Lent

[Assisi]

Sayre, the rules for Latin Rite Catholics are very simple because we have been set the minimum required practice. Anything you do above minimum is great and should be decided with your confessor, pastor or spiritual director.

Latin Rite Catholics FAST (ie eat one meal and two half meals -no snacks- per day) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
We ABSTAIN from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
We have a day of penance on each Friday of the year and in some countries that means we abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. This discipline is decided by the Bishops of your country.
We fast from everything except water and medication for 1 hour before receiving communion.

Lent is a time where we increase the our fasting, almsgiving and prayer. How we choose to do this is left largely to us as individuals.

 

[GoingByzantine]

Well... wait... what?

I had no idea lent meant fasting from FOOD. I knew about the meat on Friday thing.

This time last year I was an atheist so help me out here - when can I not eat at all, when can I not eat meat, and what are you abstaining from? Please tell me it's from washing dishes?

Sorry Sayre, I was asking about Eastern fast practices! Didn't mean to confuse people

It probably is best I email my priest, he will help me figure it out.

 

[AMDG]

Snipped to portion addressed (helps me avoid confusion). Longer post above.

all Sundays are the day of Resurrection and so we rejoice .

I remember that my grandmother (moya babka) would break her Lenten fast every Sunday for that reason. Asked my priest about it and he said that was the practice in the old days, but its not like that anymore--the Lenten fast goes from Ash Wednesday thru Holy Saturday.

 

[Anhelyna]

yes - well as has been said - guidelines in the East are different from those in the West.

 

[Rhamiel]

ofcourse if anyone has a medical condition, that would exempt them from fasting

if you have a serious health condition, I would recommend talking to a priest about this

 

[Sayre]

Please don't stop discussing Eastern lent. I'm not concerned by diversity.

Though I understand you have lent later in the year.

I'm not able to fast at all at the moment so other forms of penance are in order.

I should probably just fast from debating creationists.

 

[Dylan Michael]

yes - well as has been said - guidelines in the East are different from those in the West.

It seems that we in the West have set the bare minimum, but in the east it is the maximum, that should only be done with permission.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

Sayre, the rules for Latin Rite Catholics are very simple because we have been set the minimum required practice. Anything you do above minimum is great and should be decided with your confessor, pastor or spiritual director.

Latin Rite Catholics FAST (ie eat one meal and two half meals -no snacks- per day) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
We ABSTAIN from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
We have a day of penance on each Friday of the year and in some countries that means we abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. This discipline is decided by the Bishops of your country.
We fast from everything except water and medication for 1 hour before receiving communion.

Lent is a time where we increase the our fasting, almsgiving and prayer. How we choose to do this is left largely to us as individuals.

Here's one thing I don't understand...the (Latin Rite) Catholic fast/abstinence requirements are, for lack of a better word...mild. People give up non - fish sources of meat, but can still load up on dairy and fish, and still eat three times per day, even if two are half-meals. Considering how many calories most people eating a standard American diet take in each day, how many they need, and typical portion size, I can't see how that level of fasting and abstinence could be a health hardship for anyone. In most cases, I could imagine it would be just the opposite.


Other than not eating any meat or dairy ever, and breaking up my meals into five or so smaller meals per day, I live like that pretty much all the time.

 

[Rhamiel]

well that is the minimum for Lent
we can always add more

 

[GoingByzantine]

Growing up a Roman Catholic, I was one of those kids who "gave up" something easy for lent such as ice cream or some other trivial item. In my teenage years I really didn't give anything up for lent, sometimes I even forgot to fast on Friday.

When I grew more spiritual I went past the usual Latin Fast, I gave up all meat last lent. now as an Eastern Catholic I am hoping to do more and to maintain the fast schedule during the rest of the year as well.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Probably a good idea, Sayre. The whole evolution thing can quickly become an idol for you and besides, creationists are right anyway!

Please don't stop discussing Eastern lent. I'm not concerned by diversity.

Though I understand you have lent later in the year.

I'm not able to fast at all at the moment so other forms of penance are in order.

I should probably just fast from debating creationists.

 

[Anhelyna]

Sayre
Actually we coincide this year However we start on the Monday when you start on the Wednesday .

GoingByzantine - be careful , it's actually very easy to be hung up on the little things as regards fasting - checking carefully that we don't slip up , you can spend too much time reading labels to see exactly what's in the ingredients . Do that and you are obeying the detail of the Fast - not the meaning of it .

 

[GoingByzantine]

Sayre
Actually we coincide this year However we start on the Monday when you start on the Wednesday .

GoingByzantine - be careful , it's actually very easy to be hung up on the little things as regards fasting - checking carefully that we don't slip up , you can spend too much time reading labels to see exactly what's in the ingredients . Do that and you are obeying the detail of the Fast - not the meaning of it .

Thank you Anhelyna! It will be wise for me to remember this, it's about why you do something not how much you do of it.

 

[facingeast52]

Well... wait... what?

I had no idea lent meant fasting from FOOD. I knew about the meat on Friday thing.

This time last year I was an atheist so help me out here - when can I not eat at all, when can I not eat meat, and what are you abstaining from? Please tell me it's from washing dishes?

Normally the folks I hang out with, fast twice a week during Lent..
You can fast any time during the year, but during Lent twice a week..

This just means one small meal every 24 hours for us...

The no meat Friday is a breeze after that...

Fasting to me means that my spirit has control over what I do and not what my body wants or thinks it needs...

In this way I feel that I am more obedient to God and am closer to Him..

After 30+ years of smoking I gave it up for Lent when I was Baptized..

Hard for me to find something to top that..

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Imagine 40 days of Vegan fast. That's Orthodoxy. The ancient way isn't easy, man!

Normally the folks I hang out with, fast twice a week during Lent..
You can fast any time during the year, but during Lent twice a week..

This just means one small meal every 24 hours for us...

The no meat Friday is a breeze after that...

Fasting to me means that my spirit has control over what I do and not what my body wants or thinks it needs...

In this way I feel that I am more obedient to God and am closer to Him..

After 30+ years of smoking I gave it up for Lent when I was Baptized..

Hard for me to find something to top that..

 

[facingeast52]

I saw the monks in the Ukraine eating one potato a day during Great Lent...

WOW..!

God bless them..!

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Well, it's not usually THAT severe for the average Joe, but lots of things are off-limits like eggs and olive oil, all meat, dairy stuff, etc. And that is FOR FORTY DAYS. In Catholicism you only have to abstain from meat on Fridays. Walk in the park in comparison!

I saw the monks in the Ukraine eating one potato a day during Great Lent...

WOW..!

God bless them..!

 

[Michie]

I saw the monks in the Ukraine eating one potato a day during Great Lent...

WOW..!

God bless them..!

What could you put on the potato??

Gurns- give me an example of what Orthodox eat during a fast.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Well my wife and I are vegetarians, my kids, too, anyway, so veganism isn't a great big leap.

We eat a lot of peas, lentils, beans, veggie burgers, Boca, Gardein products, quinoa, egg plant parmesan, soups, etc.

What could you put on the potato??

Gurns- give me an example of what Orthodox eat during a fast.

 

[facingeast52]

Well, it's not usually THAT severe for the average Joe, but lots of things are off-limits like eggs and olive oil, all meat, dairy stuff, etc. And that is FOR FORTY DAYS. In Catholicism you only have to abstain from meat on Fridays. Walk in the park in comparison!

Personally I think the Catholic church goes out of it's way to make things easier for the faithful... I think it at times is a great disservice to faithful...

I have attended Mass at more than 10 different parishes.. probably more than 20, and there is a wide variation on the theme going on in the USA..