The Catholic Church helps Catholics journey through Lent, the 40-day period of preparation for Easter, with guidance on fasting and abstinence.
What do fasting and abstinence mean?
According to the Code of Canon Law, fasting and abstinence are penitential practices that all Catholics are obliged to perform “by divine law” on certain days of the year in order to “deny themselves.”
According to the apostolic constitution “Paenitemini,” abstinence forbids the use of meat, “but not of eggs, the products of milk, or condiments made of animal fat.”
The law of fasting allows “only one full meal a day but does not prohibit taking some food in the morning and evening, observing — as far as quantity and quality are concerned — approved local custom.”
What is the origin?
These practices have deep roots in history and theology. Fasting dates back to biblical times, where figures such as Moses (Ex 34:28), Elijah (1 Kgs 19:8), and Jesus himself (Mk 1:13) practiced fasting. In early Christianity, fasting was a common way of expressing repentance and seeking closeness to God.
Abstinence from meat has its roots in the church’s tradition of sacrificing something as an act of penance, just as St. Paul called for disciplining and subduing one’s body (1 Cor 9:27) for the greater good.
Why do Catholics fast and abstain?
Canon 1249 states that the Catholic Church has set certain days in the year for all Catholics to perform penitential practices together, such as prayer, works of piety and charity, and, above all, practicing fasting and abstinence.
In this regard, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains in No. 2043 that abstaining from meat and fasting on the days established by the church “ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.”
Which days are obligatory?
Canon 1251 states that “abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the episcopal conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.”
At what age are they obligatory?
Canon 1252 that fasting is obligatory from the “age of majority” (age 18 in the U.S.) through the age of 59. Abstinence from meat is obligatory from the age of 14.
Who is exempt during Lent?
Minors and those aged 60 or older are exempt from fasting, and those under 14 may eat meat. However, Canon 1252 suggests that pastors and parents help children who are not obliged to fast and abstain to form themselves in the “true meaning of penance.” Also exempt are the sick, women who are pregnant or nursing, and manual laborers engaged in physically demanding work.
What is the purpose?
While both practices help us grow in the spirit of penitence and conversion to which Jesus calls us, the Catechism recalls in No. 1430 that this call focuses on “the conversion of the heart, interior conversion” without which external works “remain sterile and false.”
This story by Cynthia Perez was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and was translated by CNA.
