Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Subject Topic: difference between fast and abstain? Post ReplyPost New Topic
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LucyP
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 8:47am | IP Logged Quote LucyP
I was merrily writing up my menu for the week in my diary, when I saw that I have written in for Ash Wednesday "fast and abstain". There is a difference isn't there between fasting and abstaining? What? And what happens when they come together?

This may very well mean that fish fingers and oven fries are not on my menu for Wednesday!
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Matilda
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 8:52am | IP Logged Quote Matilda
From the EWTN website:

Abstinence The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday.

The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday [Canon 97] to the 59th Birthday [i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday] to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Such fasting is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The fast is broken by eating between meals and by drinks which could be considered food (milk shakes, but not milk). Alcoholic beverages do not break the fast; however, they seem contrary to the spirit of doing penance.

Fasting has to do with the amount of food and abstaining has to do with the kind of food eaten. Does that help?

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doris
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 3:39pm | IP Logged Quote doris
AFAIK in England you don't have to abstain from meat in the Fridays in Lent (although that's definitely the rule in the US). The only days of fasting and abstinence here are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

In our house, we always abstain from meat on Fridays, though. The English bishops say that we have to do *some* form of penance on Friday and abstinence is one option.

I have heard it said that the Catholic idea of fasting is 'three square meals'. Coming from a Protestant background, I certainly found it a shock that fasting didn't mean just not eating! It's traditionally defined as one meal and two 'collations' (ie snacks). For me, that's quite difficult as two of our meals are quite light already.

HTH a little.

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mandamum
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 11:23pm | IP Logged Quote mandamum
And pregnant or nursing mothers are excused from the fast for health reasons, right? Also those who are sick?
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Matilda
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 11:44pm | IP Logged Quote Matilda
Absolutely! Pregnant mothers and nursing mothers have to think about the harm that could come to their child. The Church would not allow any possible damage to a child just so the mother can participate in fasting. Anyone who cannot participate due to health reasons like illness or even chronic problems like hypoglycemia or diabetes are also excused. Anyone taking medication that required food. There was one year that my husband and I both had mono during Lent and our pastor told us that we were excused from fasting because of the fatigue that our bodies were already dealing with.

I once had a very good priest tell me that we often times put more requirements on ourselves than the Church does. The Church is always prudent in Her requirements.


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