How many will do "traditional" fasting this lent?

[Andruschak]

It seems that many miss the good old days of strenious fasting.

Of course, what is meant by “the good old days” can vary.

For those who are appalled by the fact that, in the USA, only 2 days a year are given to fasting, the good old days might be those of the 40 day fast, one big meal, and two smaller meals. With abstenance on Fridays. How many Catholics were able to actually endure such a fast is hard to estimate.

Yet interestingly enough, this 40 days fast was a easier version of the 19th Century fast. I have been reading what Dom Gueranger, in his work THE LITURGICAL YEAR, had to say about the 19th Century fast.“All the week days of Lent, the Ember days, and some vigils are days of fasting, but meat is allowed at the full meal except on Wednesdays and Fridays and the Ember days in Lent”.

Dom only mentions ONE other meal besides the main meal, not two. Well, Dom was writing about the laxness of the 19th Century.

For Dom, the good old days would have the original fast borrowed from the Jews, and still kept by Muslims even in the 21st Century. No food from sunrise to sunset, period. THAT was his idea of “traditional” fasting.

Dom notes that by the 12th Century, most were wimping out and having dinner at Nones (3 PM).By the 15th Century dinner was at noon. But now a small supper was needed to keep up strength in the evening, hence the further wimping out with the “collation” (just one).

Dom also notes the decline in strictness concerning milk products, eggs, and fish, to the point that meat was allowed most fasting days, except Wednesdays and Fridays. Tsk tsk.

Fascinating reading.

And now, what fast will you be doing this Lent?

(Mine will be the guidelines of The Confraternity of Penitents.)

penitents.org

 

[Winger]

I will follow the traditional guidelines … fasting all days of lent except Sundays and abstaining on Fridays. I do believe I will add Wed. to that. Hope next year I will be able to do the CFP way! Have not progressed that far yet!

Winger

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

I will be following the traditional fasting for all of Lent with abstinence on Ash Wednesday, Fridays and Ember Days. As far as any thing more stringent than that I do not believe I have the grace to do so at this time. God may lead my there And if so I am willing to do it.

 

[paramedicgirl]

I am fasting for all of Lent. I did it last year as well. Sunday is the only day I don’t include in the fast. How I follow the fast is to eat one meal a day, with two other very small meals that all together don’t equal a big meal, with no meat on Fridays.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Last year I tried the “traditional fast” as presented in my Angelus missal:

fasting all days (excepting Sundays)
partial abstinence on all those days
abstinence on Fridays
I also didn’t drink anything but water between meals, although one can simply add extra prayers or something if one takes some juice, etc.

I didn’t make it all of Lent, though, because about mid-way I got sick and decided it would be wise to eat to restore my constitution. I will be trying again this year, although with my demanding schedule I am worried I might run into health problems again. I know my fast is already wimpy compared to the black fast, but I also know that good manuals might still counsel me with “all things in moderation.” Hopefully I’ll make it all the way and reap the spiritual benefits the traditional fast provides.

 

[catherine_m]

I’m going to try the traditional fast this year with no meat on Fridays or Wednesdays and one main meal and two very small meals all the days of the week. I’ve never attempted it before, I’ve only ever abstained from meat on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. It will be a challange but I’m looking forward to it as that!

 

[puzzleannie]

most of us old folks never really got out of the habit of no meat Fridays and fasting throughout Lent, and really enjoying our Sunday meat meals with more appreciation. We could do as the bishops suggest and be more creative with our penances, look for works of mercy to do, and not take the easy way out by following the old formula without a lot of thought and care, but old habits die hard, and a bit more fasting for folks with medical diets is not nearly has hard as active charity and almsgiving. yeah, I do take the easy road.

 

[Johndigger]

I’m going to try the traditional fast this year with no meat on Fridays or Wednesdays and one main meal and two very small meals all the days of the week. I’ve never attempted it before, I’ve only ever abstained from meat on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. It will be a challange but I’m looking forward to it as that!

Same here.

First timer here, too. The booklet that I read said that the snack meals should not contain meat, so I will try and do that too.

God bless,

JD

 

[catherine_m]

Same here.

