LENTING SEASON: The Difference Between Fasting and Abstinence

Fasting and abstinence are two words commonly used interchangeably. Some words have specific meaning in Catholicism and are commonly used in place of other words, which is wrong.
"Fasting" refers to restrictions on the quantity of the food we eat and on when we consume it, while "abstinence" refers to the avoidance of particular foods. One can "abstain" without "fasting", but on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, one does both.
The most common form of abstinence is the avoidance of meat, a spiritual practice that goes back to the earliest days of the Church. It was seen as depriving ourselves of something good and our little ways of sacrificing something we like. We should note that the prohibition of meat has nothing to do with the dietary laws in the old testament. In the Acts of the Apostles ( Acts 10:9-16 ), St. Peter has a vision in which God reveals that Christians can eat any food. So, when we abstain, it's not because the food is impure; we're voluntarily giving up something good, for our spiritual benefit. It is presumed that meat is so good we are asked to give it up at certain times as a form of sacrifice. It wouldn’t make a whole heck of a lot of sense if we offered something we considered bad as a sacrifice to God.
I have read of one theory that fish were not included because some pope once made a deal with the fishermen of Rome so they could all make a bundle off of fish sales. That is not true, but when talking with conspiracy theorists, logic doesn’t really play a role. It is like arguing with an idiot; they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
The church also allows us to replace meat with something else, just be true to yourself. Works of charity can also be used to replace it, but it must be something considered a sacrifice. For example the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have removed the requirement to abstain on Fridays — and here's where the real trivia comes in — only if the faithful substitute some other penitential behavior in its place.
So as we go through the season of Lent and Easter, remember the sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ made for us, and in your own little way do something to draw you closer to God. Fast, pray, and abstain, it possible share the little you have and be happy doing so.

Happy Easter.
By Emmy Chi Bandoh
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