Friday fasting during Lent

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I would like to see the Church clarify what exactly fasting means.

I was told this.

Fasting is an act of sacrifice, not a diet.

The idea is to limit intake of food to remind ourselves of the suffering of Christ.

Chowing-down at the local all-you-can eat fish fry is as bad a eating a steak.

Meaning, the entire spirit of fasting must not be violated.

I have many friends who think that filling-up on cheese and veggie pizzas, drinking beer, and having sex is okay behavior on Friday’s during lent.

I think it is totally contrary to the teaching of the church.

Am I wrong, or is the behavior fine in the eye’s of the church?
 
The rule for fasting is 3 meals a day (meat at the main meal if it is not a day of abstinence) The first 2 meals can not equal more than the main meal.
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Of course there are those that chow down at the all-you-can-eat fish bar 

and then there is

The Cure d'Ars who fasted on potatoes and water the majority of his life.

One is a Saint the other is ........?
 
Here in the US, fasting is only required (note I said required, not encouraged) on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. Abstinence, on the other hand, is required on the Fridays in Lent as well as those 2 days.
So technically speaking, the minimum necessary on Fridays of Lent in the USA is abstinence. Having lots of fish would not violate the rules, but of course Holy Mother Church encourages us to go beyond the bare minimum so as to more fully enter into the spirit of penance associated with these days.
 
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drforjc:
Here in the US, fasting is only required (note I said required, not encouraged) on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. Abstinence, on the other hand, is required on the Fridays in Lent as well as those 2 days.
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Let’s not forget that we are to practice abstinence every Friday of the year (Lent or not). Abstinence is a form of penance and the only change is that we can now choose what it is we are going to abstain from. When the Church allowed meat on Fridays (other than Good Friday), it was only supposed to be so that we could substitute some other form of penance, not to do away with whole idea of abstinence on Fridays.
 
Exactly. From the suprised responses I’ve gotten from some Catholics I wonder if many people have forgotten this.
 
I understand what you are saying.
But I think the point of what Lent is all about is being missed.

To look at the rules and say these are the things that I can or can not do during Lent is like saying if you don not break any of the 10 commandments you will go to heaven.

Jesus taught us that salivation is more than just following the word of God, but also being a servant of your fellow man.
The 10 commandments are just the beginning.

So during Lent, to say gee the rules say I must abstain from meat on Friday. So I will go out to an expensive restruant and stuff my face with lobster and booze is totally out of wack.
Sure the person is following the letter of the rules but is totally corrupting the spirit of WHY the rules exists.
Some rules and laws have loopholes. Exploiting those loopholes totally destroys the purpose of the rule or law.
 
I dont think anyone was trying to reduce Lent to just a pile of rules. Isn’t is important to know what the Church teaches regarding Lenten observation?
 
I think the point is, if you wish to fast throughout Lent, then it is encouraged, and good for you.

However, it is not required except on certain days.

To complain that others are pigging out on fish, because that defeats the purpose of fasting, when in fact they are not fasting to begin with, is a little odd.

People find all sorts of ways to sacrifice during Lent. Don’t presume what’s in another’s heart.
 
gomer tree:
People find all sorts of ways to sacrifice during Lent. Don’t presume what’s in another’s heart.
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This is a proper example of “Judge not least thee be Judged”

I just note this because it has been the topic on many threads.

You can not judge what you do not know!
 
The whole point of this thread was to clarify what the Church teaches regarding fasting during lent. I dont know how the clarification turned into judging people, we just answered the question!🙂
 
The whole point of this thread was to clarify what the Church teaches regarding fasting during lent. I dont know how the clarification turned into judging people, we just answered the question!
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I was responding to this:
So during Lent, to say gee the rules say I must abstain from meat on Friday. So I will go out to an expensive restruant and stuff my face with lobster and booze is totally out of wack.
Sure the person is following the letter of the rules but is totally corrupting the spirit of WHY the rules exists.
Some rules and laws have loopholes. Exploiting those loopholes totally destroys the purpose of the rule or law.
Click to expand...
I can understand the point. But the poster seems to be making a judgment of other peoples’ actions with regard to an action that isn’t against the norms. My point was that they may be doing other things in the area of sacrifice that only they know.
 
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