Is this breaking Ash Wednesday fast?

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anon8387311

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On ash wednesday I was still hungry from the night before and had an extra small meals and some snacks up until around 2 a.m I went to sleep and had a few spoonfuls of Yogurt and a few hours later I ate a bowl of soup and price of bread (regular meal) and toward the evening a few sticks if celery and nothing to eat until after 12. a.m Thursday when I had a usual sized evening meal.

Admittedly I could and should have done bette in making it a full 24 hour fast but I am not good going without food for long in evenings but I did spend slot of the time hungry and with intention of enduring for pennance. So does this 2-3 hours when Tuesday evening turned to wednesday morning snacking period invalidate the daytime fast? I am vegan so I don’t eat meat and did not do so at any point on Ash Wednesday.

It’s my first fast of ash wednesday but I have done voluntary fasting in the last few months successfully but I really needed to be in the right mindset and prepare my body better than I was able to last Wednesday.

I’m thinking about bringing it up at my next confession but something is telling me it’s not nevcesary.
 
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Objectively, having small meals and snacks after midnight on a fasting day does violate the fast given that you also ate two other snacks and a meal later the same day. If you had had one small meal between midnight and 2am, then another small meal sometime after awakening and a normal meal in the evening, that would have satisfied the requirements of the fast assuming the two small meals together didn’t equal the normal meal. But you speak in the plural, so yes, as I understand it this breaks the fast.

The reasons you ate as you did determine whether or not you need to confess this. In your case I can’t say one way or another, but when I have such doubts I take it to confession and ask the priest. I’m actually in that situation right now because I broke today’s meat abstinence. The circumstances make it unclear whether reduced culpability mitigates my actions, so off to confession I go.

God bless.
 
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Fasting is from midnight to midnight.
I feel that fasting has become almost comical in our society…as in how easy it is.
I don’t think you need to confess anything although it never hurts but I’d try and do better next time.
 
God idea. I did at least spend my own waking hours somewhat hungry and ate less than I would usually but I’m hoping to do better when Good Friday comes 😄
 
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For those of us who are healthy, the point of fasting is to feel hungry and to offer that small suffering up.
 
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I did spend my whole waking day that day hungry to clarify. But sure I don’t sleep well and the transition from Tuesday evening into wednesday morning doesn’t quite happen the same way for me until I have been asleep and awoken. Most people are asleep for the first few hours of ash wednesdays begging and not expending energy but I was awake during that.
I just feel bad because I went hungry for close to 24 hours begging at sunrise on ash wednesday was in vein having shouldered the light burden just the same, but my offering was incorrect certainly, and poorly timed.
 
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anon8387311 said:
I just feel bad because I went hungry for close to 24 hours begging at sunrise on ash wednesday was in vein having shouldered the light burden just the same, but my offering was incorrect certainly.
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That is not a decision that strangers on the internet can make 🙂 Talk to your priest, resolve to do better next Fast day, Good Friday.
 
I’ll also add that you don’t have to wait until Good Friday to try again. Every Friday during lent could be a fasting day. Practice makes perfect.
 
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