Everyone's doin' it.
Talking about Lent, that is.
So I'll tell you what we're doing this year. We're doing what I'm calling an Old-Fashioned Lent. We're using my DeHarbe's Catechism (copyright 1912, all you Modernists with your Baltimore Catechisms--faugh!).
It goes like this, taken from pages 218-219.
6. On what days are both the laws of abstinence and fasting to be observed?
The laws of both abstinence and fasting are to be observed on 1. Ash Wednesday, the Fridays and Saturdays of Lent... etc.
7. On what days is the law of fasting, apart from the law of abstinence, to be observed?
The law of fasting, apart from the law of abstinence, is to be observed on all Week Days in Lent that have not already been mentioned.
8. Do the laws of either abstinence or fasting bind on Sundays or Holidays of obligation?
No; on Sundays and holidays of obligation neither fast nor abstinence need be observed; also the Lenten obligations of abstinence and fast end at noon on Holy Saturday because the Lenten Season closes at the end of Mass on that day.
Yep. Fasting all week 'cept Sunday, abstaining Fridays and Saturdays too.
It's like Catholic Weight Watchers but more so. I really don't feel the need to give up chocolate on top of that.
You may wonder what inspired this little foray into madness. It's my idea. And it's the first time we've really been able to do it. It's been like this: 2001--pregnant; 2002--nursing; 2003--nursing (different child), 2004--pregnant, 2005--nursing. Why didn't we do it last year? I don't remember; I think I forgot until a week into it or some such. We were still recovering from the February from Hell, frankly.
And before anyone calls a social worker on me, the kids are exempt, at least from the fasting. Abstaining, on the other hand, they do because I only prepare one meal. They like my tuna casserole.
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5 Comments:
Wow, that's impressive. Does that catechism define fasting? I've heard it defined both as one meal only and as one full meal and two smaller meals which, when combined, do not add up to a full second meal. I'm doing what I can as far as fasting, but that wouldn't work for me this year because I'm still nursing. And since I hope to be pregnant at this time next year...
Good luck! I'm making lots of tuna helper and tuna casserole this Lent, mostly for the husband to take to work. I like other fish, but he's pretty finicky, and the daughter won't touch any of it. She may lose a little weight this Lent...
Yes, it does define fasting.
2. What does the law of fasting prescribe?
It prescribes that only one full meal a day may be taken. But it does not forbid a small quantity of food in the morning and evening, the quality and quantity to be regulated according to the approved custom of one's locality.
As Milehimama said much more concisely, "One meal and two snacks."
As a nursing mother, you're exempt from fasting, by the way. I think you're technically exempt from abstaining as well, but given today's nutritional knowledge, it's not that hard to make up for it other ways.
Jimmy Akin has a pretty good explanation, quoting Canon Law.
Of course, this is basically a "minimum". If you feel called to, you can abstain and fast the entire Lenten season.
People always tell me I'm exempt, but I think it's kind of mean to eat meat in front of my meat-loving husband when he is abstaining, although if I allowed Long John Silver's in the house he'd probably just eat that every day he was absaining. YUK!
Also, the second daughter is 6 months old, so I'm no longer her only source of nutrition. I abstained when I was pregnant, but with her I craved fish, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice. :) I'm certainly not going to eat just one meal while I'm nursing (I'd be passed out by noon), but I do try to eat just a little less.
We're Byzantine-Rite Catholics, and our tradition is to abstain from meat/eggs/dairy on the first day of Lent and on Great & Holy (Good) Friday, and to abstain from meat all the other days of Lent, including Sundays. The only day for meat during the Great Fast is on the Feast of the Annunciation, and even that got cancelled last year when it fell on Good Friday. The amazing part is my dear, non-Catholic husband who fasts along with the rest of the familiy.
Sheryl D.
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