A reader writes:
My question is this: Where have the US bishops defined what fasting is for American Catholics during Lent? The reason why I ask is that a friend claims that during the fast days of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we are not only restricted to eating 1 full meal and 2 smaller snacks, but that we must also not drink any alcohol and other "non-water" beverages.
This didn’t seem right, because what I had always remembered was that fasting was simply the meal restriction. Although I believe that the spirit of Lent will prevent me from drinking alcohol on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday, I just wanted a clarification about the law.
I’ve looked everywhere, and I can’t seem to find a definition of lenten fasting. Help! Thanks in advance.
The U.S. bishops have not created particular law for the United States regarding the form of fasting to be observed here, which means that the Church’s universal law on the subject will prevail. That law is found in the 1966 apostolic constitution Paenitemini, where Pope Paul VI provided:
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 (norm III:2).
That’s it.
Beyond that, we have to fall back on the common and constant opinion of learned persons as to what it means.
When we do that, it is immediately clear that in interpreting the Church’s laws regarding fasting the terms "meal" and "food" are understood as being food rather than beverages. If you go look in old moral theologies, they invariably talk about the fact that you can drink things–including things other than water–on days of fasting.
Some moralists have considered alcoholic beverages contrary to the spirit of the day, but they don’t consider beverages other than water to be contrary to the spirit. Examples they commonly cite of beverages that are okay to have on fasting days are milk and fruit juices and coffee with cream, all of which contain calories.
Beverages just are not included under the law of fasting.
This means that, if I wanted, I could drink can after can of low-carb protein shakes on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and consume 3500 calories of them and still be within the letter of the law.
I would not, however, be within the spirit of the law, which is to encourage moderate hunger as a form of spiritual discipline. If I use calorie-laden beverages (or hunger suppressants) to get around that then I am violating the spirit though not the letter of the law.
As a result, to comply with the spirit of the law, on days of fast I drink whatever I normally would drink but I don’t start chugging extra calories in fluid form. I keep my beverage consumption (mainly zero-calorie Diet 7-Up, since it’s made with Splenda rather than Aspartame) the same and lower the amount of food I eat.
I heard that milkshakes violate the fast–since it is basically FOOD. (Icecream)
It depends where you get them! Some milkshakes have no ice cream, I assure you. But ice cream started as milk, so I think one could argue that ice cream is just a frozen beverage. I wouldn’t go that route, personally, but it’s an interesting conundrum.
But either way, if it’s in beverage form, I think it’s a beverage. After all, fruit juices started as solid food, too, which is far more than we can say for ice cream.
I would consider a milkshake a tasty treat, so I don’t think it would be in the spirit of Lent, even if it somehow fit the letter.
Same with hitting the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet on Friday. Some fast!
Jesus did say, “When you fast…anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden.” (Mt 16,16-18).
So, why not go to the Lago Mar Resort in Fort Lauderdale for:
– Stone Massage ($140.00)
– Body Hydrating Seaweed Wrap ($95.00)
– Gentlemen’s Facial ($80.00)
– French Manicure ($40.00)
– French Pedicure ($50.00)
You could do that with the $450 you would save on fine wine and food that fast day.
No need to look glum and pious.
Come on… didn’t anyone else think alcoholic beverages being “contrary to the spirit of the day” pretty funny? Get it? Spirit? Ha ha!
If we are actually going to fast for penitential reasons, then a sincerely penitential approach could be to reduce our liquid intake to mere water.
Ha ha Leah! I didn’t even notice that! 🙂
A local expert on beers (international history, brands, etc.) has stated that the orginial Bock beers were created by Monks. Apparently they would give up food for Lent and only consume liquids. However the beers they brewed for this time of fasting were thick maltly brews (heavy caloric content) and that would sustain them.
i can think of worst things, but I would think that after a week of two of only beer, a small piece of bread and butter would be a feast.
this is where pretzels got their start too… beer with pretzels sustained monks during the fast
What if only high calorie beers (or milkshakes) start running from your tap instead of water? Is it okay to drink them then?
So why does this apply to the Lenten fast, but not the communion fast?
Or am I to understand milk and fruit juice are allowed up to the point of receiving communion?
Father Edward McNamara LC, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university says:
In the tradition of the Church, laws relating to fasting are principally intended to define what pertains to the quantity of food allowed on days of fasting, while those regulating abstinence refer to their quality.
