Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent for 2019. Lent is a time of preparation, a time of prayer and fasting. It is also a time of purification, especially for those who will receive the Sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. During Lent we are readying ourselves for the celebration of the Paschal Mysteries of Holy Week. An important part of our Lenten journey is fasting. There are two days of obligatory fasting in Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is required for all Catholics ages 18 - 59. The fast of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday requires that we eat only one full meal along with two small meals that do not add up to one full meal, while refraining from in between meal snacks.. There are also days of abstinence during Lent when we refrain from eating any meat or meat by-products. The days of abstinence are Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays during Lent, including Good Friday. In addition, it is encouraged that all the faithful do some form of fasting and alms giving on a regular basis during Lent. "Giving up" something for Lent is still a good spiritual exercise. A favorite food or activity can be given up completely or reduced significantly during the season of Lent. Any fasting should also be connected to a positive action that reflects our call as disciples of Christ. Alms giving and any of the Corporal Works of Mercy would help us to focus more on others than ourselves. Many parishes have "Rice Bowls" that are available to assist with almsgiving. Any money saved by fasting can be added to the rice bowls and the money given to the Rice Bowl project after Lent. Donating food or money to a local food pantry, soup kitchen or food bank is also recommended. Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the season of Lent is a great way to recognize our sinfulness, our need for redemption and receive the mercy of God and the forgiveness of our sins.
St. Leo the Great, a deacon of the Church who was elected pope in the year 440 wrote this about prayer, fasting and alms giving during the season of Lent. "For by prayer we seek to propitiate God, by fasting we extinguish the lusts of the flesh, by alms we redeem our sins: and at the same time God’s image is throughout renewed in us, if we are always ready to praise Him, unfailingly intent on our purification and unceasingly active in cherishing our neighbour. This threefold round of duty, dearly beloved, brings all other virtues into action: it attains to God’s image and likeness and unites us inseparably with the Holy Spirit. Because in prayer faith remains steadfast, in fastings life remains innocent, in almsgiving the mind remains kind."
