Abstinence
By ingrid
@ridingbet (66854)
Philippines
March 29, 2018 4:03am CST
“To fast and abstain on the days appointed”. This is one of the commandments/laws of the church that the Catholics follow. Certain days of fasting and abstinence are Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday.
Fasting is not eating one full meal, while abstaining is not eating meat products from hoofed animals like pig, cow, water buffalo, and others. I think the elderly, and those persons with disabilities are excluded from fasting and abstaining.
Abstinence can also be in other forms. For me, aside from abstaining from meat products, I will be abstaining tomorrow from social media and this site.
This lunch time, we had fried dried fish and fresh tomatoes, and vinegar to dip the fish. I also bought salted eggs for tomorrow.
I will prefer to keep my mind off the computer and internet tomorrow and hopefully, I will do it. It takes self-control to achieve this short-term goal for the Holy Week.
What are you going to abstain from ?
9 people like this
10 responses
@Cristi_Ichim (3750)
• Bucharest, Romania
29 Mar 18
Anna, you think it is hard to live without animal products?
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
29 Mar 18
@Cristi_Ichim I never eat animal products, I only eat fish and I cannot eat many vegetables and fruits due to health conditions.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
i believe you are exempted from that church law of fasting and abstinence.
2 people like this
@YrNemo (20254)
•
29 Mar 18
Sad to say that I would have to sacrifice my reading and a few yummy dishes which I had planned to enjoy. I will mylot however, because whenever I spend time here, I think I entertain others more than myself. (I will commit my time to my friends here in the name of love for God 
.)
.)2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
abstaining from meat products as food is the best form of committing ourselves this lenten season, but abstinence can be accomplished in any other forms.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
@YrNemo livers of chicken and pork are good sources of hemoglobin. I too eat pork and chicken livers to increase my hemoglobin levels.
2 people like this
@YrNemo (20254)
•
29 Mar 18
@ridingbet I don't often eat meat (because I don't really like it) - but I will have to eat livers in the next few days according to doctor's order before having a blood test. Sounds weird, right?
2 people like this
@Cristi_Ichim (3750)
• Bucharest, Romania
29 Mar 18
Ingrid, I do not consume animal products since 2 years ago.
2 people like this
@Cristi_Ichim (3750)
• Bucharest, Romania
30 Mar 18
@ridingbet veganism is awesome.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
31 Mar 18
@Cristi_Ichim yes, but there are some vegetables that i am not allowed to eat.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254949)
• United States
1 Apr 18
@ridingbet It comes at the end of our Jewish New Year, which varies according to the Hebrew calendar. This year it will fall on September 19th.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
1 Apr 18
@DianneN so, your Holy Week will be on September?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
31 Mar 18
is that a Jewish holiday like the Holy Week for us Catholics?
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
maybe you can do other things to observe the Lenten season.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
1 Apr 18
@aureliah there are some religious sector that don't allow members to eat specifically, pig meat. they interpret a chapter from the Bible that says the devil puts itself in the pig's body.
1 person likes this
@aureliah (24687)
• Kenya
30 Mar 18
@ridingbet Yes not eating meat is one of the most common ways to abstain during the season here
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29882)
• Manila, Philippines
29 Mar 18
A sacrifice, no matter how small or big, will always be remembered and you will be blessed. Your post is a reminder for us. I am guilty of not doing my duty as a Catholic. Thank you, Ingrid.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
you are welcome. it is every faithful's responsibility to remind others of our faith in God and the teachings of the Church.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29882)
• Manila, Philippines
29 Mar 18
@ridingbet Before it's too late, I will do my responsibility to God and the Church. 
1 person likes this
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
1 Apr 18
I am not Catholics so I do not abide by these rules.
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
that is great, but is the purpose of your fasting related to your religious affiliation?
2 people like this
