire lenten season except for certain feast days and Sundays?
 
Eric_Prine said:
This year I’m trying my hand at a more traditional lenten fast. I heard that meat should not be eaten for the entire lenten season except for certain feast days and Sundays?
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I can’t answer your feast day question, but I sort of can about the fasting. If by traditional you mean medieval, then you won’t want any animal products during Lent. In other words, you would be eating vegan - no eggs, butter, milk, etc.

For the present day, other than no meat on Fridays of Lent (& fasting on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday), you can choose your penance & make it as strict as you’d like.
 
Eric_Prine said:
I heard that the fast should be broken for the Solemnity of St Joseph (March 19th), but should it also be broken for the Chair of St Peter Feast that I believe is coming up later in the month?
This year I’m trying my hand at a more traditional lenten fast. I heard that meat should not be eaten for the entire lenten season except for certain feast days and Sundays?
Click to expand...
Hello,

By “traditional” do you mean a practice that is in accord with the “pre-Vatican II” law of the Latin Church?

If so, you would fast every day of Lent, except for Sundays. There was no exception for other “feast days” during Lent. Fasting was defined as one full meal and a small amount of food on two other occasions during the day.

You would abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays and all Saturdays.

The *current *law of the Church exempts from the fast/abstinence on what are considered “Solemnities.” So, St. Joseph (March 19) would qualify. The Chair of St. Peter would not (unless that was a local patronal feast, such as the parish).

Dan
 
Traditionally Lenten observances are suspended on first-class feasts, which are called solemnities in the OF. Thus, St. Joseph and the Annunciation (Lady Day) are observed with feast. At our FSSP parish, we always have receptions with desserts on these two days. Second-class feasts (called feasts in the OF) are usually not observed in this same way.

This year, however, Lady Day falls on Good Friday, so that feast is transferred after the Easter octave. Thus, only St. Joseph is the break, and that is the day before Palm Sunday.
 
Chatter163 said:
Traditionally Lenten observances are suspended on first-class feasts, …
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“Traditionally” meaning? The 1917 Code (c. 1252) said otherwise (as far as fasting/abstinence is concerned) but this is an area where there were lots of “indults” here and there…and people can always do what they want for personal, Lenten observances.

Dan
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I really want to step it up this Lent. A good number of my friends are Eastern Christians and while I do find their lenten fast a bit overwhelming, they are inspiring me to want to take a more serious fast. I didn’t realize that the fast has changed so much over the centuries that there isn’t just one traditional thing in mind! But I finally have an idea of what I’d like to do. Thanks!
 
Don’t take this as hard truth—I’m going off of memory.

St. Patrick’s Day is an exception if it is a Solemnity where you are (Ireland, [arch]dioceses whose patron is St. Patrick) or if the (arch)bishop grants a dispensation for his (arch)diocese. It is not automatically an exception for all Irish people everywhere.
 
As a Catholic,for 66 yrs, and I,am 66 yrs old,even thought we don,t have to fast after you turn 59 th yrs old, we still follow the fasting as such. On Ash Wednesday,only fish potatoes
and vegetable,than a lite meal at night,we also don,t eat meat on any Fridays during Lent, and diff anally,no meat on GOOD FRIDAY,during the week, we eat a little meat ,but only one meal, for all that Jesus suffer for us, than on Saturday we get are food Blessed, and Sunday we go too Mas first then come home and thank God ,not only for the food we have before us, but to thank God for sending his only son JESUS,too save us,and to remember that threw the Cross we have been saved. Amen
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
I remember that in the 50’s our bishop - of Irish extraction - would waive abstinence if St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday, but I don’t recall fasting being waived.
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I think our bishop would also give a dispensation on the feast of St.Joseph too. As a reminder, even if we are seniors we still have to abstain from meat during the Friday’s in Lent and also Ash Wednesday. I try to avoid meat on Fridays during the year too.
 
Eric_Prine said:
I heard that the fast should be broken for the Solemnity of St Joseph (March 19th), but should it also be broken for the Chair of St Peter Feast that I :)at should not be eaten for the entire lenten season except for certain feast days and Sundays?
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Officially the RCC makes to allowance for “cutting off” fast days of Lent.

And YES, some parishes take it upon themselves to do so.

FOLLOW the advice of YOUR Pastor:)
 
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