The Idiot’s Guide to Lent

As I have explained many times, I am an earnest Catholic, but not a particularly good one.

I tend to focus on the big picture: Who is and is not valid clergy, who is and is not part of the actual real Catholic Church (Sedevacantists) and who is not (all the Novus Orco), but one should really try to live and act as per proper Catholic principles.

WARNING: I am not a priest and this idiot’s guide is primarily for myself.

Lent this year runs from Ash Wednesday 22nd February 2023 and ends on Thursday, April 6 with evening mass on Holy Thursday.

Consulting the Code of Canon Law of 1917 then, we have codes 1250 to 1254 which in essence state the following:

Abstinence = no meat or soups made of meat but eggs, milk and other condiments, even if made from animals are ok.

Fasting = only one meal a day but also allows a little bit of food in the morning and evening but in essence it is traditional that these two smaller meals combined do not comprise enough food to form a full meal.

Every Friday = Abstinence

Ash Wednesday (22nd February 2023) = Abstinence and Fast

Every Friday and Saturday in Lent = Abstinence and Fast

All other days of Lent = Fast only

If you can eat meat on a day, you can also eat fish on the same meal/day

These rules do not apply strictly to labourers that work physically during the day (farmers, stonemasons and so on), or Pregnant or breastfeeding women or children under the age of 7 or people over 60 years of age.

Personally, I am not altogether clear if fish is allowed on Fridays or not. I believe it was allowed for many years before Vatican II, and I do have farm-work to do, so the rules I am going to follow are as follows:

Ash Wednesday – 22nd February 2023: No meat or soups made of it. One meal with possibly small amounts morning and evening

23-24/2/2023: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

Friday 25/2/2023: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Saturday 25/2/2023: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Sunday 26/2/2023: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

27 Feb to Mar 2: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

Mar 3-4: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Mar 5-9: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

Mar 10-11: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Mar 12-16: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

Mar 17-18: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Mar 19-23: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

Mar 24-25: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Mar 26-30: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

Mar 31 to Apr 1: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening, no meat, but I will allow fish if I worked in the field

Apr 2-6: One Meal with possibly small meals morning and evening

I am also going to:

• Learn the Lord’s Prayer in Latin
• Learn the Credo in Latin
• Recite them both daily
• Do my best to do some Rosary daily

That’s about it.

I am sure this list is missing out a lot of important things, but if I can stick to it it will be a first attempt for me at keeping Lent “properly” so I am putting it out there for all the other wild donkeys (see BELIEVE! for the reference to wild donkeys.)

For those who want to follow along, feel free to post a comment or let me know how you get on.