Fasting is the Catholic discipline of reducing one’s food intake. Fasting deals strictly with food and eating habits. It is a form of penance required by the Catholic Church at various times of the year.
Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Easter when Catholics around the world participate in fasting and abstinence. Some Catholics only fast 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.
Catholic fasting is a way of 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 on which they fast.
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. Here are some tips to make spiritual fasting.
So, how should a Catholic fast? Jesus intended fasting to be for your spiritual benefit, but it doesn’t have to cause you great mental and physical discomfort. Here are some tips for Catholic fasting that can help you make the most of your experience while still obeying the Catholic rules for this noble discipline.
1. Make Prayer a Part of Your Fasting Ritual
Fasting is a humbling you. It fully reveals your reliance on God in the midst of your own weakness. In the beginning, you may start feeling irritable, cranky, and frustrated. While your first instinct might be to give in to these types of emotional responses, you should instead quiet yourself before God and seek him in prayer.
When you fast, you can take inspiration from King David and remember to go to prayer instead of focusing on the bad parts of your life. St. Peter tells us in I Peter 5:7 to give your worries to God because He cares for us. Catholic fasting and prayer go hand-in-hand. Use fasting as an opportunity to communicate with God and enjoy a deepening reliance on Him.
2. Develop a Strategy
Every Catholic should understand and set realistic expectations for themselves before fasting. If you are in your pioneer experience and are expressing interest in fasting for the first time, you should start off slow. Consider fasting one day out of the week or adhering to the preordained fasting days of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
It takes time to develop one’s fasting experience. An expert can observe fasting in a very special way. But do not compare your experience with others. You just hold it as your own. Some may choose to fast every Friday of Lent or on various holy days throughout the year.
Fasting isn’t a competition. How often you fast and when you start fasting is a part of your own journey. Set realistic goals for yourself, and you’ll be able to experience the true blessings of fasting.
3. Avoid Temptation
Temptations are most common when you fast. We are just human beings although our mind is fixed on God. Temptations will cross your path and try to make you stumble and fail at your commitment to fasting. Luckily, we have Jesus as our example.
In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus fasts for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. You may think that the wilderness would be without its temptations, but Satan is crafty. He used Jesus’ own divinity against Him, tempting Jesus to turn stones into bread and even challenge God, His father. Jesus withstood these temptations, completing his fast and demonstrating that even at your weakest, you can overcome temptations.
Your temptation may look different. Yours may be the donuts in the breakroom or your favorite fast-food restaurant that you pass on the way home from work. But you must stay strong and keep the faith. Even if that means taking a different road home from work, you must avoid temptations at all costs during your fast.
4. Resist Acting Boastful or Seeking Attention
The Bible warns individuals who are fasting against acting in a way that seeks other people’s attention. This concept may seem strange at first. Why would someone want to boast about their fasting? It may be surprising, but looking for attention can be a major temptation for many people when fasting.
5. Stay Busy
Catholics fast to strengthen their spiritual “muscles” and practice physical discipline. Some moments can be more difficult than others, especially for people who have little experience fasting. For first-time fasters and veterans alike, one of the best ways to overcome and avoid the most difficult moments is to stay busy.
Instead of sitting there dwelling on your hunger pangs, try to direct your attention and energy toward something else. Go for a walk. Take a jog. Pull out a pen and paper and write down your feelings. Or, as you read above, you can turn your attention to prayer and seek God as your ultimate fulfillment.
When you stay busy, time will feel like it’s passing faster. You’ll focus more on your activities, making your period of fasting a bit more manageable.