Lenten Regulations
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Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving
- Everyone, 14 years of age and over, is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, and all the Fridays of Lent.
- Everyone, age 18 and under age 59, is bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
- On these 2 days of fast and abstinence, only one full meatless meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals sufficient to maintain may be taken according to one's needs, but together should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted on these two days, but liquids, including milk & fruit juices are allowed. When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not apply.
- To disregard fast and abstinence completely is a serious breach of the law.
- Lent is the principal season of penance in the Christian year. All are strongly encouraged to develop and follow a program of voluntary self-denial, a time of prayer and performance of works of charity and mercy.
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Special Dispensation for St. patrick's Day
From Archbishop Jackels
Those of us who are 14 years of age and older are obliged by Church law to practice the penance of abstaining from eating meat on the Fridays of Lent. This tradition helps us to remember how Jesus loved us and gave himself up to death for our salvation, as well as to inspite us to imitate Jesus' loving gift of self by an act of penance or charity.
However, as St. patrick's Day this year falls on a Friday of Lent, and as celebrations often include a serving of meat, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Dubuque are dispensed from the obligation to abstain from meat on that day.PERFORM SOME OTHER GOOD WORK!Those people who take advantage of this dispensation are encouraged to perform some other good work, for example, participating in Holy Mass that day, or abstaining from watching television or donating to charity the same amount of money spent on food and beverage at the St. Patrick Day celebration.
Begging the intercession of St. Patrick, who brought the Gospel to people in Ireland, may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who inspires and perfects our faith.
