Abstinence from meat (beast or fowl) is to be observed by all Catholics fourteen years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. This obligation prohibits the eating of meat, but not eggs, milk products, or condiments of any kind, even though made from animal fat.

Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal on a given fast day. Catholics who are eighteen years of age but not yet fifty-nine are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On fast days, two additional smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength. However, the two smaller meals together may not equal one full meal. Moreover, eating solid foods between meals on fast days is not permitted.

Those who are excused from fast or abstinence besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical im-possibility to observe the penitential discipline.

Aside from these minimum penitential requirements Catholics are encouraged to impose some personal penance on themselves at other times. It could be modeled after abstinence and fasting. A person could, for example, multiply the number of days they abstain. Some people give up meat entirely for religious motives (as opposed to those who give it up for health or other motives). Some give up other favorite items (chocolate or alcohol or going out to dinner or the movies.) Others choose to do some-thing extra—perhaps take on a service project or involve them-selves in a form of charity. One final thought or consideration, before all else we are obliged to perform the duties of our state in life. When considering stricter practices than the norm, it is prudent to consider the matter seriously and even discuss it with one’s confessor or spiritual director. Any deprivation that would seriously hinder us in carrying out our work, as students, employees or parents would be contrary to the Will of God.
Signs of Lent:

As Lent begins (on Ash Wednesday) we see some changes to the environment of the Church. First, we see a change in colors—from the color green of Ordinary Time to purple—a penitential color—for Lent. The vestments of the clergy and the altar cloths take on a more somber and serious or penitential form. Flowers are removed from the sanctuary, save for the fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, when the introit to the Mass “Laetare Jerusalem” or “O be joyful, Jerusalem” taken from Isaiah 66:10, masoretic text, calls us to great joy. This Sunday is also known as “Mothering or Refreshment Sunday,” from the French mi-careme in the Christian Liturgical calendar. It is also known as Rose Sunday because of the golden rose sent by the popes to Catholic sovereigns which used to be blessed on this Sunday. The term “Laetare” is used predominantly, though not exclusively, by Roman Catholics and Anglicans. Our music in this season is less joyful than at other times of the year; though on Laetare Sunday we do “pick it up a bit.” “The reason for these changes” is that we are moving into a penitential season—preparing for the death (and Resurrection) of Jesus Christ.

Sin and the Season of Lent. For many folks, “sin” seems obsolete. They don’t consider any of the “bad” actions they commit as sinful, but rather rationalize it as “I am a good person, so…” But sin changes us. It moves us away from God by doing what displeases God, and in the sinful actions performed—the lying, the cheating, the infidelity, the hatred—we create a habitus (habit) and sooner rather than later we have formed a new way of being—sinful. This moral relativism now becomes the new mo-dus operandi for many. The following story, written by inspira-tional speaker Justin Fatica and entitled Sin Hurts is offered as a brief Lenten read.