What do you fast from?

[romano]

I’ve heard that we can fast from anything. On any given fast day, what do you fast from?

Choose as many as you like. If you have others, explaining what they are might give us some good ideas.

 

[trailblazer]

I have fasted from food, drink, and even television. But, mostly food. Things that I desire, but want to give up with some suffering for the sake of expressing my love and gratefulness to God.

 

[Vox_Borealis]

Are we talking fast or abstinence? On fasting days (Good Friday, Ash Wednesday) I refrain from all food and any drink besides water, until dinner when I have a light meal. I try to fast from midnight the night before mass, but usually cave in if I don’t ge to early mass.

I have been pretty good about abstaining from meat on Fridays in general, and certainly Fridays during Lent. During Lent I usually try to extend the abstinence–something like no meat on Friday and Saturday, or no alcohol, or similar. I try to mix it up from year to year since I usually “get used to” a given Lenten abstinence.

 

[springbreeze]

Dear friend

Meat every friday. Sweets and cakes, TV, sleep, food, buying things (practising detachment), socialising (practising solitude), comfort (not being as comfortable in my body) and speech (practising silence). Bread and water fast as and when.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Sorbetto]

I’ve fasted from meat through half of Lent in order to prepare myself for a bigger sacrifice, and I’ve also fasted from sweets and soda!

I don’t have a problem with sweets, really, but they really are so excessive, so at certain times I fast from them. I do drink way too much diet soda, though! So that’s a sacrifice

 

[LoneRanger]

CA FORUMS…

 

[jrabs]

Not sure if chastity is considered a fast from sex- but that’s what I picked.Sweets and candy too. I gave them up for lent 2 years ago and kept the fast up. I do give in here and there - but not daily as I used too.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

You ABSTAIN from things like meat, sweets, etc. when you do not eat them on a given day, season, etc.

Fasting is a little different. A “fast” as we know it in the Catholic Church during Lent in 2005 would mean having one regular meal and two smaller meals that together would not add up to another full meal. A “fast” in earlier traditions would have meant going without food, and sometimes even water, for an entire 24 hour period. Muslims celebrating Ramadan fast during the day and eat after sundown for the month.

In a sense, you would fast “from” the wish to mortify your senses, do an act of penance, or purify yourself.

You would abstain “from” a given food, not from a wish for the food.

 

[romano]

springbreeze:

Dear friend

Meat every friday. Sweets and cakes, TV, sleep, food, buying things (practising detachment), socialising (practising solitude), comfort (not being as comfortable in my body) and speech (practising silence). Bread and water fast as and when.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

Hi Teresa:

Yes! I like these! Fasting (or abstaining) from shopping, from people, from comfort, from talk. There are some good ones here. . . . I wonder what you just cannot bear giving up? I can give up anything on my list except . . . tobacco.

 

[romano]

Sorbetto:

I’ve fasted from meat through half of Lent in order to prepare myself for a bigger sacrifice, and I’ve also fasted from sweets and soda!

I don’t have a problem with sweets, really, but they really are so excessive, so at certain times I fast from them. I do drink way too much diet soda, though! So that’s a sacrifice

Hi Megan:

Diet soda??? You should run a Google search on ASPARTAME.

After that you might take a peek at watercure.com/default2.htm

It’s fascinating . . . .

 

[springbreeze]

romano:

Hi Teresa:

Yes! I like these! Fasting (or abstaining) from shopping, from people, from comfort, from talk. There are some good ones here. . . . I wonder what you just cannot bear giving up? I can give up anything on my list except . . . tobacco.

Dear Romano

Hi, I am like you in that tobacco is the one that is hard and I have not yet given that up but hopefully in just over a week I will be giving it up. I don’t find it hard to give anything else up.

If you wouldn’t mind saying a little prayer for me that I can give tobacco/cigarettes up for good and I’ll say one for you too.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Hesychios]

During fast periods I try to abstain from all meats (including fish with endoskeletens), as well as anything that includes egg and all dairy products.

