The Catholic Church has a series of practices and traditions that mark the liturgical calendar and guide the spiritual life of its faithful. Among these are fasting and abstinence during Lent, the period of 40 days of preparation for Easter.
To help Catholics live this special liturgical time and deepen the knowledge of faith, we share the answers to the most frequent questions about fasting and abstinence:
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What does fasting and abstinence mean?
According to him Code of Canon Lawfasting and abstinence are penitential practices that all Catholics are obliged to “by divine law” on certain days of the year, so that they “refuse themselves.”
According to the Apostolic Constitution Paeniteminiabstinence prohibits the consumption of meats, “but not the use of eggs, lacticinios and any seasoning with animal fat.” While fasting “forces to make a single meal during the day, but does not prohibit drinking some food in the morning and at night, taking into account, with regard to quality and quantity, to the approved local customs.”
However, Canon 1253 of the Canon Law Code indicates that “the Episcopal Conference can determine in more detail how to observe fasting and abstinence, as well as replace them in whole or in part with other forms of penance, especially for charity works and piety practices.”
What is the origin of the practice of fasting and abstinence?
These practices have deep roots in history and theology. Fasting dates back to biblical times, where characters like Moses (Exodus 34, 28)Elías (1 Reyes 19, 8) and Jesus himself (Mc. 1, 13) They practiced fasting. In primitive Christianity, fasting was a common way of expressing repentance and seeking closeness to God.
Meat abstinence has its roots in the church’s tradition to sacrifice something as an act of penance, as well as Saint Paul invited to submit and master his body (1 Cor 9, 27) for a greater good.
Why do Catholics practice fasting and abstinence?
Canon 1249 of Code of Canon Law He points out that the Catholic Church set a few days in the year so that all Catholics carry out penitential practices together, such as prayer, do works of mercy and charity and above all, practice fasting and abstinence.
In this regard, the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He explains in section No. 2043 that refraining from eating meat and fasting in the days established by the Church “ensures the times of ascetic and penance that prepare us for the liturgical parties and to acquire dominance over our instincts, and the freedom of the heart.”
What days are fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church?
He Code of Canon Law Indicates in Canon 1251 that the days when it is mandatory to fast and practice withdrawal are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. He points out that Every Friday of the year“Unless they coincide with a solemnity, the abstinence of meat, or other food that has determined the Episcopal Conference, must be kept.”
At what age does fasting and abstinence oblige?
He Code of Canon Law It establishes in the canon 1252 that fasting is mandatory from the age of the age of 59. Meat abstinence is mandatory after 14 years.
Who are exempt from fasting and not eating meat in Lent?
Minors and the elderly of 60 years or more are exempt from fasting, and children under 14 can eat meat. However, canon 1252 of the Code of Canon Law It suggests to the shepherds of souls and parents to help children who are not obliged to fast and abstinence, to form in a “authentic spirit of penance.” The sick, pregnant women or who feed their babies and workers according to their need are also exempt.
What is the sense of practicing fasting and abstinence?
While both practices help us to grow in the spirit of penance and conversion that Jesus calls us, the Catechism of the Catholic Church Remember in its numeral 1430 that this call focuses on “the conversion of the heart”, without which the external works “remain sterile and misleading.”
In this regard, the website of the Opus day He points out that “in the New Testament, Jesus indicates the deep reason for fasting, stigmatizing the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions imposed by law, but his heart was far from God. The real fast, repeats the divine teacher on another occasion, consists rather of fulfilling the will of the Heavenly Father, who ‘sees in secret and will reward you’ (Mt 6,18) ”.
Cynthia Pérez has been editor in ACI Press since January 2020. Reside in Lima (Peru). It has the degree of Bachelor of Science and Arts of Communication with Mention in Communication for Development by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). In his career he has dedicated himself to the creation of multimedia content and to the design and management of communication in organizations and social impact projects. He is passionate to create interactive narratives and experiences that build a more human and sustainable society.