Lent in the Syro Malabar Church

[Christy_7]

Hi everyone,
I’m a Syro Malabar Catholic and we have a 50day fast rather than the 40 cos we include the Sundays too. I’m fasting but I don’t quite understand it completely. I know that according to the CCC that anyone above 14 should abstain from meat and anyone above 18 should have the proper fast as in you have to not eat eat and fast by eating only one meal a day. My question is does the one meal a day only apply only on Fridays and Wednesdays (ash Wednesays) or throughout the fast. Cos if not then why is it called the Great fast when you’re not really fasting but abstaining.

Correct me if I’m wrong.

Peace
Christy.
Have a productive Lent.

 

[Joe_5859]

Hi everyone,
I’m a Syro Malabar Catholic and we have a 50day fast rather than the 40 cos we include the Sundays too. I’m fasting but I don’t quite understand it completely. I know that according to the CCC that anyone above 14 should abstain from meat and anyone above 18 should have the proper fast as in you have to not eat eat and fast by eating only one meal a day. My question is does the one meal a day only apply only on Fridays and Wednesdays (ash Wednesays) or throughout the fast. Cos if not then why is it called the Great fast when you’re not really fasting but abstaining.

Correct me if I’m wrong.

Peace
Christy.
Have a productive Lent.

In the Latin rite, the obligations for fasting apply to those between 18-60 years of old. Fasting is only obligatory on two days of the year: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

The obligations for abstinence from meat apply to all those age 14 and up. Abstinence is mandatory on every Friday and Ash Wednesday. Local bishops’ conferences can – with the approval of the Holy See – make modifications to this. In the U.S. (and other places as well) the local bishops allow the faithful to choose an alternate penance for Fridays outside of Lent. But within Lent, abstinence from meat still stands as is.

What this means for Eastern Churches, I do not know. The Code of Canon Law for Eastern Churches says:

Canon 882 - On the days of penance the Christian faithful are obliged to observe fast or abstinence in the manner established by the particular law of their Church sui iuris.

That kind of kicks it back to the particular Church – in your case, the Syro Malabar Catholic Church. I do not know how much your fasting and abstinence requirements differ from the Latin rite.

 

[KrazyKat]

Fasting is only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, as it is practiced today.

I personally enter into the desert for forty days with The Lord. I eat just enough in morning to take my medications, and a frugal dinner, usually a home made soup. Penance should be painful in my belief.

But this is my opinion. To follow church teaching you lightly diet and you are not breaking the rules.

Follow your heart, listen to the Holy Spirit.

 

[Thomas48]

In the Syro Malabar Church lent begins on Clean Monday and ends on Easter. The observation of “Ash Wednesday” was ended with Syriac Restorations and other ancient Syro Malabar customs. When it comes to Lenten practices, I know it is mostly a choice. People often dont eat meat and or fast on Friday but either than that there arent many mandatory practices. The week before Easter or Holy Week in the Syro Malabar Church is observed with great solidarity, most people will fast and or not eat meat for the entire week. Good Friday is always given the most importance and many patrons will fast for the entire day, only eating after the Good Friday Qurbana.

In truth all of these practices are only recommended by our Church, everything you do during the Lenten Season is all a personal choice.

 

[Christy_7]

In the Syro Malabar Church lent begins on Clean Monday and ends on Easter. The observation of “Ash Wednesday” was ended with Syriac Restorations and other ancient Syro Malabar customs. When it comes to Lenten practices, I know it is mostly a choice. People often dont eat meat and or fast on Friday but either than that there arent many mandatory practices. The week before Easter or Holy Week in the Syro Malabar Church is observed with great solidarity, most people will fast and or not eat meat for the entire week. Good Friday is always given the most importance and many patrons will fast for the entire day, only eating after the Good Friday Qurbana.

In truth all of these practices are only recommended by our Church, everything you do during the Lenten Season is all a personal choice.

So is fasting a choice rather than an obligation and do you need to fast during all of the 50days by abstaining from meat and having one meal a day? Also my birthday is during Lent and I’m turning 18 so can I celebrate it?

Christy

 

[MichaelinMD]

So is fasting a choice rather than an obligation and do you need to fast during all of the 50days by abstaining from meat and having one meal a day? Also my birthday is during Lent and I’m turning 18 so can I celebrate it?

Christy

I mean no disrespect whatsoever to those very knowledgeable folks here, but perhaps your questions and concerns would be more appropriately dealt with by your parish priest.

In Christ,
MinM

 

[malphono]

So is fasting a choice rather than an obligation and do you need to fast during all of the 50days by abstaining from meat and having one meal a day? Also my birthday is during Lent and I’m turning 18 so can I celebrate it?

What the particular custom and law of the Syro-Malabar Chruch is I don’t know, but I’d be kind of surprised if something about the Lenten fast didn’t appear in the parish bulletin. Anyway, I think perhaps [post=11767054]MichaelinMD[/post] is on target and that it might be best to ask your SMC priest.

 

[Thomas48]

So is fasting a choice rather than an obligation and do you need to fast during all of the 50days by abstaining from meat and having one meal a day? Also my birthday is during Lent and I’m turning 18 so can I celebrate it?

Christy

I had a poor choice of words in my last reply, It is an obligation is what I meant. You do not need to fast all 50 days, only on the days I specified above. For example fast on Clean Monday, Holy Week, and do not eat meat on Fridays of the Lenten Season. When fasting most often parishioners will only fast until the Holy Qurbana, afterwords you are free to have a meal. After Holy Thursday which is Pesaha or Passover for Knanaya Catholics (Im not sure if Syro Malabar Catholics retain this tradition) but Holy Thursday until Easter it is tradition that after fasting the only meal that may be eaten is Pesaha Appam (Passover Bread) and Pesaha Paal (Passover Milk).

Like others have posted above it is best to ask your vicar and your parents these questions. I say this because many different customs are present in the Syro Malabar Church when it comes to the Lenten Season often depending on which part (diocese) of the Syro Malabar Church you or your parents are from.