How to Fast

[mkipp]

I am in RCIA and almost through. Yet, this is my first Lent and I want to Fast the correct way. Should I only have one meal and water on Ash Wednesday and Friday’s during Lent? Please provide you tips and how it should be done.

 

[japhy]

Fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is one full meal and, at most, two other small meals that, combined, do not equal another full meal. You may drink water throughout the day, yes, but one of the purposes of fasting is to feel hunger.

Abstinence from meat is required on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the other Fridays in Lent.

 

[LilyM]

Fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is one full meal and, at most, two other small meals that, combined, do not equal another full meal. You may drink water throughout the day, yes, but one of the purposes of fasting is to feel hunger.

Abstinence from meat is required on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the other Fridays in Lent.

Well, the purpose is to feel a LITTLE hungry, but if you’re working etc you want to make sure to eat enough that you’re still able to function properly. So if you find that growling stomach a distraction, you can try things like a glass of milk (works for me).

I find bananas are the best and most filling thing to fast on for some reason.

 

[kage_ar]

jimmyakin.org/2005/02/lent_resources.html

• Lent begins at midnight Ash Wednesday and ends at the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, at which point Triduum begins.
• We are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
• The law of fast binds everybody from ages 18-59 unless they have a medical condition that would interfere significantly with fasting.
• The law of fast allows the eating of one full meal plus two smaller meals, provided the two smaller- meals are not as large as a regular meal if combined. This law, of course, is hopelessly confusing as many people tend not to eat similarly-sized meals.
• We are obliged to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday.
• The law of abstinence binds everyone who is fourteen years old and up unless they have a medical condition that would interfere significantly with abstinence from meat.
• The law of abstinence forbids the eating dishes principally or substantially comprised of the flesh of land-dwelling mammals and birds (trace amounts of meat and other parts of the body besides meat do not count). According to the common and contant opinion of learned persons, as found in the older moral and pastoral theologies, the law of abstinence does not affect reptiles, amphibians, insects, or anything that is a water-dwelling animal (even if it is a mammal, so dolphin is okay). It also does not affect gravies or other sauces (even if these are made with meat), and it does not affect anything made from parts of land-dwelling animals other their meat (so milk, cheese, eggs, things made with animal fat, and Jell-O, which comes from hooves, are okay).
• Despite hymns to the contrary, Lent is not forty days long. It may have been at one time, but the way the Church’s liturgical documents are written today, Lent is just under 44 days long. (It would be forty-four if it didn’t end on the evening of Holy Thursday.) The number 40 is thus only an approximation.
• The way the Church’s documents are written, Sundays are part of Lent, but since penances other than fast and absinence on the required days are voluntary, you can cut yourself a break on Sunday from whatever other penance you may have decided to do.
• To fulfill our Easter duty,we are obliged to receive Communion at some point between Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday, which is the Sunday after Pentecost (unless for a just cause this requirement is fulfilled at another time of year).
  More info on Lent here:
  catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0104fea1.asp