During Lent, some may wonder why the Catholic Church’s has rules about fasting. Some may see it as example of how the Church is preoccupied with outdated rules. Others may feel that the Church is being overbearing by requiring fasting, even of those who have trouble following the rules.
To defend the Church’s discipline on fasting, it is first worth explaining its purpose.
Why do Christians fast? The Catechism of the Catholic Church answers, in its discussion of the four precepts of the Church:
The fourth precept (“You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church”) ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart (2043).
In other words, fasting helps us master our cravings rather than being driven by them. Why is this important? Because a life driven by bodily cravings can lead to many physical, spiritual, and practical problems. On the other hand, when our rational faculties govern our bodily cravings, it is much more likely that we will make choices consistent with what the intellect determines to be good—rather than being slaves to our bellies!
Fasting also has a penitential purpose. In Sacred Scripture, it is often associated with repentance. For instance, in Daniel 9, Daniel fasts because of the sins of the people of Israel that led them into captivity under the Babylonians. But why is fasting associated with repentance? Because in the act of fasting, the we tell God that we are going to sacrifice a good (food) for a greater good (prayer). Thus, fasting by itself is not what God requires, but fasting coupled with prayer. This is why Daniel associates his fasting with “prayer and petition” (v. 3): Daniel was fasting not only to repent of the sins of Israel, but also to petition God for the return of the Israelites to their land. Likewise, when it was time for the people of Israel to return, Ezra fasted and prayed to God for a safe journey (Ezra 8:21).
It is not “outdated” to call people back to the standard found in Sacred Scripture, and this is exactly what the Church is doing in requiring Catholics to fast on certain days of the year. In fact, the Church states that fasting has been a practice not only for believers in biblical times, but also for all of the faithful today. As Pope St. Paul VI noted, “by divine law all the faithful are required to do penance.”
Moreover, it is certainly within the Church’s authority to impose such things under the concept of binding and loosing (see Matt. 16:19).
Now that we have covered the reasons for fasting, let’s consider the Church’s rules during Lent. For Latin Rite Catholics between the ages of eighteen and fifty-nine, the Church says we should abstain from meat (fish is permitted) on all Fridays in Lent, including Good Friday, and Ash Wednesday. Additionally, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we should not only abstain from all meat, but also fast by limiting ourselves to one meal for the entire day. However, on the morning and evening of these two days, some exceptions may apply, as Paul VI notes: “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.”
(The rules for Eastern Catholics are slightly different. Eastern Catholics are to abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent. They are also to fast and abstain from meat, eggs, and dairy on Clean Monday and Good Friday.)
The Church requires the above of her members—and these are the minimum requirements. The Church, however, strongly encourages additional self-imposed forms of penance. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) states:
For all other weekdays of Lent, we strongly recommend participation in daily Mass and a self-imposed observance of fasting.
This raises some questions. Are these requirements for all Catholics, without exception? Certainly not. The Church understands that there are circumstances that require exceptions. For instance, if someone is physically ill or a diabetic, and abstinence or fasting would hinder his health, he is under no obligation to observe the fast. Likewise, women who are nursing or pregnant are exempt. Other exceptions may also apply; the USCCB says that “common sense should prevail.”
That being said, the faithful who have exceptional circumstances should still unite their sufferings to Christ and offer up penance for their sins. Paul VI says:
Those members of the Church who are stricken by infirmities, illnesses, poverty or misfortunes, or who are persecuted for the love of justice, are invited to unite their sorrows to the suffering of Christ in such a way that they not only satisfy more thoroughly the precept of penitence but also obtain for the brethren a life of grace and for themselves that beatitude which is promised in the gospel to those who suffer.
In the end, whether you fast and abstain or are exempt, remember to do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31)!