Fasting and abstinence: More than laws of the church

Fasting and abstinence are church-imposed penitential practices of self-denial that dispose us to free ourselves from worldly distractions, to express our longing for Jesus, and to somehow imitate his suffering.

Let God choose your Lent

As Catholics consider the Lenten question of sacrifice, it can sometimes feel a lot like a competition, a 40-day spiritual marathon with winners and losers.

2023 Lenten penitential regulations

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. That is, limited to a single, full meal and abstinence from meat.