“Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Make for it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.”
St. Augustine
What Is Fasting and Why Do Catholics Fast?
Fasting is the Catholic discipline of reducing one’s food intake. It’s important to note the distinction between fasting and abstinence. While fasting deals strictly with food and eating habits, abstinence is the act of refraining from something that is inherently good. Both fasting and abstinence are forms of penance required by the Catholic Church at various times of the year. Often, the two practices overlap, like during Lent.
Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Easter when Catholics around the world participate in fasting and abstinence. Many sectors of Catholicism have relaxed their rules regarding fasting during this period, with some Catholics only fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Traditionally, when fasting for Lent, Catholics would fast for the entire 40 days and abstain from something they enjoy on Fridays and Saturdays.
In contrast to other religious traditions, Catholic fasting involves eating fewer, smaller meals per day than usual. A fasting Catholic will usually only eat one normal meal per day, with a few snacks that should not equal more than a full meal. In other words, fasting Catholics will eat less than two full meals on the days in which they fast. Some Catholics may stick to this regiment, while others might eat less for their own reasons.
With this information in mind, fasting seems much more manageable than the common misconception that fasting means only drinking water for days at a time. Health permitting, you can fast as long as you are physically able, in accordance with your prior fasting experience. The length of the fast will be longer for some people than others. However, make sure you’re fasting for the right reasons, no matter long you do it.
This brings us to one of the biggest questions — with what intentions do Catholics fast? When fasting, we are displaying discipline over fleshly desires. It marks our reliance on God as the answer to every need and reminds us that we are called to serve others — not just ourselves. Catholics fast to show that God is our true satisfaction and that our early desires and needs are temporary.