Fasting on Ash Wednesday?

Question

Ok so you are supposed to fast on Ash Wednesday right? Well like what are the restrictions to fasting? Can you drink water?
And eat what? But I am not Catholic!

Answer 1

None of the answers are correct from the catholic perspective.

The required fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday involves eating only one full meal on those days. One or two smaller meals may be taken on those days, but may not total one full meal. The required fast does not allow eating anything between meals.
All Catholics who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year, health permitting.

What does it mean and why do we do it?
Ashes are an ancient symbol of repentance (sackcloth and ashes). They also remind us of our mortality ("remember that you are dust") and thus of the day when we will stand before God and be judged.To prepare well for the day we die, we must die now to sin and rise to new life in Christ. Being marked with ashes at the beginning of Lent indicates our recognition of the need for deeper conversion of our lives during this season of renewal.

Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life. That always involves giving up sin in some form. The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever. Conversion means leaving behind an old way of living and acting in order to embrace new life in Christ.

The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Prayer: More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord.

Fasting: Fasting is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast predates Lent as we know it. The early Church fasted intensely for two days before the celebration of the Easter Vigil. This fast was later extended and became a 40-day period of fasting leading up to Easter. Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God. The first reading on the Friday after Ash Wednesday points out another important dimension of fasting. The prophet Isaiah insists that fasting without changing our behavior is not pleasing to God. "This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own" (Is 58:6-7).

Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from the injustices of our economic and political structures, those who are in need for any reason.
Fasting can help us realize the suffering that so many people in our world experience every day, and it should lead us to greater efforts to alleviate that suffering.

Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple. That should be the goal we set for ourselves—a sparse and simple meal. Avoiding meat while eating lobster misses the whole point!

Almsgiving: It is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized.



P.S - sorry, Godschild and Gnosis - your answers were not there when I began typing! You were both correct.

God bless..

Answer 2

I am not sure what the other churches requirements for fasting are, but following are the guidelines for the Catholic Church.

Persons over the age of 18, but younger than 60 are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means eating just one regular size meal during the day and the other two meals are more or less snacks that together do not make up a full meal. Eating between meals is not allowed. Drinking water is fine.

Not all those who fast do it for show. That is a very cynical and unchristian attitude. Fasting is done to make the person more aware of the gifts of God, such as food, that the person is doing without on that day. it also makes us more aware of the truly hungry in this world.

Answer 3

I am a catholic, and ive always been taught in school and at mass that you are allowed 2 small meals wih one large meal, while the 2 small ones must not add up to make the large one (if that makes sense.) You are allowed to have liquids at any time, just no solid foods between meals. There is also an abstinance of meat, so fish and chips for dinner. Im not sure of the age limit, ive heard the lower limit is between 16 - 18 and the upper limit is around 60. These are only recommendations, the whole fasting thing is supposed to be voluntary.

Answer 4

Hi Amanda,It really does not matter that you are not a Catholic in regard to fasting on Ash Wednesday, of course you are not obliged to do this but remember the importance that Jesus gave to fasting and the fact that when we fast we discriminate the needs of the body for the needs of the soul.
Fasting along with humble prayer is a powerful weapon in the Christian armory and protects us from the subtle and hidden attacks of the evil one, and not only this but it strengthens the soul and it progresses much more quickly in the spiritual life.

Answer 5

Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday means
+ No meat (seafood is allowed)
+ One full meal and two small meals
+ No snacks

You can have a much water as you like.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Those that fast are doing it for a show of faith. I am not Catholic either, and I do not fast on Ash Wednesday.

I think (but am not positive about) that water may be drunk. And that an exemption may be made for the very young and the elderly, and those with medical conditions.

Answer 7

Techincally, on Ash Wednesday you don't eat in between meals or eat meat, same goes for Friday's.

Answer 8

Let me set the record straight. The USA Catholics are the only Catholics who make the membership suffer. Remember, God blessed you to have food and water; use it. If you want to give up meat, do so. Don't do it because these people says so. They are brain-wash specialists who want ten points.

It is not for me to say the Catholic Church is tainted and immoral. However, it is time the world knows the real truths. Some of the answerers will shove material down your throat; however, if you click on this web site, the truth will set you free.

http://www.amaluxherbal.com/the_scandals_of_the_catholic_church.htm

With love in Christ; but with truth for the masses.

Answer 9

There are a lot more ways to fast than not eating, but if it is a food thing remember as you are getting SOOOO hungry the time period is from sun up to dun down. In fasting, without water is better if you are doing only a couple days or less.

Answer 10

If you're not Catholic, I don't think you have to worry about it. Honestly, I don't know why they celebrate Ash Wednesday, I mean, I don't know what it's about. But I find it sort of silly.

Anyway, what I do know about fasting is that the only thing you are allowed to have is water. But you are supposed to be praying and spending time w/ God the whole time you are fasting. It's for devotion to Him. Thats how I see it, at least.

Hope that helped,
God bless.

Answer 11

If you are Catholic on Ash Wednesday all u have to do is not eat meat.