Every religion has their own dietary restrictions, some harsher than others. Today, Catholics do not have many rules to follow in regards to fasting. However, Catholics used to be one of the strictest religions when it came to fasting. At one point, Catholics were instructed not to eat meat on all Fridays, as well as to eat one meal on everyday during Lent. However, now Catholics merely have to fast on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday, as well as not being permitted to eat meat only on Fridays during Lent.
Fasting itself is the avoidance of eating something that is unhealthy, or the abstinence of eating more than three meals. Its primary purpose is to better someone spiritually in their journey on Earth. However, fasting is a very difficult task and is not for everyone. Consequently, only people between the ages of 18 and 60 are encouraged to fast within the Catholic Church. Also, fasting is generally accompanied with prayer, due its hard nature it becomes easier when asking for assistance from God. Also, this process generally leads to some people realizing how lucky they are to be able to eat whenever they desire. Therefore, fasting has a tendency to lead to "almsgiving." Overall, it is clear that fasting benefits all Catholics, some in more than one way.
Lastly, Lent is the primary source of fasting for Catholics. It is a 40 day season that represents the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by the devil. Consequently, as believers we commemorate this great feat by attempting to handle the small everyday challenges that we face with the same fortitude that Jesus had. Jesus faced three temptations, one of flesh, one of power, and one of will. Similarly, we face everyday issues that we could handle better, but merely do not have the courage to do so at times. Therefore, Lent serves as a time for prayer, fast, and fortitude all of which enable us to become closer to God.
-Timmy Mashinski
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