Partial fast still beneficial?

[ProdglArchitect]

I was wondering what people’s opinions are of partial fasts, and if they are still beneficial for the faster / the faster’s intention?

Bit of background, I’ve been reading a book on Purgatory, and have resolved to engage in weekly fasts for the souls still there. I decided to fast today, but then learned that we’re having a celebration for one of my coworkers who got their license.

I opted to engage in the celebration and thereby broke my fast.

I was just wondering if, per the teachings of the Church, that fast would still be beneficial for the souls?

 

[Sundiver]

Any sacrifice is valuable.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Sure. If you want a whole day of fast just pick another day this week and do it again.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Where the fast is voluntary and not mandated by the Church (contrasted with, for instance, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday), it is a private devotion of sorts, and you can do as much or as little as you are able. Even eating one small meal, possibly something you don’t even like just to nourish yourself, instead of eating a full, appetizing meal, can be meritorious if done for the love of God.

And very often you can do more than you think you can do. I have health issues that, depending on how I am feeling on a particular day, such I might be able to keep a fast day, or might not be able to. I am reluctant to talk about my own spiritual life, but I found this past Good Friday that I was able to do it, and we were traveling through several states. I had a very small breakfast at the hotel (took along soy protein “sausages” as I could not eat the breakfast meat, and I have to eat protein), then a small fast-food lunch from a fish restaurant (which was hideous), and a dinner of salad, cheese ravioli, and the leftovers of my son’s cheese pizza (he found the restaurant online and wanted to eat there, mom-and-pop place on the road). Nothing solid in between. I did just fine.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I’ve often been advised for penance or spiritual direction to “fast” from a particular thing or for a portion of a day, so I’d say it’s certainly beneficial. It can also be beneficial for your physical health, too, under certain circumstances (but take that up with your doctor).

 

[Camehome4john6]

Technically if you eat one kinda regular meal and two small meals (not equaling the larger meal if combined) and it would still be a fast by Church rules (Latin rite/US). So if you’re ever in a predicament like this again you could always just have a little bit for one of those little meals or more and have it be your larger meal.

 

[John_Martin]

If you break your fast when someone else gives you to eat, that is from above.
If you break your fast to secure for yourself something tempting, that is from below, from the appetite, from the mind of the flesh, from Satan.

Jesus did not break his fast by securing bread from converted stones for himself to satisfy his hunger, his appetite.
But he did break his fast when someone else said, “Here; take and eat!” (Angels served him food after they noted Satan had departed).
They were from above; Jesus did not refuse them.
Satan was from Below; Jesus refused him completely.

We fast before Mass and we only break our fast when someone says to us, “Take and eat; take and drink; the body of Christ, the blood of Christ.”

Were you invited to the Celebration and handed celebratory food and drink? or did you crash it and take and eat all you could for yourself?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Thanks for the responses everyone ^^

Were you invited to the Celebration and handed celebratory food and drink? or did you crash it and take and eat all you could for yourself?

It was a company-wide celebration. The company always buys a cake whenever anyone completes their licensing, and everyone in the office is invited to take part.

It’s a big deal whenever anyone finishes their license, because it represents many years of work (nearly five-thousands hours spread out across multiple types of experience), along with the completion of six separate exams. My company likes to celebrate people who put in all the effort to get licensed.