I will indulge in black tea or coffee but to a lesser extent than normal (if possible). I have had an occasional beer, but I am told that this is a no-no.

I cannot claim to be totally successful at this, but it is a goal.

As far as fasting, I try to get by on one meal per day unless I am ill. (Sometimes social situations or obligations for my employer will wreak havoc with these plans.) This does not apply to Sunday.

Like a friend of mine who also will do this (presumably with more success) has said “it makes one feel like a squirril”.

+T+
Michael

 

[romano]

springbreeze:

Dear Romano

Hi, I am like you in that tobacco is the one that is hard and I have not yet given that up but hopefully in just over a week I will be giving it up. I don’t find it hard to give anything else up.

If you wouldn’t mind saying a little prayer for me that I can give tobacco/cigarettes up for good and I’ll say one for you too.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

Hi Teresa:

Tobacco? OK. I’ll say a prayer for you. The problem at this end though is that whenever I give tobacco up I inflate into a sort of sphere, or globe, and my clothes start to shrink. But I am a compulsive shopper. I can’t resist those $2.99 auction bargains. So a prayer along those lines should help.

 

[springbreeze]

Hesychios:

During fast periods I try to abstain from all meats (including fish with endoskeletens), as well as anything that includes egg and all dairy products.

I will indulge in black tea or coffee but to a lesser extent than normal (if possible). I have had an occasional beer, but I am told that this is a no-no.

I cannot claim to be totally successful at this, but it is a goal.

As far as fasting, I try to get by on one meal per day unless I am ill. (Sometimes social situations or obligations for my employer will wreak havoc with these plans.) This does not apply to Sunday.

Like a friend of mine who also will do this (presumably with more success) has said “it makes one feel like a squirril”.

+T+
Michael

Dear Michael

You are right. No-one should fast on a Sunday nor plan to do that.

After celebrating Mass, Sunday is a day I always try and cook up a feast, usually lamb roast dinner with all the trimmings, stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes,(potatoes it’s an Irish thing that’s in my family, no meal is complete without half a plate of potatoes), brocolli, carrots, peas, cauliflower, sprouts, corn on the cob, fried mushrooms, yorkshire pudding and a good rich gravy with sliced fried onion in it and all of this cooked with herbs and all taken with a glass of wine. To follow, hot apple pie and cold vanilla ice-cream(my personal and most favourite sweet) taken with a good filtered coffee or a lovely strong tea, (strong tea being my favourite, the type of tea you can stand your spoon up in! ) It’s really lovely to have everyone around the table and to share a meal and serve others with food. Eating together is a very intimate thing ( no wonder our Lord calls all God’s Children to His Feast at the Eucharist and calls all to share in His Mystical Banquet, only close friends and family dine together and feed each other in their homes, God’s House being home to every Catholic) and I love to cook for other people and see them enjoy their food.

Sometimes my family and some friends go out for dinner after Mass and share a good chat and good food at a good restaurant.

Sunday is the day to feast and celebrate the Lord’s Day with family and friends.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[springbreeze]

romano:

Hi Teresa:

Tobacco? OK. I’ll say a prayer for you. The problem at this end though is that whenever I give tobacco up I inflate into a sort of sphere, or globe, and my clothes start to shrink. But I am a compulsive shopper. I can’t resist those $2.99 auction bargains. So a prayer along those lines should help.

Dear Romano

You have my prayers. I’m hoping not to worry about any weight gain in the hope that my lungs will get me through to old age. I can always lose weight.

I have thought alot about if smoking is a sin and I am convinced it is. Having said that I didn’t realise this when I became addicted to cigarettes, well that’s what any tobacco user is, an addict to it. I actually like to smoke, but I know it is going to kill me if I carry on, so I am hoping to stop it and have a good long life , God willing.

As for bargains, there is nothing wrong with being resourceful friend!!! But if you are buying stuff you don’t need at all and find yourself getting rid of it down the line, then maybe you are just liking the fact of having a bargain .

