The ancients had a saying, "You are what you eat." For a Christian, who feeds regularly on the Body and Blood of Christ, that is an especially happy thought. It is certainly true that, even in our daily food, what we eat - and don’t eat - has a profound impact on us. Too many delicious sausages will most certainly produce heartburn.
The Church has long recognized the importance of feasting and fasting. In our practice we follow both our Lord’s prompting and the teaching of the Church from her earliest days.
The Book of Common Prayer exhorts us to the practice of Fasting and Abstinence.
“Fasting” refers to the amount of food we eat - we might say, the quantity. On Fast Days we eat less food than usual. We might, for example, have a very light breakfast and lunch with a normal evening meal. Some days, like Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, are days of strict Fasting and Abstinence. The usual practice is not to eat at all until after sunset.
“Abstinence” refers to the sort of food we eat - we might say the quality. Usually on days of Abstinence we refrain from eating certain foods - meats, sweets or the like. For many centuries Christians have observed Fridays as days of Abstinence, remembering that our Lord was crucified on Friday. We abstain as a way of remembering and, in a small way, sharing His Sacrifice. The Prayer Book teaches us the same, counting among the days of fasting “All the Fridays of the Year, except Christmas Day, and the Epiphany, or any Friday that may intervene between these Feasts” (BCP page li).
While both Fasting and Abstinence can be very useful in private spiritual growth, these are best undertaken with the guidance of a Spiritual Director. The Church calls all of us, though, to follow the guidelines of Fasting and Abstinence fixed in her liturgical cycle. The Book of Common Prayer lists these days:
Strict Fast with Abstinence: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
Fasting with Abstinence: The Forty Days of Lent, the Quarterly Ember Days
Abstinence: All Fridays of the year (save those which fall within the Octave of a Major Feast)
Generally speaking, we can say that these rules should apply to healthy individuals from roughly the age of Confirmation until the time of retirement (for those who need numbers - from about 12-65 years). Those beyond this spectrum are usually excused as are sick or infirm persons, who should eat whatever their doctor says, regardless of the season.
THE EUCHARISTIC FAST
From very early times the Church has encouraged Christians to receive the Holy Communion fasting. It is very fitting that the first food we receive each day we communicate should be the Bread of Heaven. For this reason, many Christians fast from midnight on until the morning when they communicate at Mass. In these days when the Eucharist is also offered in the evenings, this is not, for those who intend to communicate at an evening Mass, very practical. For this reason it is customary to fast for three hours prior to attending Mass.
Communicating is far more important than fasting, but proper preparation for Holy Communion is more important yet. Fasting before receiving Communion is a good part of a proper preparation.
Once again, to those whose medical condition will not allow them to fast, there is no obligation of any sort.
THE PURPOSE OF FASTING
We fast not because foodstuffs are evil, but because we need to be reminded that our fallen natures tend to abuse the good things that God has given us. Fasting reminds us (what we often want to forget) that we are sinners, and that the struggle in which we Christians are engaged is a spiritual one, but with its roots firmly set in this world.
Fasting helps keep us spiritually balanced. Of itself, Its value is indeed limited; in conjunction with prayer and the Sacraments, it's an indispensable tool in living the Christian life.
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