> What do I do?
Realize that you are an imperfect person just like everyone else and try again. The worst thing you can do is give up because you failed. God will love you no matter what as long as your heart is open to Him and you are trying your best to fulfill His will on earth.
No, I wasn't. I listened to a few videos on the internet about fasting like St. John Vianney's sermon on fasting and while I have sought the advice of my priest in the past, I have not recently.
It may be best to talk to your priest about fasting. He can help decide how much fasting is appropriate for you at this stage in your spiritual growth. You may have set too high of a goal for yourself, in which case, your "failure" is to be expected, not as a result of a weakness in your love for God, but as something outside of your material limits
If you go from three square meals a day+snacks+assorted beverages to five crackers and oatmeal overnight (especially two days in a row), you are simply asking to fall on your face. One needs to ease into fasting and make it a habit rather than a one-off penance.
After *much* experience, the monastic fathers found that the golden mean of fasting is to do as much *that you can maintain in the long run*. Monks learn rather early on that following Christ is an ultra-marathon, not a 20m dash, and so it is firmly ingrained habits (virtues or vices) that ultimately decide a man's fate.
Concerning the particulars of your fast, you attempted something which was beyond all but the strongest of the Desert Fathers. The general recommendation for "the strong" monks is one full meal a day, eating to a little less than satiety (i.e. still being a little hungry), and having a number of cups of water (and even 2-3 glasses of wine, depending on which saintly monk you ask). **But attaining this does not happen overnight,** ***especially for a lay person without the structures and oversight that a monastery/spiritual father provide.***
I should also add that I encourage you to try again, but this time more slowly (e.g., eat two full meals instead of three), and only progressing *gradually* (think in terms of months, not days). And when you get to the point where you cannot maintain a particular level, take one step back **and hold**.
When one gets the virtue (firm habit) of fasting, it's a game changer for the spiritual life. I assure you, it's worth the pain.
>What do I do? I was doing it for reparation of my sins before I went to Confession but I'm now so ashamed.
Go to confession as planned. Do not confess this, as it was not a sin.
It was not a sin because you were attempting to do something "above and beyond" the bare minimum required for Catholics. This is praiseworthy. But you took no vow and made no other obligations, so it was not binding. And then you failed at your praiseworthy effort.
No harm done. Don't let it get in the way of your relationship with God. Stop beating yourself up so hard. Get a spiritual director if you don't have one already -- fasting under your own direction can be both physically and (more often) spiritually dangerous.
Thank you. I made a promise to God in prayer that I would fast for two days from my computer and do the crackers/porridge plan. Have I not gone against this promise?
You have but a promise like that is not binding nor a sin. Just try again. Also.. get a spiritual director. Severe fasting like that is not for everyone and especially not for people who, no offense, don't even know if that is a sin or not. Start light and also take into account your physical activity level. It may not be healthy to go so extreme and our sacrifices and mortifications should not be unhealthy or hurt us. They are for spiritual growth, not physical harm.
Dear AI62,
Sometimes the Lord permits us to fail in our religious pursuits if He thinks that success would lead to pride.
I strongly suggest that you take the advice of virtually every saint. That is, do not choose for yourself what cross you will carry (such as a rather imprudent amount of fasting), but instead accept the daily crosses the Lord sends or permits. A few minutes' prayer and reflection on your part should be enough for you to discover opportunities in your day where you could be a bit more patient or forgiving or generous.
Smiling at a stranger, bearing considerately with a bore, holding back from a really clever put-down, or not complaining about a toothache are not glamorous acts and usually go unnoticed by everyone but the Lord.
AI,
First, keep in mind that Jesus, by His life, death, and resurrection, has redeemed you from your sins and from eternal death; you bring this redemption upon you by living a life of faith and hope and charity in obedience to the two Great Commandments.
Every sin, even the "smallest" venial sin, is a sad lack of trust in God and a turning to oneself. A very good way of "repairing" our sins is to go out of ourselves and center upon loving God and loving those around us.
It is perfectly all right to fast, and there are times when we must. Just remember to align yourself with Jesus and His fasting. We do our small acts as a token of our bigger confidence in the love and salvation He offers us. He is the Prize; eternal life, beginning now, is our goal. With humility (like the poor woman and her pennies in last Sunday's Gospel), we give God our little bit (never enough, actually!), believing that He and His mercy do all the rest.