I will keep you in my prayers and I am grateful you are keeping me in yours

Thank you very much

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[romano]

Hesychios:

As far as fasting, I try to get by on one meal per day unless I am ill. . . .

+T+
Michael

Hi Michael:

Me too!

Cheers.

 

[romano]

springbreeze:

After celebrating Mass, Sunday is a day I always try and cook up a feast, usually lamb roast dinner with all the trimmings, stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes,(potatoes it’s an Irish thing that’s in my family, no meal is complete without half a plate of potatoes), brocolli, carrots, peas, cauliflower, sprouts, corn on the cob, fried mushrooms, yorkshire pudding and a good rich gravy with sliced fried onion in it and all of this cooked with herbs and all taken with a glass of wine. To follow, hot apple pie and cold vanilla ice-cream(my personal and most favourite sweet) taken with a good filtered coffee or a lovely strong tea. . . .

Dear Teresa:

Pleez don’t do this to me! I’m just winding up the second day of a total food fast here (i.e., subsisting on water only with a bit of lemon and honey stirred in) and was hoping to continue, but the gargantuan feast you describe has left me with a powerful urge to dash right now to the fridge!

Naughty you!

 

[springbreeze]

romano:

Dear Teresa:

Pleez don’t do this to me! I’m just winding up the second day of a total food fast here (i.e., subsisting on water only with a bit of lemon and honey stirred in) and was hoping to continue, but the gargantuan feast you describe has left me with a powerful urge to dash right now to the fridge!

Naughty you!

Dear Romano



Well you can break your fast on Sunday, you shouldn’t fast on Sundays and I apologise for tempting you and being very naughty!

Romano!..stay away from the fridge, back away from the fridge, take your hand off that fridge NOW!!

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[romano]

springbreeze:

Dear Romano



Well you can break your fast on Sunday, you shouldn’t fast on Sundays and I apologise for tempting you and being very naughty!

Romano!..stay away from the fridge, back away from the fridge, take your hand off that fridge NOW!!

Teresa

TOO LATE, DAMMIT! I can resist anything but TEMPTATION.

Why? Why? WHY did you have to mention, of all things, Yorkshire Pudding? That was truly diabolical. I was born and brought up in Yorkshire. We natives just love it!

But that’s OK. Everyone stumbles. I shall start another fast on Monday. And since (in my humble opinion) bread and water is for wimps, I will as usual skip the bread.

Anyone (hint, hint) care to join me? It’s amazing how those spare kilos just melt away when you stop eating. And after those Sunday orgies of gormandizing you described so vividly, I fear you may be starting to look a bit. . . ahem! . . . spherical yourself.

Praying for you.

 

[springbreeze]

TOO LATE, DAMMIT! I can resist anything but TEMPTATION.

Why? Why? WHY did you have to mention, of all things, Yorkshire Pudding? That was truly diabolical. I was born and brought up in Yorkshire. We natives just love it!

But that’s OK. Everyone stumbles. I shall start another fast on Monday. And since (in my humble opinion) bread and water is for wimps, I will as usual skip the bread.

Anyone (hint, hint) care to join me? It’s amazing how those spare kilos just melt away when you stop eating. And after those Sunday orgies of gormandizing you described so vividly, I fear you may be starting to look a bit. . . ahem! . . . spherical yourself.

Praying for you.

Dear Romano

You know you’ve got a point . But then there is a worry, Padre Pio didn’t eat enough to keep a 3 year old alive and he was rather errm spherical. How do you know you are going to lose weight?? God might stop that happening and let you fast for His glory alone with no bonuses and stop the inch loss around the waist!!

Seriously I’m sorry I tempted you, I didn’t mean to. OK I’ll make a fast with you in offerance for your intentions and that you are not tempted from your fast, is that fair apology ? I’m going to be a wimp and do the bread and water fast though, I’m only a lady and I am a Mum too …have mercy on me please!!!

Lovely part of the world Yorkshire, I’m in the next county along which is equally beautiful.

I’ve learnt my lesson and won’t mention Yorkshire Puddings again…got to go, got something cooking in the oven…opps sorry

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa