Grace Thompson
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life, and Catholics observe the disciplines of fasting and abstinence (from meat) at various times each year. The Catholic Church teaches that all people are obliged by God to perform penance for their sins, and that these acts of penance are both personal and corporeal. Fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food, while abstinence refers to refraining from something that is good but not inherently sinful, such as meat. The purpose of fasting is to strike a balance between the physical and spiritual, as it is easy to let our lower passions for physical goods supersede our higher intellect. Fasting is also seen as a way to imitate Christ, who spent 40 days fasting in the desert before entering into his public ministry, and it is believed that he expected his disciples to fast as well.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To put the created order and spiritual life in balance |
| To make more room for God in one's life | |
| To follow the example of Jesus and other biblical figures | |
| To express humility and recognise the need to reform and get closer to God | |
| To express that spiritual things are more important than physical things | |
| To petition God | |
| Who it applies to | All Latin-rite Catholics over the age of 14 must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays in Lent |
| Adults aged 18-59 must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, eating no more than one full meal and two smaller meals | |
| Those aged 60 and above are automatically excused from fasting but may participate if they choose to and their health permits | |
| Members of the autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches must follow the discipline of their particular church | |
| Exceptions | Partial abstinence was allowed in the past in some countries, such as eating meat once during the day at the main meal |
| The countries of the former Spanish Empire had their own extensive dispensations from the rules of fasting and abstinence |
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What You'll Learn
Fasting is a biblical discipline
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. It is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and New Testaments. In the Bible, Moses and Elijah fasted for forty days before going into God's presence (Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8). Anna the Prophetess fasted to prepare herself for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 2:37). They all wanted to see God, and they considered fasting a basic prerequisite. Jesus also fasted (Matthew 4:2) and expected his disciples to do the same (Matthew 9:14-15), even issuing instructions for how they should do so (Matthew 6:16-18).
Fasting is also mentioned in the New Testament, where Jesus says, "When you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18; cf. Mark 2:18-20). Here, Jesus assumes that his followers will fast, and he encourages them to do so with sincerity and humility rather than for show.
Catholics follow the biblical example of fasting by observing periods of fasting and abstinence at various times throughout the year, particularly during Lent, the 40 days before Easter when Catholics pray, fast, contemplate, and engage in acts of spiritual self-discipline to prepare for the celebration of Christ's triumph over sin and death. During Lent, Catholics over the age of 14 abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays, with adults between 18 and 59 eating no more than one full meal and two smaller meals on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Fasting is meant to help Catholics put their spiritual life in proper balance with their physical desires. By denying themselves physical pleasures, they express their recognition that spiritual things are more important. Fasting also helps Catholics embrace humility before God, recognizing their dependence on Him and their need for reform. It is a way to express mourning, as seen in the practice of signing one's forehead with ashes on Ash Wednesday, which is a biblical expression of mourning. Ultimately, fasting is a way to make more room for God in one's life and to grow in one's spiritual life.
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It helps to balance the created order and spiritual life
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. It is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and the New Testament. God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, and the Church Fathers have preached its importance.
The whole purpose of fasting is to put the created order and our spiritual life in a proper balance. Fasting helps us to deny ourselves physical pleasures, even in spite of pain, which is an important spiritual lesson. It is a way of declaring that we recognize the need to reform and to get closer to God. We willingly embrace the hunger that fasting produces as a sign of being willing to shoulder the burdens of others.
Fasting is also about expressing our recognition that spiritual things are more important than physical things. It is about making more room for God in our lives. We take good things for granted and reach for them whenever we feel like it, without thinking about where they come from or whether they are good for us. Fasting helps us to make a decision for a greater good.
Fasting relates to prayer and is used in the Bible as a way of petitioning God. It is about expressing humility before God by adopting a humble posture, recognizing our dependence on Him and submitting to His will. This posture of humility is linked with fasting in Scripture. For example, the scribe Ezra tells us, "Then I proclaimed a fast... that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for ourselves, our children, and all our goods" (Ezra 8:21).
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Fasting is a form of penance
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, and the Church Fathers have preached its importance. Fasting is a form of penance, and the Catholic Church teaches that all people are obliged by God to perform some penance for their sins. These acts of penance are both personal and corporeal.
Fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food, while abstinence refers to refraining from something that is good, such as meat. Bodily fasting is meaningless unless it is accompanied by spiritual avoidance of sin. The purpose of fasting is to balance the created order and our spiritual life. It is easy to let our "lower passions" for physical goods supersede our higher intellect. We take good things for granted and reach for them whenever we feel like it without thinking about God or whether it is good for us. Thus, fasting helps "make more room for God in our life".
Fasting is also a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and New Testaments. Moses and Elijah fasted forty days before going into God's presence (Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8). Jesus fasted (Matthew 4:2) and expected his disciples to fast (Matthew 9:14-15) and issued instructions for how to do so (Matthew 6:16-18). Catholics follow this pattern by holding a partial fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Fasting is also related to prayer and is used in the Bible as a way of petitioning God. It is an expression of humility before God, recognizing our dependence on Him and affirming our submissiveness to His will. It is a way to express our recognition that spiritual things are more important than physical things.
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It is an act of spiritual self-discipline
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. It is an act of spiritual self-discipline that Catholics observe at various times each year, most notably during Lent, the 40 days before Easter. This period is significant as it commemorates the 40 days that Christ spent fasting in the desert before beginning his public ministry. By engaging in fasting and other spiritual disciplines during Lent, Catholics prepare themselves for Easter, which is the greatest holy day in the Christian calendar, celebrating Christ's triumph over sin and death.
Fasting, in the context of Catholicism, involves reducing one's intake of food and abstaining from certain types of food, particularly meat. The current fasting obligation for Latin-rite Catholics in the United States requires individuals over the age of 14 to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent. Adults aged 18 to 59 are expected to eat no more than one full meal and two smaller meals that do not exceed the quantity of the full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Fasting is seen as a way to put one's spiritual life in proper balance. It is an act of self-denial, where Catholics learn to deny themselves physical pleasures to focus on their spiritual growth and their relationship with God. Through fasting, Catholics express their humility before God, recognizing their dependence on Him and submitting to His will. This act of humility is linked to fasting in Scripture, as seen in the example of the scribe Ezra in Ezra 8:21.
Additionally, fasting is associated with prayer and petitioning God. Jesus himself expected his disciples to fast and provided instructions for them (Matthew 6:16-18). However, he also cautioned against fasting in a way that draws attention to oneself or is done without sincerity and true repentance (Matthew 6:16-18), Isaiah 58:3b-4. The purpose of fasting is not merely physical purification but a spiritual exercise that helps Catholics express the importance of spiritual matters over physical desires.
By engaging in fasting, Catholics follow the examples set by biblical figures such as Moses, Elijah, Anna the Prophetess, and Jesus himself. These individuals fasted as a way of preparing themselves to enter God's presence, and Catholics imitate their example to deepen their spiritual connection with God.
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Fasting is a way of petitioning God
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, and the Church Fathers have preached its importance. Fasting is a way of petitioning God, and it is used in the Bible to do so.
Fasting is about putting "our spiritual life in a proper balance", as Monsignor Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Charles Borromeo explained. It is easy to let our "lower passions" for physical goods supersede our higher intellect. We take good things for granted and reach for them whenever we feel like it, "without thinking, without reference to the One who gives us the food, and without reference to the question of whether it’s good for us or not," Pope added.
By fasting, we express our recognition that spiritual things are more important than physical things. We learn to deny ourselves pleasures, even in spite of pain—an important spiritual lesson. We declare that we recognize the need to reform and to get closer to God. We willingly embrace the hunger that fasting produces as a sign of being willing to shoulder the burdens of others.
Fasting is also about expressing humility before God by adopting a humble posture, recognizing our dependence on Him and affirming our submissiveness to His will. This posture of humility is linked with fasting in Scripture. The scribe Ezra tells us, “Then I proclaimed a fast . . . that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for ourselves, our children, and all our goods” (Ezra 8:21). These spiritual effects—and the consequently more effective prayer life that greater spirituality brings (Jas. 5:16b)—are the reasons Jesus not only approves of fasting but expects his followers to fast.
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Frequently asked questions
Fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food, while abstinence refers to refraining from something that is good but not sinful, such as meat.
Fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. It is commanded by God, practised by Jesus, and preached by the Church Fathers. Catholics who fast imitate Christ and prepare for Easter, the greatest holy day of the Christian year.
Catholics fast during Lent, the 40 days before Easter, and on other penitential days throughout the year, such as Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent.
On days of fasting, Catholics over the age of 18 but under 60 are permitted to eat no more than one full meal and two smaller meals that do not add up to the quantity of the full meal. Abstinence from meat is also observed on these days.
