Jesus is my Saviour

Fasting and Abstinence during Lent Lent is the time before Easter during which the faithful abstain and fast in remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary. It is a 40-day time of preparation before Easter, the memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are two main ways that Catholics use to focus on growing closer to God during the Lenten season: abstinence and fasting. Abstinence: Abstinence is the act of “doing without” or avoiding something. For example, someone may abstain from chocolate or alcohol by not consuming them. Particular days of abstinence during Lent are Fridays, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. As canon law states, Catholics over the age of 14 are expected to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays throughout the Lenten Season (Canon 1250 -1253). During Lent, Catholics are also encouraged to undertake some sort of personal penance or abstinence. Examples include giving up sweets, a favorite TV show or n...

Lent has begun - What are the rules of Fasting? The season of Lent, which began Wednesday, is celebrated across the world by observant Catholics as well as some Protestants. It is the time of year when Christians are to examine their sins and contemplate the sacrifice Jesus made for them when he died. Many Christians spend Lent in confession, reflecting on their sins. The Lenten period commences every year with Ash Wednesday. It is typical to launch Lent by going to Mass on Ash Wednesday, but this is not a holy day of obligation during which Catholics must attend church. Nevertheless, most people begin the day of penance by going to church and having ash placed on their foreheads by a priest. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches that were used for the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” priests often say to the penitent, a phrase meant to remind believers of their mortality. ...