Fasting During Lent
Several years ago, I asked the founder of this station, and a good friend and mentor to the station, Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., if he would write us a few words about Lent. He kindly obliged. Since his words are timeless, I reprint them here, and hope his words will help all of us to have a more fruitful Lent.
Fasting during Lent
By Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.
Fasting during Lent is an ancient Christian tradition. In the Bible we read that Moses fasted for forty days on Mt. Sinai and Jesus fasted for forty days after his baptism by John and before beginning his public life or proclaiming the Good News of salvation. The three religious practices connected with Lent are fasting, prayer and almsgiving (see CCC 1434).
Before Vatican II Lent was serious business for observant Catholics. They had to fast every day except Sundays. That meant one full meal in the evening, with a few ounces of food for breakfast and lunch which taken together was less than a full meal.
Well-meaning Catholics often ask why it is necessary to fast. Many of the saints were rigorous fasters—St. John Vianney is an example that comes to mind. There are several purposes. Fasting and denying oneself food brings on physical weakness and a certain amount of pain. This experience of weakness brings home to us that we are very fragile beings who are totally dependent on God; fasting helps us show due reverence to Almighty God and to grow in humility so that we are subject to God and will not want to offend him by committing a mortal sin. Fasting strengthens our will power so that we can control our passions and emotions which can lead us into serious sin. Fasting is also recommended as a way to make reparation to God for our past sins; this means that when one dies he will spend less time in purgatory because he has already made satisfaction for his sins. One can fast also in order to beg God for special graces; often the purpose is to beg grace for the conversion of sinners, especially those in our own family, or for the grace to find God’s will in some important choice.
We can also express our interior penance by almsgiving or donating to charitable causes. It is easy to link this Lenten practice to fasting, since the money saved by eating less can be donated to help feed those who are in need. One can do this, for example, by donating the amount saved to Blessed Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, who run many soup kitchens and provide shelter for the homeless, or to some local charitable work.
Recently a friend asked me whether or not it is acceptable to fast during Lent with the purpose of losing weight. Here, like good Thomists, we must make a distinction. The fasting required by the Church has to be done for a religious motive—to worship God or do penance. Fasting to lose weight is a good purpose, but it is secular and for good health. Fasting during Lent is a religious activity and that should be its main purpose. But many things we do have several motives, not just one. Thus, one can legitimately fast during Lent as a penitential act as the main reason, and also hope that one will lose some weight in the process. But if it is just to lose weight then obviously it has no religious significance and will not merit special graces.
Currently the Church requires only two days of fasting during the year –Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. According to Canon Law all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their 60th year. All persons who have completed their 14th year are bound by the law of abstinence from meat on Friday (Canon 1252).
The purpose of the law of fasting and abstinence is to help Catholics grow in the love of God and neighbor.
Please continue to support your station. This includes prayers, telling others about the station, asking if you may place program guides in your parish’s information rack and a financial contribution if possible. If you can’t afford a contribution, no problem! Offer up that suffering for the station.
God bless you this penitential season,