The law of the fast means that only one full meal may be taken during the day while two light meals are permitted in accord with local custom as to the amount and kind of food.
While the consumption of solid food between meals is forbidden, liquids, including tea, coffee and juices, may be taken at any time.
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=85989
So why does this apply to the Lenten fast, but not the communion fast?
Both fasts are positive law (i.e., made by the Church for the good of her members, but changeable at her discretion). The rules need not be the same. My guess would be that the communion fast is so minor anyhow that it can safely be made fairly rigorous without endangering anyone’s physical or spiritual health, as a general rule.
Why do people ask “can” in these situations instead of “should”. “Should” I drink pop on Ash Wednesday (for me, no, unless it’s diet, which is quite penitential) instead of “can” I drink pop on Ash Wednesday.
Don’t take it personal, momof6…
They just ain’t learned to speak English very good.
They don’t ask “should” because “should” is not an easy question to answer in the abstract.
They should say “should” because “should” should be the way they should ask what should be…
I forget, what was the question? I should remember… or can I remember? Must be all the beer I’m drinking for Lent…
Let’s remember that the Church does not obligate elderly persons, sick persons or young children to fasting.
Why?
Fasting is a material risk to one’s health.
Rather than find ways to mitigate that risk, we ought to just acknowledge that when we fast: we go hungry; we do without; we undertake a temporary form of “malnutrition”.
Accept that fact. Offer it up.
What about the fasting requirements of the Eastern Rites?
I was suprised to find out that their Lent began the Monday before Ash Wednesday (which they don’t have.) On that day the fast is from meat and dairy products. Also the same on Good Friday.
No meat Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent.
My son who is Orthodox says the Orthodox don’t eat meat or dairy products all throughout Lent (and there is something about oil as well?)
What do you know about this?
Susan Peterson
The way it was explained to me several years ago by an “Antioch” Orthodox aquaintance was this: every Wednesday and Friday, year-round, was a day of fast and abstinence. Abstinence in their understanding was “anything from anything with a backbone.” So not only were our standard mammals and poultry off limits, so were fish (as opposed to spineless seafood like shrimp,) eggs and dairy products (coming from creatures with backbones.) Olive oil was also out. I did not inquire at the time how this was applied during Lent. Susan, based on your comments, it sounds like they carry on the same fast and abstinence throughout Lent, then, as well.
Yeah, but an Orthodox pastor carefully oversees his flock’s individual fasting practices. One guy ordered his flock to eat more, since they were driving an hour both ways to get to church. Another ordered one guy to drink a six pack of beer over the weekend and relax more during Lent, since he was being too spiritually rigorous on himself (with the concomitant dangers of pride and despair). I think a lot of the Eastern Rite Catholics have this sort of individual fasting control, also.
Since I have a lot of problems with low blood sugar, Lenten fasting is always a challenge for me. (It’s not quite bad enough that I can’t fast, but I certainly can’t fast as rigorously as many like to.)
Abstinence isn’t a problem for me. But I do think it’s not really fair to look down on people for having good recipes for Lent. Lent was the one time of year when my mother could legitimately include fish in our diet on a weekly basis, despite her budget. She really missed the old days when she got to have fish every week (and I’m sure the seafood industry does, too). Myself, I can’t usually afford to eat fish or eggs or a lot of other Lenten foods. (Sometimes for money reasons, sometimes for time ones.)
Lent is the one time a year when I can take a break from my normal penitentially boring diet, and that has a lot of spiritual helpfulness for me. Different foods sets off the time of year as holy, “an acceptable time” to repent. I’m sure this is true for a lot of us.
Beyond that, “what isn’t forbidden is allowed” is a very important principle. Not circumventing fasting and abstinence is one thing, but punishing people for creativity is quite another. Lenten food treats are a tradition for a reason. (And after a long German winter, I’m sure the monks had need of a high calorie beer to keep them going as they worked all day.)
Basically, though, we’re all grownups here. We know what the basic requirements are, and we know if we feel called to give up more as a gift. We shouldn’t despise other people for having other ideas, since we don’t know what is going on with them. Fasting is supposed to be hard, but it isn’t supposed to be undertaken to the point of making us sick or as a sport to impress oneself with one’s own holiness.
Me, I can get sick enough this time of year (and I do, and I have just caught something yet again, which is why I’m home sick to type this) without trying hard to kill myself with excessive Lenten practices. 🙂 Which is probably why the good Lord gives me all these penitential illnesses — to keep me from sport penitence.