Fasting and Abstinence
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.
Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church. (from the USCCB site: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent/catholic-information-on-lenten-fast-and-abstinence)
If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection.
A Reflection on Lenten Fasting
What is Lent? Visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to learn more:
Examination of Conscience
Palm Sunday
Holy Week: The Triduum
The Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil) is a single, continuous, three-day liturgy commemorating Christ’s Paschal Mystery — the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Beginning with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, it flows without a formal dismissal into the Good Friday Passion service, culminating in the Easter Vigil.
Key aspects of the three-day, one-liturgy structure include:
- Continuous Nature: The liturgy does not officially end until the conclusion of the Easter Vigil. There is no final blessing on Holy Thursday or Good Friday; instead, services conclude in silence, symbolizing an unbroken continuation.
- Holy Thursday: Begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (celebrated at 7 pm at St. John’s), featuring the Washing of the Feet (Mandatum), which commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and Priesthood. The Mass concludes with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to a place of repose for adoration. Adoration continues until Midnight. This spiritual exercise reminds us of Jesus’ request that his Apostles stay up and pray with him (Matthew 26:40).
- Good Friday: A continuation of the previous night’s Mass, characterized by the Veneration of the Cross, Communion, and no traditional opening or closing greetings.
- Easter Vigil: The pinnacle of the Triduum, celebrated on Saturday night, where the Church gathers to celebrate the Resurrection. The Mass opens in darkness. Slowly, the entire church fills with the Light of Christ begun at the new Paschal Candle that is lit from a fire which includes last year’s palms, which will then be used at the following year’s Ash Wednesday service.
This “three days, one liturgy” approach emphasizes the unity of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.