What does Easter Fast mean?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ShrodingersCat
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@Salibi

This is your National Bishop’s Conference.

https://www.catholic.org.au/fastingandreparation

Each Diocese will have a website with YOUR Bishops’ guides for Lent.

@Tis_Bearself

I know it is old, back in the dark ages when I came into the Church, our RCIA team advised fasting that day. By the time the vigil had begun I was hungry, in fact I remember very little of it because I was starving the whole time. When it was over, I was dizzy and almost sick.

Now, on the RICA team, I tell people “eat before you leave home. Eat something substantial!!”

Google had many returns, interesting!

USCCB says:

If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection.

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...information-on-lenten-fast-and-abstinence.cfm
 
Sorry, you’d quoted an Australian document originally, I assumed.
 
It’s alright. You’ve just confused me with the OP. We have the same letter on our profiles.
 
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I’m glad you are giving sensible advice to the people you are instructing through RCIA. Mass is a prime place for people to pass out if they have not eaten adequately before going there. I have frequently felt faint in church when I didn’t eat enough and I have seen many other people have fainting spells there also. Just last Saturday I saw a young woman who almost passed out kneeling and the lady behind her actually grabbed her to keep her from pitching over. The stuffiness of many churches, the seats not being comfortable, no way to lie back or put your feet up, and all the kneeling and standing and walking you have to do cause big problems with a fast that might be doable if I were at home and just had to walk from the living room to kitchen and then put my feet up on the couch.
 
No no no you misunderstand. Further up in the thread I acknowledge that any medical reason exempts you from the fast. I was talking about how you said that you assume it could only be 2 little meals until sundown for those that are well enough to do it. I was saying that I think one could have a large and little meal on Saturday before Sundown; I.e. being more lenient.

I’m only concerned with my own spirituality here. I would never presume to tell anyone else what they should do and I apologise for my ambiguous wording.
 
Im the OP, hi! 🙂

And I’m Australian. Thanks for the additional information!
 
I wholeheartedly agree with this post. I don’t like this wording either.
 
Tis Bearself – The reason you have not heard about this is that, for about 1000 years, the Easter Vigil in the Latin Church was held at about 8 AM on Saturday morning, or even earlier in the dawn or pre-dawn. So the Paschal Fast would have been quite short.

Our current Easter Vigil time is from the 1950’s, IIRC.

Btw, St. Alphonsus de Liguori’s Moral Theology says that anybody who gets headaches or faintness from fasting is excused from all fasting (not from abstinence, unless you need the protein that bad, because you are sick or starving – and then you are). Whatever you can do is voluntary pious activity. So do not feel bad.

(I found it a big relief to find this out, as I also have low blood sugar problems at times.)
 
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ShrodingersCat said:
Hi all,

I read this article on a neighbouring archdiocese’s website (but I believe the article originally came from my archdiocese): [Lenten penance explained | The Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn]

The article states:
Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday (February 10) to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (March 24) exclusive. On Good Friday and, if possible, also on Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil, the Easter fast is observed.
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It’s just recommended that we keep the Good Friday fast until the Vigil. We must keep it on Friday (exceptions for age and illness), it’s nice if we can on Saturday too.

This article from the circular letter Paschale Solemnitatis The Preparation And Celebration Of The Easter Feasts from Congregation for Divine Worship says
  1. On Holy Saturday the Church is, as it were, at the Lord’s tomb, meditating on his passion and death, and on his descent into hell,[75] and awaiting his resurrection with prayer and fasting. (snip)
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  1. The faithful are to be instructed on the special character of Holy Saturday.[78] Festive customs and traditions associated with this day on account of the former practice of anticipating the celebration of Easter on Holy Saturday should be reserved for Easter night and the day that follows.
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We fast from sacraments, from fun, and from food. Again, on Holy Saturday it’s at your discretion.
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