Laws of Days of Abstinence, Penance and Fast

Fasting and Abstinence During Lent – Current Practice

Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent.

Fasting as explained by the U.S. bishops means partaking of only one full meal. Some food (not equaling another full meal) is permitted at breakfast and around midday or in the evening—depending on when a person chooses to eat the main or full meal. Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat. Abstinence does not include meat juices and liquid foods made from meat. Thus, such foods as chicken broth, consomme, soups cooked or flavored with meat, meat gravies or sauces, as well as seasonings or condiments made from animal fat are not forbidden. (So it is permissible to use margarine and lard.)

Source: Catholic Diocese of Dallas Office of Worship

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 Current practice vs. 1962 Discipline

As a help in understanding the Church’s discipline of fast and abstinence, the following summary of the requirements, both current and those in force in 1962, has been excerpted from the 2015 Liturgical Ordo published by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

	Current Practice	Discipline of 1962
Days of Abstinence	Begins on 14th birthday Ash Wednesday & Fridays of Lent Obliges abstention from flesh meat	Applies on one’s 7th Birthday Complete Abstinence: all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigil of Christmas Partial Abstinence (meat & soup or gravy made from meat permitted once a day at principal meal): all the days of Lent, the Ember Days of Wednesday and Saturday, and the Vigils of Pentecost & the Assumption Abstinence from meat is dispensed on Holy Days of Obligation
Days of Penance	Applies to all the Faithful Lent and Fridays outside of Lent The obligation to do penance is lifted on Fridays which are also celebrated as a solemnity.	Applies on one’s 7th Birthday Complete Abstinence: all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigil of Christmas Partial Abstinence (meat & soup or gravy made from meat permitted once a day at principal meal): all the days of Lent, the Ember Days of Wednesday and Saturday, and the Vigils of Pentecost & the Assumption Abstinence from meat is dispensed on Holy Days of Obligation
Days of Fast	Applies to everyone aged 18 to 59, inclusive One full meal permitted and two other meals which, when combined, are less than a full meal Ash Wednesday and Good Friday	Applies for those aged 21 to 59, inclusive Days of Lent from Ash Wednesday, inclusive, Ember Days and Vigils of Christmas, Pentecost and the Assumption One full meal permitted and two other meals may be taken which, when combined, are less than a full meal
Law of Eucharistic Fast	Under the new Code of Canon Law, the Fast for Holy Communion is one hour before the reception of the Holy Eucharist. Those who are able to maintain the previous discipline of the three-hour fast are still encouraged to do so.	The complete fast from all food and drink (except water or medicine) for three hours before the reception of Holy Communion. Those who are able to maintain the midnight fast, which was the previous discipline, are still encouraged to do so.