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RULES OF FASTING ASH WEDNESDAY AND GOOD FRIDAY
WHICH ARE THE ONLY 2 DAYS OF FAST AND ABSTINENCE. IN THE CHURCH’S YEAR

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption. Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence.

Good Friday is a significant day in the Catholic Church, marking the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is a solemn and sombre day of reflection and prayer for Catholics around the world. On this day, Catholics are called to fast and abstain from meat as a way of honouring the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

FASTING
Fasting is a form of penance and has many aspects. It is a way of showing our sorrow for our sins. But it is also a way of stripping ourselves of some of the non-essentials of life in order to recognise that which is truly important. Fasting – whether it is the traditional form of eating less food or in some other form such as giving up some luxury makes more room for God in our lives.

RULES OF FAST
The laws of fast apply to persons between the ages of twenty-one and sixty. On a fast day one may eat one full meal and two light meatless meals, which together would not equal the main meal and prohibits eating between meals. Meat may be taken at the principal meal, except on days of complete abstinence. Liquids such as water, milk, and fruit juices may be taken between meals. Pregnant women and people who are sick are not obligated to fast.

ALMSGIVING
Almsgiving is not simply ‘charity’. It is a religious act. It is a recognition that all we have comes from God, and if we have more than enough, we are under obligation to give from our plenty to those in need. Through almsgiving we seek to redress the balance between rich and poor. All people are equal in the sight of God. There is a challenge to be generous here.

RULES OF ABSTINENCE
Abstinence is refraining from eating meat. People who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the Canon Law to abstain. Anyone who feels that they cannot fulfill the law of abstinence, or the law of fasting should consult a parish priest or confessor.

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