HOW TO OBSERVE LENT & Regulations:

Season of Lent begins: Ash Wednesday, and concludes with the beginning of the Triduum. (The Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord‟s Supper and concludes with vespers Easter Sunday).

Lenten Regulations:
Fasting - Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting for those ages 18 through 58. Fasting is observed by one ordinary full meal and two lesser meals, sufficient to maintain strength for the obligation of one's circumstances. There is no eating between meals.

Abstinence from meat: Those two days, as well as other Fridays during Lent, are days of abstinence from meat for those 14 years of age and older. There is no upper age limit for abstinence.

Fasting during Lent: In the fifth century, St. Peter Chrysologus wrote: 'Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God's ear to yourself.' We take the initiative during Lent to curb our desires and exercise an opportunity to put aside what we may want so that we can be reminded of God. Every time we desire that from which we are fasting, we are reminded of why we chose to give it up: to think about God. And, when we give something up, we have more to give away, to help a brother or sister in need because we are not using something for ourselves. Our Lenten fast is intimately connected to our Lenten sharing.

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