Looking for a guide to Catholic fasting? Learn why we fast during Lent and the rules that apply on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent.

The Catholic Church observes the disciplines of fasting and abstinence (from meat) at various times each year. For Catholics, fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food, while abstinence refers to refraining from something that is good, and not inherently sinful, such as meat.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.

Feb 8, 2022 · Fasting is a great way to practice self-control and progress in our spiritual lives. Words from the Wise St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest Catholic theologians to ever live said that we fast for three reasons.

To fast is to abstain from food. St. Thomas Aquinas notes that fasting consists of taking only one meal a day (ST, II-II, q. 147, a. 6). This definition has been refined recently by the Church in terms of what's allowed during Lent.

The most prominent days of fasting in the Catholic Church are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these days, the faithful are permitted to have one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal.

Mar 5, 2025 · To help Catholics live this special liturgical time and deepen their knowledge of the faith, here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about fasting and abstinence.

There are two sets of laws that apply to the Church's penitential days: The law of abstinence: this refers to abstaining from meat. The law of fasting: this refers to the quantity of food taken, thus also refraining from eating between meals. Who is bound to observe these laws?

On Nov. 21, 1964, Pope Paul VI reduced the fast to a period of an hour. This rule has two exceptions: First, if a priest celebrated more than one Mass on the same day, as oftentimes happens on Sunday, he is only bound to the one hour fast before the first Mass.

Feb 23, 2022 · For Catholics, fasting is a collective penitential practice of self-discipline. In keeping with its biblical origins, it traditionally entails partial or complete abstinence from food or drink.