What are the rules for lent?

Question

Lent is 40 days before easter sunday. I want to give up something for lent but if sundays are not included does it mean I can have the thing I give up on sundays

Answer 1

In the Catholic Church Sundays are never days of fasting or abstinence. So, if you want to indulge in what you have given up, its ok. Of course you may find it easier to not have it. Here is a quote from St Anthony's messanger, a catholic magazine

"Technically, Sundays are not part of Lent. Although we celebrate them liturgically as part of Lent, the Lord's Day cannot be a day of fast and abstinence. Six weeks of Monday through Saturday gives you 36 days. If you add to them Ash Wednesday and the three days after it, you get the 40 days of Lent.

Some people may find it easier to "give up" something for the entire time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, but you are correct in saying that Sundays are not part of the 40 days. "

http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Feb2002/wiseman.asp#F5

This is a little known fact about Lent. I had a discussion about this at work today. Nobody believed me until I showed them this quote. I think it was kind of hard to take from an atheist!

Answer 2

Lent Rules

Answer 3

Rules For Lent

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What are the rules for lent?
Lent is 40 days before easter sunday. I want to give up something for lent but if sundays are not included does it mean I can have the thing I give up on sundays

Answer 5

Catholics in the United States are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays during the season of Lent.

They are also obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday.

Self-imposed observance of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly recommended. This is where people also give up chocolate, sarcasm, or something else for Lent.

There are 40 days in Lent.

However if you count the number of days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (the day before Easter) you find there are 46 days.

The extra days are 6 Sundays. These Sundays are not really part of Lent. So if you give up chocolate for Lent you can eat it on Sundays.

If you give up something more important like sarcasm or endeavor to do some good work then I suggest you keep up the effort on Lenten Sundays.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Lent actually ends on Good Friday to be technical. The purpose of Lent is to become closer to God through sacrificing something important to you. This is similar to when Jesus went to the desert for 40 days before his ministry to prepare for his work ahead. In this time he fasted (It was 40 days). The 40 days has been repeated though out the bible. In summary that is between you and God if you are breaking the law. However, I feel you are violating the spirit of the law if you give something up with exception.

Answer 7

What that means is that the monks used to observe a very strict lenten diet and tried, briefly, to impose that diet on the people. The people said no deal, so the pope issued that people should have certain dietary restrictions, such as no meat except fish, unless they were ill, elderly, or young. If you look back at the middle ages when this was all developing, you'll see that fish was cheaper and plentiful, so people could afford it... and were most likely eating it anyway. This dietary law only really affected the wealthier who could afford things like pork and mutton. Anyway, the rules further slackened (considerably) to the current trend of 'giving up something for lent' that leads most children to declare things like "homework" or "school". The point of fasting during lent is to remind yourself of all the suffering jesus did for you. When you remember how hungry you are or how much you are craving something, you are supposed to meditate and pray. But whatever, I like lent for non-religious reasons being that I am not now, nor have I ever been, catholic. It's fun to give up something important, so that you realize how much control you have over things that seem impossible. I like to give up broad things - like dairy or sugar (I'm already vegetarian) for the sheer fun of seeing *if* I can. Honestly, though, I'm a pretty extreme person about things like that. Perhaps its best to start smaller? Edit: I'm not sure the poster you asked is going to check back, so I thought I'd offer an answer to your follow up question. 'Self-imposed observance' means that you pick something to give up, something that is a vice you, something that would be difficult to give up (like soda, chocolate, sweets, dessert, etc.). The catholic church won't choose for you, it's something you choose for yourself. Furthermore, the catholic church isn't going to police you. You choose what to give up, how long/often you want to give it up (like all of lent or maybe just lenten week days). Furthermore, you are the only one who has anything to do with making sure you are following your decision. No one is going to tell you what or how to do it, it's a completely personal thing that no one else has to know about or have anything to do with. Does that make sense?

Answer 8

In the Catholic faith, we consider lent a time of prayer, fasting, and abstinance, importance in that order. The regularions on Lenten fasting and abstinence are:
Fasting On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday- for those who are 18 but not yet 59 they are allowed only one full meal. Two smaller meals are allowed as needed but cannot equal a full meal and eating solid foods between meals is not permitted (Snacks)
Abstinence from Meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent for those who are 14 years of age or older.
The Church no longer prescribes Lenten practices in detail and the above regulations are simply highlights of requirements and the more fundamental obligation is to make Lent a penitential season, choosing practices that are adapted to ones's own needs in regards to the "giving up of things". Of course I should mention that there are special dispensations from the Fasting and Abstinence in lieu of specific health requirements making it impossible to follow the above guidelines. And yes, you may have something on Sunday that you are giving up on other days.

Answer 9

The rules of lent are to get back what you have lent before it is stolen that was a joke by the way

Answer 10

Yes you can
it only means that you should have no meat on ASH wednesday
Holy Thursday,and Good Friday.
and every Friday until Lent is over