Lenten Fast On Solemnities and Feast Days During Lent

[centurionguard]

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html

The Catholic Church requires that the devout faithful should be obligated to Fast on Wednesday’s and Friday’s during the six weeks of Lent leading up to Saturday (“Easter Vigil”).

Those faithful who feel so inclined can make a more rigid Fast during each day of the Lenten six weeks.

My question is however; is how do Sundays and Feast Days outside of Wednesday’s and Friday’s fit in to a more rigid Fast?

Perhaps this might seem as a stupid question but I’m just asking.

Peace
Chris

 

[twf]

Solemnities are always observed as days of rejoicing and feasting, not days of fasting. So, for example, the solemn feast of St. Joseph, which is coming up shortly, or the solemn feast of the Annunciation, which often falls during Lent, are to be celebrated to the fullest extent - it would be inappropriate to fast on these days. On these solemn feasts, all Lenten penances should be set aside. Sundays are also feasts as every Sunday celebrates the resurreciton of the Lord. The Sundays during Lent are more sober than the typical Sunday (eg. we don’t sing the Gloria), but it is permitted to relax or dispense your Lenten fast on these days.

As for lesser feasts, I think a certain degree of Lenten penance is still called for. Feasts of the Lord may be the exception - anyone know?

 

[Batfink]

You are no longer obligated to fast on every Wednesday and Friday during Lent. Lenten penances, whilst they are praiseworthy and helpful things, are not mandatory. Whatever discipline you have chosen to practise in Lent is your own personal devotion and not subject to rules about exact performance. Thus, it is not a sin to fail in one’s Lenten penance, whether it be fasting or under any other form.

That said, the character of solemnities would, as centurion says, make fasting inappropriate. Sundays are always a bone of conention. Some people argue that one should not take part in penitential acts on a Sunday, others say it’s still part of Lent. The bottom line is that you can fast on a Sunday if you so wish but you don’t have to, although minorities of people will tell you that you must/musn’t.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only obligatory days of fasting and absitence, and they will never coincide with another feast (it would be impeded). Other Fridays are days of abstinence, unless they are solemnitites. The only day affected this year is the Annunciation in a fortnight. The other solemnity within Lent this year is St. Joseph’s Day, which falls on a Saturday. If you have chosen to fast ordinarily during Lent, you would not do so that day. Feasts of the Lord are timed so that they do not fall during Lent.

 

[centurionguard]

You are no longer obligated to fast on every Wednesday and Friday during Lent. Lenten penances, whilst they are praiseworthy and helpful things, are not mandatory. Whatever discipline you have chosen to practise in Lent is your own personal devotion and not subject to rules about exact performance. Thus, it is not a sin to fail in one’s Lenten penance, whether it be fasting or under any other form.

That said, the character of solemnities would, as centurion says, make fasting inappropriate. Sundays are always a bone of conention. Some people argue that one should not take part in penitential acts on a Sunday, others say it’s still part of Lent. The bottom line is that you can fast on a Sunday if you so wish but you don’t have to, although minorities of people will tell you that you must/musn’t.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only obligatory days of fasting and absitence, and they will never coincide with another feast (it would be impeded). Other Fridays are days of abstinence, unless they are solemnitites. The only day affected this year is the Annunciation in a fortnight. The other solemnity within Lent this year is St. Joseph’s Day, which falls on a Saturday. If you have chosen to fast ordinarily during Lent, you would not do so that day. Feasts of the Lord are timed so that they do not fall during Lent.

You are no longer obligated to fast on every Wednesday and Friday during Lent. Lenten penances, whilst they are praiseworthy and helpful things, are not mandatory. Whatever discipline you have chosen to practise in Lent is your own personal devotion and not subject to rules about exact performance. Thus, it is not a sin to fail in one’s Lenten penance, whether it be fasting or under any other form.

Maybe you should consider reading the following link below.

