The Holy Season of Lent begins on Wednesday: Penance, Fasting & Almsgiving

Wherefore Penance

Fot the Christian who is at all desirous to make progress in the path of salvation the necessity of penance is a given throughout the year- but definite acts of penance to benefit one’s soul is highlighted during Lent. But as St Leo the Great affirmed:

“The exercise of self-restraint which an individual Christian practises by his own will is for the advantage of that single member; but a fast undertaken by the Church at large includes everyone in the general purification. God’s people never is so powerful as when the hearts of all the faithful join together in the unity of holy obedience, and when, in the Christian camp, one and the same preparation is made by all, and one and the same bulwark protects all.”

That which is done in company with the Church, and in communion with her public act gains tremendous merit for souls: for the Church, as bride of Christ, communicates an exceptional worth and power to works of penance done, in her name, in the unity of the social body.

In Lent Catholic Traditionalists are invited to band together and make communal penance in reparation for the sins of the clergy, for the conversion of sinners, for the restoration of the Catholic Faith, and the triumph of Christendom in every country, home, and heart.

Band together as well to hold each other accountable and to earn greater merits for souls. As St. Leo the Great affirmed:

The Purpose of Fasting

The Church has hallowed the practice of fasting, encourages it, and mandates it at certain times. Why? The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, writes that fasting is practiced for a threefold purpose: 

“First, in order to bridle the lusts of the flesh…Secondly, we have recourse to fasting in order that the mind may arise more freely to the contemplation of heavenly things: hence it is related of Daniel that he received a revelation from God after fasting for three weeks. Thirdly, in order to satisfy for sins: wherefore it is written: ‘Be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning.’ The same is declared by Augustine in a sermon: ‘Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, kindles the true light of chastity.”

Tradition Fasting Rules

Fasting: Fasting refers to how much food we eat. It means taking only one meal during a calendar day. The meal should be an average-sized meal as overeating at the one meal is against the spirit of the fast. Fasting generally means that the meal is to be taken later in the day. Along with the one meal, up to two snacks (technically called either a collation or frustulum) are permitted. These are optional, not required. Added up together, they may not equal the size of the one meal. No other snacking throughout the day is permitted. Fasting does not affect liquids, aside from the Eucharistic Fast which is a separate matter.

Abstinence: Abstinence in this context refers to not eating meat. Meat refers to the fleshmeat of mammals or fowl. Beef, poultry, lamb, etc are all forbidden on days of abstinence. Abstinence does not currently prohibit animal byproducts like dairy (e.g. cheese, butter, milk) or eggs, but in times past they were prohibited. Fish is permitted along with shellfish and other cold-blooded animals like alligators. In times past, days of fast were always days of abstinence as well; however, not all days of abstinence were days of mandatory fasting.

Partial Abstinence: Partial Abstinence refers to eating meat only at the principal meal of the day. Days of partial abstinence do not permit meat to be eaten as part of the collation or the frustulum. Partial abstinence started in the 28th century as a concession and as part of a gradual weakening of discipline. Beforehand, days of abstinence were days of complete abstinence.

Fasting, therefore, refers to the quantity of food and the frequency of eating. Abstinence refers to what may or may not be eaten.

Obligatory Fasting and Abstinence Lent 2025…according to the requirements for Catholics the year our Missal was promulgated, 1962 (in red and grey. Previous required fasting days indicated in green)

Why are good deeds and alms giving urged upon us too during Lent?

Having faith is a supernatural gift that must be lived in love in order for it to be a true faith, a pleasing and effective faith that is radically different from the world’s notions of mere philanthropy.

It requires our seeing the faith as a gift we’ve not earned at all as opposed to treating it like a great intellectual achievement that just proves how bright we are, how right we are. It requires our “putting on Christ,” “taking up our crosses,” and following Him, becoming like Him, repenting of our sins, pursuing virtue and, above all, following “the Two Great Commandments” by loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves,

James 2:15-26 teaches us:
“What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food: And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit? So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. 

“But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith. Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God. Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only? And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way? For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.”

You can have faith, you can do all the right things, you can go to Mass every day and receive the Sacrament of Confession once a week — but if you are doing these things without charity, it means nothing. Charity is the key to everything. Charity — Love — is the very Essence of God!

Lent is an annual checking in with ourselves over the question, Do I have charity in my heart? And testing that conclusion by experiencing how giving sacrificially ‘feels’ in our conscience. Do I experience joy and closeness with Jesus in the act of giving my money and time to others less fortunate than myself?

To have charity is to will the good of another and to act on your will as your gifts, duties, station in life, and time allow.

God is our Father, and the others on this earth are His children. He wants us to love each other, not just go through the motions with egoistic (or egotistic), ulterior motives. He wants us to love Him and our neighbor, above all else. Just knowing Who He is is not enough, and just “doing nice things” — especially for the wrong reasons — is not enough!

So, how to become charitable? Charity is a theologically infused virtue — one of the three Theological Virtues, along with Faith and Hope. You must ask God for it. You must ask Him to make you what He wants you to be. The traditional Act of Charity, prayed sincerely, can help:

Act of Charity
O my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. 

Latin Version: Actus CaritatisDomine Deus, amo te super omnia proximum meum propter te, quia tu es summum, infinitum, et perfectissimum bonum, omni dilectione dignum. In hac caritate vivere et mori statuo. Amen.

In addition to praying, there are acts of charity for others that you can offer to God, in the Name of Jesus. These acts can arise from natural virtue, by folks of all religions, from folks with no religion at all, who’ve never heard the Holy Name of Our Lord, but when they’re offered for the love of God and the love of neighbor, they are very meritorious. The Church has listed the following Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy as those Christians should focus on. 

The Corporal Works of Mercy are:

    To feed the hungry;
    To give drink to the thirsty;
    To clothe the naked;
    To harbour the harbourless;
    To visit the sick;
    To ransom the captive;
    To bury the dead. 

The Spiritual Works of Mercy are:

    To instruct the ignorant;
    To counsel the doubtful;
    To admonish sinners;
    To bear wrongs patiently;
    To forgive offences willingly;
    To comfort the afflicted;
    To pray for the living and the dead.  

Bottom line, the hallmark of Lent is repentance


The other aspect of making our hearts like His during this holy season is to strive for perfection through contrition, through penitence — i.e., being remorseful for our sins. Contrition is sorrow at our having offended God. Some folks might not have that sort of sorrow, but do fear Hell and, so, are sorry insofar as they don’t want to be sent there. That sorrow born of fear is called “attrition” or “imperfect contrition.” While perfect contrition is vastly superior to attrition (and brings forgiveness in itself), both suffice for the Sacrament of Penance or “Confession.” 

It’s good, too, to develop the habit of making a nightly examination of conscience. Looking back over your day and seeing where you’ve “missed the mark,” whether by failing completely or by not doing as well as you could have, is a rich way of not only realizing what you should confess to your priest the next time you receive the Sacrament of Penance, but of continually “re-adjusting” your direction so you stay on course. Consider adopting this practice during Lent.

Through understanding the very essence of the Gospel message, properly engaging in the Spiritual and Corporal Works of mercy, and through our own continual self-examination and repentance, our hearts can become “like unto His.” That is what we must all strive for. Without these things, our faith is no better than that of the demons who “also believe and tremble.”

As our Mass continues today, Let us endeavor to focus ours minds and hearts on Truth and Charity and ask for graces this Lent to be One with Christ in them both.

O Lord, may we be of one mind in truth and of one heart in charity.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine!