No Meat, No Eat: Catholic Fast Days?

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I’m a little confused as to what constitutes our Fast and Abstinence days.

Abstinence, I THINK, is abstaining from meat.

But I’ve read that a fast is one full meal and two smaller snacks that do not add up to a full meal. Spell it out for an idiot, please? 😃

Does juice count? Does water count? And can anyone give me an example of ‘smaller snacks’ in detail?

:confused:

Thanks.
 
Sailor_Kenshin said:
I’m a little confused as to what constitutes our Fast and Abstinence days.

Abstinence, I THINK, is abstaining from meat.

But I’ve read that a fast is one full meal and two smaller snacks that do not add up to a full meal. Spell it out for an idiot, please? 😃

Does juice count? Does water count? And can anyone give me an example of ‘smaller snacks’ in detail?

:confused:

Thanks.
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Water doesn’t count, but juice does. What constitutes this fast varies with each person.

What’s a ‘normal’ meal for you?

What’s your normal breakfast? Eat less than 1/2. I eat so little at breakfast that it’s easier to just have coffee on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday.

What’s your normal lunch? Eat less than 1/2 that. Then eat a normal supper, omitting meat or replacing it with fish.
 
Abstaining - this means that we do NOT eat meat (and yes, chicken IS meat) on Ash Wed or on any of the Fridays of Lent.

Fasting is Ash Wed and Good Friday only, those who are to fast (limits on age, health, etc) are to eat one meal and two smaller meals - some call these snacks, no between meal snacking. A very simple way to understand this - if you buy a 10 inch veggie pizza on Ash Wed, you may eat 4 slices for your main meal, and two slices at your two small meals.
 
That halving-your-normal-meal is a pretty good guideline! Thanks. 👍
 
kage_ar said:
Abstaining - this means that we do NOT eat meat (and yes, chicken IS meat) on Ash Wed or on any of the Fridays of Lent.

Fasting is Ash Wed and Good Friday only, those who are to fast (limits on age, health, etc) are to eat one meal and two smaller meals - some call these snacks, no between meal snacking. A very simple way to understand this - if you buy a 10 inch veggie pizza on Ash Wed, you may eat 4 slices for your main meal, and two slices at each of your your two small meals.
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Phemie said:
Water doesn’t count, but juice does. What constitutes this fast varies with each person.

What’s a ‘normal’ meal for you?

What’s your normal breakfast? Eat less than 1/2. I eat so little at breakfast that it’s easier to just have coffee on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday.

What’s your normal lunch? Eat less than 1/2 that. Then eat a normal supper, omitting meat or replacing it with fish.
Click to expand...
Can you point me to where it says that juice is prohibited?
Thanks,
 
Grab a cup of coffee and read these two links - gives great detail

newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm

newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm

Short clip on drinks from the above link:

Strictly speaking, whatever may be classified under the head of liquids may be taken as drink or medicine at any time of the day or night on fasting days. Hence, water, lemonade, soda, water, ginger ale, wine, beer and similar drinks may be taken on fasting days outside meal time even though such beverages may, to some extent, prove nutritious. Coffee, tea, diluted chocolate, electuaries made of sugar, juniper berries, and citron may be taken on fasting days, outside meal time, as medicine by those who find them conducive to health. Honey, milk, soup, broth, oil or anything else having the nature of food, is not allowed under either of the two categories already specified.
 
Jennifer_J said:
Can you point me to where it says that juice is prohibited?
Thanks,
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I’m sorry, I can’t. I just assumed that anything that’s a serving or 2 of fruit would have to be taken into consideration.
 
Another thing that we just got in the mail from our parish was that it is suggested that every weekday during lent be a fast day. Please note I said SUGGESTED not required. And it said this applies to people ages 18-59.

I’d never heard that before. We’ve done the no snacking before but fasting each day would be hard! For me anyway.😊
 
kage_ar said:
Grab a cup of coffee and read these two links - gives great detail

newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm

newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm

Short clip on drinks from the above link:

Strictly speaking, whatever may be classified under the head of liquids may be taken as drink or medicine at any time of the day or night on fasting days. Hence, water, lemonade, soda, water, ginger ale, wine, beer and similar drinks may be taken on fasting days outside meal time even though such beverages may, to some extent, prove nutritious. Coffee, tea, diluted chocolate, electuaries made of sugar, juniper berries, and citron may be taken on fasting days, outside meal time, as medicine by those who find them conducive to health. Honey, milk, soup, broth, oil or anything else having the nature of food, is not allowed under either of the two categories already specified.
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How 'bout a V-8? 😃
 
V-8 is nasty, unless you use the spicy kind in chili or as a marinade for fish…
 
SilenceISgolden said:
Another thing that we just got in the mail from our parish was that it is suggested that every weekday during lent be a fast day. Please note I said SUGGESTED not required. And it said this applies to people ages 18-59.

I’d never heard that before. We’ve done the no snacking before but fasting each day would be hard! For me anyway.😊
Click to expand...
This is how the Lenten fast was before VII (and probably for some time after VII). We also fasted in Advent and at other times of the year (those were three days of one week - Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).

And, all Fridays of the year were abstinence.

We’re totally spoiled these days. Just imagine you are on a diet - after all, we can be very disciplined with food just to lose 10 pounds or so. Fasting is prayer of the body.
 
Joan_M said:
This is how the Lenten fast was before VII (and probably for some time after VII). We also fasted in Advent and at other times of the year (those were three days of one week - Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).

And, all Fridays of the year were abstinence.

We’re totally spoiled these days. Just imagine you are on a diet - after all, we can be very disciplined with food just to lose 10 pounds or so. Fasting is prayer of the body.
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Ever since I was old enough to understand the benefits of fasting - around sixteen or seventeen - I joined my dad in weekday fasting during lent. These days, I think it really depends on the person. It’s an optional thing (at least at present), and it can depend on what the person does or how their body works. For some - especially those with very high metabolisms or who do a great deal of manual labor for their job - it could be dangerous to fast daily for the duration (ommitting weekends). While for others - like me :o - with low metabolisms and who don’t move around very much during the day, fasting is a great way to keep your mind on God.

My family’s also tried returning to the idea of no meat on Fridays, every Friday. It lasted quite a while, but it was just so hard to remember - actually doing it wasn’t the issue, none of us minded not eating meat on Fridays, it was just remembering to do it when the day came around 😊 Perhaps we should try to maintain it once Lent is over this year.
 
Iz crunch tiem! 😛

Unfortunately I’m the type who needs to eat small amounts every couple of hours… never could stomach what most people call a full meal. 😦
 
I’m the only one in my household who’s fasting today. Kids are exempt and DH is exempt due to Type 1 diabetes. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I had to stop myself from finishing DS’s banana this morning (and wasted food just kills me).

Here’s another question: does fasting go from midnight to midnight or sundown to sundown?
 
jazzbaby1 said:
I’m the only one in my household who’s fasting today. Kids are exempt and DH is exempt due to Type 1 diabetes. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I had to stop myself from finishing DS’s banana this morning (and wasted food just kills me).

Here’s another question: does fasting go from midnight to midnight or sundown to sundown?
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Midnight to midnight - sundown is only relevant for Sundays and other special feasts such as Christmas. Ash Wednesday isn’t one - and be glad, otherwise you’d actually be fasting from sundown Tuesday to MIDNIGHT Wednesday.
 
Dinner accomplished. If I stay away from The Food Network all should be well.

:eek:
 
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