4th Sunday of Advent-Fast and Abstinence

"Make ready the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." St. Luke, 3:4.

King Ferdinand of Naples had to make a hasty trip to Rome with his small son. They traveled in disguise. They stopped at an inn for a meal. It happened to be Friday. A number of Catholics were eating meat. One young man, however, was eating fish, despite the ridicule of the others.

"You may do as you choose," he declared, "but I am going to keep the law as long as I live."

Hearing this, the king joined in the conversation, praised the youth, and asked him where he was going.

"I am going td Naples," the young man answered, "to join the army of King Ferdinand. Although I was born in Florence, I don't want to join the army of my native city, because the soldiers are so careless about their religious duties."

The king took out his note-book, wrote a few lines, sealed the note and gave it to the youth: "Take this letter to the address on it; perhaps it will help you when you reach Naples."

The letter was addressed to the commander-in-chief of the king's army. Every honor was shown the boy, and the rank of lieutenant was conferred upon him, as the king had directed in the few lines he had hurriedly written.

If an earthly king rewarded so generously the keeping of the Church law regarding fast and abstinence, how much more will the King of kings reward such obedience. Fasting and abstinence are two distinct things, though often confused. Fasting means that we eat only one full meal on a certain day. Abstinence means that we do not eat flesh-meat on certain days.

Both are pleasing to God when done for the right reasons. God commanded fasting in the Old Testament. (Joel, 2:12) Christ said that His followers would fast; He even laid down rules:

"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites." St. Matthew, 6:16.

"When thou dost fast, anoint thy head and wash thy face, so that thou mayest not be seen by men to fast, but by thy Father." St. Matthew, 6:17.

"And thy Father," Christ promises, "who sees in secret, will reward thee." St. Matthew, 6:18.

We see the servants of God, Moses, David, Elias, Judith, Esther and Daniel fasting. Our Lord Himself fasted forty days and forty nights. The Apostles fasted. In their footsteps followed the Fathers and saints and practical Catholics of all time. Mother Church made this law:

1. Because of the authority God gave her.
2. Because of the general inclination to avoid what is painful.
3. In order to make definite the keeping of Christ's command that we do some sort of penance.

All who are twenty-one years old and who have not yet completed their 59th year must fast, under pain of mortal sin. Here are some excuses:
1. Physical inability: the sick, weak or convalescent; nurses and those attending the sick; the extremely poor.
2. Wives and children are excused if the head of the house is violently 'opposed to fasting.
3. Persons in public institutions; soldiers; sailors.
4. Those doing hard manual labor.
S. Those engaged in intense infellectual labor.
6. Those dispensed by lawful authority. Don't take it upon yourself to dispense yourself. Ask your confessor.

Fasting means eating but one full meal, and that not before midday. Coffee and bread are allowed in the morning with a small meal in the evening.

Fast days are generally announced from the pulpit, and are indicated on your Catholic calendar. The fast days of the year are [at the time of this writing] as follows:

1. The week days of Lent, in memory of our Lord's forty day fast, and in honor of His passion and death.
2. The vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, Assumption, and All Saints. This week we keep the vigil of Christmas.
3. The Ember days, to ask God's pardon for the sins of that season; to thank Him for graces; to seek His blessing on planting and harvest; to beg His grace for those ordained at these four seasons.

On days of abstinence we abstain from flesh-meat and soups made from meat. There are plenty of examples in Scripture of the friends of God ab­staining from certain foods for a religious reason. This law binds all who are seven years old or more. To eat meat wilfully on a day of abstinence like Friday is a mortal sin.

The following are excused from abstinence: the poor, who depend on others; the sick, who need support and attention; soldiers and sailors; travelers who cannot obtain other food. The days of abstinence are:

1. All Fridays, except Fridays which happen to be holy days of obligation. If Christmas falls on Friday you may eat meat.
2. The Wednesdays of Lent, excluding, in this country, the Wednesday of Holy Week.
3. All Ember days.
4. The vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, Assumption, and All Saints.

These laws of fasting and abstinence are made to tame and subdue the evil inclinations of the flesh, and to satisfy God for our sins and the sins of the world. To fast and abstain makes good to God for our disobedience to Him; it gives us spiritual power; it strengthens us against temptation; it helps us persevere; it obtains many blessings; and it helps the body. Too many overeat. The second law of the Church teaches and trains us to control the appetite.

Generally people who do not fast or abstain, do no penance at all. They never make themselves worthy of the rewards Christ promises. They do not make straight His paths; they do not make ready His way.

King Ferdinand rewarded richly a young man who kept this law. God will reward, you can be sure, even more richly the keeping of His Church's law, when it is done out of love for Him. Amen.
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Adapted from Prayer, Precepts, and Virtues (1949)
by Fr. Arthur Tonne