Lenten Season 2018: When and How Should Christians Fast?
With Ash Wednesday happening last Valentine's Day, this year's Lenten Season has finally begun. For many Christians, especially the devout Catholics, it means that the time to go on fasting has also started.
Lenten Season, otherwise known as Lent Season or simply Lent, is a holy season in honor of the sacrifices and death of Jesus. Not counting all the Sundays included within the period, the Lenten Season lasts for 40 days, the same number of days that Jesus spent in the wilderness prior to starting His ministry.
For Catholics, fasting is an integral part of the Lenten Season, as Jesus fasted, too, during his 40-day stay in the wilderness. Hence, many Catholics, especially those between the ages of 14 and 59, refrain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays within the Lenten Season, and Good Friday as a form of fasting mandated by the Church.
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Depriving one's self of meat is not the only way to fast during the Lenten Season, though. During the mandated days of fasting, Catholics are also required to only have one full meal and two smaller meals that, when combined, will not exceed the serving of one full meal.
In the past, though, Catholics had to fast on more days during the Lenten Season as the Church required that, apart from fasting on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays within the Lenten Season, and Good Friday, faithfuls had to abstain on all Wednesdays included in the Lenten Season, too. However, in 1966, Pope Paul VI relaxed the law, and the Church has allowed the Catholics to eat meat on all Wednesdays of the Lenten Season since then.
But, why do Catholics abstain from meat? The explanation for which is that Jesus gave his flesh (meat) when He died on the cross, and abstaining from meat is one way of improving the relationship with Him. Additionally, as meat, except for fish, is associated with celebrations, eating some during the holy season of penance and reflection is not deemed appropriate.
Meanwhile, apart from the Ash Wednesday last February 14, there are four other important days within the period of the Lenten Season: Palm Sunday on March 25, Maundy Thursday on March 29, Good Friday on March 30, and Easter Sunday on April 1, which marks the end of the season.