First timer here, too. The booklet that I read said that the snack meals should not contain meat, so I will try and do that too.

God bless,

JD

Good luck with it! I hope I can manage to do it for the whole of Lent. It will be difficult!!! I’ll need alot of will power.

 

[MSParrott]

I’m going to try the traditional fast this year with no meat on Fridays or Wednesdays and one main meal and two very small meals all the days of the week. I’ve never attempted it before, I’ve only ever abstained from meat on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. It will be a challange but I’m looking forward to it as that!

I’m going to try and do the same thing.

 

[catherine_m]

I’m going to try and do the same thing.

Good luck with it. I think it will make it easier knowing other people are trying it too and you are not alone. I know for me the evenings will be the most difficult.

 

[Yerusalyim]

I’m fasting the required days and abstaining Fridays and Wednesdays.

 

[Skeingirl70]

I’ve been thinking about what to “give up” for Lent; I think this might be a good idea for me. My husband & I stopped eating meat on Fridays last year (which, truth be told, is more of a penance for him than for me—there are many, many non-meat items I really enjoy); so abstaining during Lent isn’t anything different for us. I won’t be able to do the very old school “nothing until after dark” fast; I have a nasty habit of FAINTING if I don’t eat at all. But one small, then one larger would be do-able. So thanks for this thread, which helped me decide!

 

[TMGallyon85]

I am fasting the required days like Yerusalyim and the Abstaining of meat on fridays. I will note that I do follow the Primary penance of abstaining from meat EVERY Friday of the year. My family thinks I am weird for doing so, but the Church does say that No meat on fridays outside of lent is the “preffered” method of penance. Sometimes I think we should have kept it.

 

[Biblioassistant]

I don’t eat meat at all during Lent. No fast food, no sweets (athough I do put sugar in my tea). I don’t find it hard at all - at first, but by about week three I would kill for some chocolate

 

[Alphonsus_John]

What are “ember days”?

Last lent, I did the proscribed fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstinence on Fridays. I’m thinking of adding one extra fast or abstinence day a week (not ready to fast for the entire month of lent).

 

[peregrinator_it]

I don’t eat meat at all during Lent. No fast food, no sweets (athough I do put sugar in my tea). I don’t find it hard at all - at first, but by about week three I would kill for some chocolate

I’m still trying to work out fasting for Lent. Over the last few years, when I was living with roommates and living rather “high on the hog” the rest of the year, I used to do something like this (I was working my way up to the more traditional (no meat, no fish, no dairy) fast.)

But now that I’m living alone, I already don’t eat meat (it’s just too expensive, so’s fast food) so it wouldn’t be much of a penance to give it up. I was in the same position about 5 years ago, and I remember having the same difficulty, but I can’t remember what I finally decided to do…

 

[Ridgerunner]

I hate to admit it, but my wife is largely my “conscience” in this regard. She cooks according to lenten rules, and I eat what’s there without even thinking about it, because I like everything she makes. It does get a little tough when I’m on the road, though, because it’s hard to figure out what’s “bigger” than something else. For me, everything you buy at a restaurant or fast food place anymore is “too much”.

 

[ProMultis]

This is an interesting question. I can recall this measure of fasting as a child. Additionally, when my family attended a Byzantine church during my grade school and high school years, we always fasted strictly according to the Byzantine rite–no meat OR dairy!

But how many who also attend a TLM Mass fast according to the traditional way: i.e., the fast begins at midnight Saturday, until Mass; not just for the one hour before receiving Communion.

pax

 

[markadm]

What are “ember days”?

From The Catholic Encyclopaedia:

“Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

And quoted from someone else:

"Since the late 5th century, the Ember Days were also the preferred dates for ordination of priests. So during these times the Church had a threefold focus: (1) sanctifying each new season by turning to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving; (2) giving thanks to God for the various harvests of each season; and (3) praying for the newly ordained and for future vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

“Since the reorganization of the Roman calendar in 1969 after the Second Vatican Council, Ember Days are still retained in principle, but how and when they are to be observed is at the discretion of each country’s Episcopal Conference. There are no longer set Mass readings for the Ember Days.”