Queens will have Ash Wednesday Masses tomorrow at 6:45am, 9am and 5:30pm. There is a brief service for Ashes only at 12:15pm that day. The QMM ‘repent and be faithful’ wristbands will be available as will free copies of the Magnificat Lenten Companion (one per household please).
As we prepare to begin our Lenten pilgrimage through the desert toward the mysteries of Holy Week and Easter, here are the rules for the Lenten fast as compiled by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org):
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.
Those who must take food with medicine should do so. Those who become ill or faint when fasting should be mindful of their condition when planning the menu for days of fasting.
Even though there are age limits governing those who need to fast (which means eating less), there is no such limit on abstinence (not eating meat). On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we seek to do both – eat less and don’t eat meat. Every Friday of Lent is a day of abstinence where we don’t eat the meat – thus the fish fry. There is no medical excuse for people not being able to abstain from meat. Those who must take food with medicine should do so. Those who become ill or faint when fasting should be mindful of their condition when planning the menu for days of fasting.
