Question 158 – What are the current rules for fasting and abstinence?

Transcript:

According to the new law of the Church in the new Code of Canon Law, fasting is only twice a year on Ash Wednesday and Holy Friday. Fasting, according to the traditional meaning, means only one meal a day.

There is a possibility to take something really small, like a drink or a very small snack in the morning or the evening, but it should be very small, not a meal. This is the traditional meaning of fasting. Unfortunately, these days occur only twice a year.

Abstinence still applies on Fridays and Ash Wednesday, requiring abstaining from meat meals. So, this is the rule of abstinence. Before the Council, in the old times, it was fasting for the entire 40 days of Lent, really, without exceptions for Sundays. Abstinence was observed on Fridays, as it is still done today. Also, before the Council, there were the so-called four times in the year, the quattro tempora in Latin. These were three days during the year, four times, three days each. They were in the four seasons, the Quattro temporal. It was observed on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, three days in the week where fasting was also prescribed.

Or on some vigils. Before the Council, the church had more fasting days, and now it is reduced to two. I hope that in the future, the church will again, in this state, reintroduce the traditional fasting days, as all the other Christian Eastern churches still keep. Even the Muslims provide an example of fasting in Ramadan. So, they have to reevaluate the meaning of fasting and the fruits of fasting, the Christian meaning of fasting as a penance, corporal also, because we are sinning with our body. We have to feel in our body the consequence of the sin, not only in our soul, and do some spiritual works of mercy or prayer.

It's not sufficient. It's not fasting. We have to do this also, of course, but also with corporal penance and with the grace of God. This is helpful when you are fasting, it helps the spirit be more elevated to God, and prayer. The devices and the concupiscence of the flesh are diminishing. This is an experience of simply the church and human experience. You can also do some with this fasting, corporal fasting, penance, atonement for your sins, and also participate spiritually in Jesus who was suffering corporally. Let us say He was scorched corporally.

He was suffering in his body also, the pains and the passion. So, when you are suffering some pain by fasting or other corporal penances, you can unite yourself with the corporal sufferings of Christ also.