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. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.
Canon law in force
The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority until the beginning of the sixtieth. At that age, a person is automatically excused from the requirement to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but, if health permits, may participate in the fast should he choose to do so.
Those that are excused from fast and abstinence outside the age limits include the physically or mentally ill including individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes. Also excluded are pregnant or nursing women.
There is no upper age limit on abstinence after which the person is automatically excused, but those who need to eat meat for a medical reason may be dispensed from the abstinence requirement. In the United States, the fasting requirement begins at age 18 and continues until age 59.
*Everyone 14 years of age or older is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, all the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday.
In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent. Fasting as explained by the U. S. bishops means partaking of only one full meal.
Only adults (ages 18-59) are obligated to fast (although teens 14 and older are obligated to abstain from meat on Fridays). In addition to this obligation, everyone is invited to choose additional penitential practices during Lent.
Not all older people may be able to fast.
There is no age limit to fasting. An older healthy adult may continue to fast. However, an older person suffering from illness might not be able to fast as it may be more harmful to their health.
The Church asked Catholics to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent in memory of Good Friday, the day the Bible says Jesus died on the cross, Riviere said. Meat was chosen as a sacrifice because it was a celebratory food.
“Each Friday during Lent is actually referred to as Days of Penance,” the 33-year-old said. “If someone unintentionally eats meat by accident without willfully knowing they've done wrong, it's not a sin. I usually suggest they make sure to sacrifice something else in its place to make up for eating meat.”
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. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.
During Lent, pregnant and breastfeeding women are exempt, so unless you choose to fast, you don't have to.
The three traditional pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Through the three pillars of Lent we journey to develop a closer relationship to God.
Failure isn't the end.
To quote Katie Prejean McGrady: “We don't win Lent. We don't have 'best Lents ever. ' We have Jesus, who tries to get closer to us during this time.” Take heart, friend. Messing up and not fulfilling your Lenten promises isn't the end, even though it often feels like it is.
Put simply, breaking your Lenten promise like sneaking a piece of chocolate that you swore to give up is not the end. Practicing humility and honesty about yourself before God is also a way to strengthen your relationship with Him.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, abstinence laws say meat is considered something that comes only from animals that live on land, like chicken, cows, sheep or pigs. Fish are considered a different category of animal.
In summary, eating meat on Friday is a sin (excluding Solemnities or serious grounds for exception such as illness), but whether it is a mortal sin or a venial one will depend on many factors, including the quantity of meat, the number of Fridays in question, and the significance of the particular Fridays in question.
Abstinence from meat on Fridays is done as a sacrifice by many Christians because they believe that on Good Friday, Jesus sacrificed his flesh for humanity. In Orthodox Christianity, in addition to fasting from food until sundown, the faithful are enjoined to abstain from sexual relations on Fridays as well.
Older adults who are thinking of trying it should proceed with caution. If not closely monitored, fasting for seniors can lead to additional health problems even though there is no specified age documented for successful intermittent fasting success.
Anyone over 60 who is on medication or suffering from health issues such as diabetes or heart disease should seek medical advice before embarking on any form of fasting. When you get the go ahead for fasting, the first thing to do is buy or download a calorie counter. Then download some low-calorie but healthy recipes.
So what happens when we fail on day one of Lent, like I did? We don't punish ourselves. God is not pleased with that. We acknowledge our failure, forgive ourselves, ask God for forgiveness, and start over.
Some people who observe Lent don't fast at all, electing instead to add a spiritual practice during the 40 days, such as regular church attendance, prayer, giving to charity, or performing community service.
There are also no limits on most beverages you can have on Ash Wednesday, so coffee and tea would be acceptable.