Faith in the Home: Fasting & Abstinence

In this Faith in the Home article, Dr Antonia Braithwaite discusses Lenten practices that help Catholics grow in self-discipline, gratitude and love, drawing them closer to God throughout the season.

As Lent approaches, the Church invites Catholics to practise fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and to embrace a spirit of self-denial throughout the Lenten season. For many families, these practices may seem daunting, old-fashioned, or perhaps suited only to monks or particularly devout individuals. Yet fasting and abstinence have deep biblical roots, are modelled on Christ himself, and have always formed part of the Church’s wisdom for all the faithful. The Code of Canon Law continues to teach that these penitential practices remain obligatory for Catholics on certain days of the year.

So what exactly are Catholics asked to do, and why?

In England and Wales, Catholics are required to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and on all Fridays of the year (unless a Solemnity falls on that Friday). Abstinence does not mean that one must eat fish; it simply requires avoiding meat. For those who rarely eat meat, the Bishops recommend giving it up on Fridays nonetheless, while also abstaining from something else that feels more personally challenging. This obligation binds Catholics from the age of 14 onwards, unless they are ill, pregnant or otherwise excused.

On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics aged 18 until the start of their 60th year are also required to fast. Fasting consists of eating one modest meal and up to two small snacks (traditionally called “collations”) that together do not amount to a full meal. As always, those with health concerns or other serious reasons are exempt.

Children who are too young to be bound by these rules should still be encouraged to enter into the spirit of penance in age-appropriate ways. Families might decide to give up sweets, limit screen time or set aside another small pleasure. Such practices help children recognise that these days are set apart and sacred, and prepare them for fuller participation as they mature.

Throughout Lent, Catholics are encouraged to unite some form of fasting, whether from food, technology, habits or other comforts, with prayer and almsgiving. At its heart, fasting and abstinence are expressions of love. We do not fast to earn God’s favour or to demonstrate our willpower. Instead, by freely giving up something good, we train our hearts to love more deeply.

Fasting strengthens the will. It teaches self-mastery and helps us to choose what is good and right even when it is difficult, an invaluable discipline in a culture that often promotes constant indulgence. Fasting can also be an act of repentance, a conscious turning away from comfort as a way of expressing sorrow for the times we have chosen against God’s will. It lifts the mind towards God, deepens our gratitude and nurtures compassion for those who live with genuine scarcity.

When practised with joy and moderation, fasting ceases to feel like mere deprivation and instead becomes a pathway to prayer, gratitude and love. Seen in this light, fasting and abstinence are not burdens placed upon families but gifts, time-honoured practices that help us grow in holiness and draw nearer to Christ during the sacred season of Lent.

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