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20081211_lent-2009_en.html

**In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. In the Apostolic Constitution Pænitemini of 1966, the Servant of God Paul VI saw the need to present fasting within the call of every Christian to “no longer live for himself, but for Him who loves him and gave himself for him … he will also have to live for his brethren“ (cf. Ch. I). Lent could be a propitious time to present again the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution, so that the authentic and perennial significance of this long held practice may be rediscovered, and thus assist us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor, the first and greatest Commandment of the new Law and compendium of the entire Gospel (cf. Mt 22, 34-40). **

Peace
Chris

 

[Marie5890]

We are obligated to fast and abstain on Ash Weds. and Good Friday.
We are obligated to abstain on all Fridays in Lent, but not obligated to fast.

Emphasis on the word “obligated”. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t voluntary fast more than what we are obligated to do.

 

[centurionguard]

We are obligated to fast and abstain on Ash Weds. and Good Friday.
We are obligated to abstain on all Fridays in Lent, but not obligated to fast.

Emphasis on the word “obligated”. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t voluntary fast more than what we are obligated to do.

Thank You!

 

[ChadS]

Maybe you should consider reading the following link below.

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20081211_lent-2009_en.html

Peace
Chris

The quote you provided in no way contradicts what was said. Fasting is a very praiseworthy thing but is not required of Catholics on all Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent. Just like your original link in the OP, should’ve said “abstain” and not “fast”. That’s what Paul VI actually wrote in the document you cited.

ChadS

 

[centurionguard]

The quote you provided in no way contradicts what was said. Fasting is a very praiseworthy thing but is not required of Catholics on all Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent. Just like your original link in the OP, should’ve said “abstain” and not “fast”. That’s what Paul VI actually wrote in the document you cited.

ChadS

I didn’t use the quote to contradict. But your right I should have used the word abstain

Peace
Chris

 

[Phemie]

In Canada the CCCB has retained the fast and abstinence of Ash Wednesday & Good Friday but, unlike the USCCB, has not imposed abstinence on the Fridays of Lent.

We can all fast and abstain whenever we want to.

 

[ChadS]

In Canada the CCCB has retained the fast and abstinence of Ash Wednesday & Good Friday but, unlike the USCCB, has not imposed abstinence on the Fridays of Lent.

We can all fast and abstain whenever we want to.

On the Archdiocese of Montreal’s website it mentions Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting and abstinence. However I haven’t been able to find anything specifically that says it isn’t imposed on Fridays during Lent, but I haven’t seen anything that contradicts this.

Do you have a source for this, it seem incredible to me that they would do that. Do many Catholics still observe abstaining from meat on Fridays even though it’s apparently not required?

ChadS

 

[Phemie]

On the Archdiocese of Montreal’s website it mentions Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting and abstinence. However I haven’t been able to find anything specifically that says it isn’t imposed on Fridays during Lent, but I haven’t seen anything that contradicts this.

Do you have a source for this, it seem incredible to me that they would do that. Do many Catholics still observe abstaining from meat on Fridays even though it’s apparently not required?

ChadS

Compare the CCCB’s decree

In accordance with the prescriptions of canon 1253, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops decrees that the days of fast and abstinence in Canada are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fridays are days of abstinence, but Catholics can substitute special acts of charity or piety on this day.

                            with the USCCB's:

Catholics in the United States are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays during the season of Lent. They are also obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Self-imposed observance of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly recommended. Abstinence from flesh meat on all Fridays of the year [excluding solemnities like Christmas which may fall on Friday] is especially recommended to individuals and to the Catholic community as a whole.

The CCCB clearly doesn’t place any restriction on the option to substitute other forms of penance for the abstinence from meat on Fridays.

 

[centurionguard]

Compare the CCCB’s decree with the USCCB’s:The CCCB clearly doesn’t place any restriction on the option to substitute other forms of penance for the abstinence from meat on Fridays.

Too bad our own CCCB doesn’t take the same vantage as the USCCB.

Like so many former liturgical observances like Catholic Feast Days for eg. worthy of mention that don’t even get any special mention in Catholic Canada.

As a Catholic in Canada I am left asking why the CCCB takes a more relaxed approach to many liturgical practices compared to our American Catholic brothers and sisters

Peace
Chris

 

[Redactor007]

If I may:

Canon 1250* All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.

Canon 1251* Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s not just during Lent, folks. We are to observe some sort of penance on ALL Fridays throughout the year (normally abstaining from meat).