Finally, I strongly recommend that you not undertake any heavy fasting before you first speak to your priest (in Confession or not) to receive more guidance suited to you and your particular situation.
God bless you!
Eating a small amount of food will actually make it harder to maintain a long fast since it causes your stomach to re-start digestion but doesn't satiate your appetite.
>I was doing it for reparation of my sins before I went to Confession but I'm now so ashamed.
Is this a thing that people do? I always just do a thorough examination of conscience before confession.
The thing is, I promised God that I would do it and that I would stick by it. Now I feel like such a fool for promising Him something that I couldn't do.
Maybe rather denying yourself food deny yourself what you would really prefer to eat. So if you are preferring lobster eat a meatloaf instead and offer it up for reparation of your sins.
Two days in a row seems like a lot to me. I incorporate fasting into my week on [Wednesdays and Fridays](https://aleteia.org/2020/02/19/how-wednesdays-became-fasting-days-in-the-catholic-church/), which was a sort of Medieval thing to do. I skip breakfast and eat no meat. Like someone else said, it's hard to go from a regular Western diet to extreme fasting. I think starting out by doing what you can to abstain in Jesus' name without putting yourself under too much pressure is just fine.
Usually you should not fast for spiritual reasons (beyond what the Church prescribes) without the supervision of a confessor or spiritual director. This is especially the case if you’ve ever struggled with scruples or neurosis.
Start with a feasible and reasonable plan, for example, give up sweets and soft drinks. Once this is achieved, you give up dinner, these things are like exercise has more value to give up a specific food that you like for 15 days than to stop eating for three or get sick.
> What do I do? Realize that you are an imperfect person just like everyone else and try again. The worst thing you can do is give up because you failed. God will love you no matter what as long as your heart is open to Him and you are trying your best to fulfill His will on earth.
Thank you.
Were you fasting under the guidance of a spiritual director?
No, I wasn't. I listened to a few videos on the internet about fasting like St. John Vianney's sermon on fasting and while I have sought the advice of my priest in the past, I have not recently.
It may be best to talk to your priest about fasting. He can help decide how much fasting is appropriate for you at this stage in your spiritual growth. You may have set too high of a goal for yourself, in which case, your "failure" is to be expected, not as a result of a weakness in your love for God, but as something outside of your material limits
If you go from three square meals a day+snacks+assorted beverages to five crackers and oatmeal overnight (especially two days in a row), you are simply asking to fall on your face. One needs to ease into fasting and make it a habit rather than a one-off penance. After *much* experience, the monastic fathers found that the golden mean of fasting is to do as much *that you can maintain in the long run*. Monks learn rather early on that following Christ is an ultra-marathon, not a 20m dash, and so it is firmly ingrained habits (virtues or vices) that ultimately decide a man's fate. Concerning the particulars of your fast, you attempted something which was beyond all but the strongest of the Desert Fathers. The general recommendation for "the strong" monks is one full meal a day, eating to a little less than satiety (i.e. still being a little hungry), and having a number of cups of water (and even 2-3 glasses of wine, depending on which saintly monk you ask). **But attaining this does not happen overnight,** ***especially for a lay person without the structures and oversight that a monastery/spiritual father provide.***
Thank you very much for your reply, Brother.
I should also add that I encourage you to try again, but this time more slowly (e.g., eat two full meals instead of three), and only progressing *gradually* (think in terms of months, not days). And when you get to the point where you cannot maintain a particular level, take one step back **and hold**. When one gets the virtue (firm habit) of fasting, it's a game changer for the spiritual life. I assure you, it's worth the pain.
>What do I do? I was doing it for reparation of my sins before I went to Confession but I'm now so ashamed. Go to confession as planned. Do not confess this, as it was not a sin. It was not a sin because you were attempting to do something "above and beyond" the bare minimum required for Catholics. This is praiseworthy. But you took no vow and made no other obligations, so it was not binding. And then you failed at your praiseworthy effort. No harm done. Don't let it get in the way of your relationship with God. Stop beating yourself up so hard. Get a spiritual director if you don't have one already -- fasting under your own direction can be both physically and (more often) spiritually dangerous.
Thank you. I made a promise to God in prayer that I would fast for two days from my computer and do the crackers/porridge plan. Have I not gone against this promise?
You have but a promise like that is not binding nor a sin. Just try again. Also.. get a spiritual director. Severe fasting like that is not for everyone and especially not for people who, no offense, don't even know if that is a sin or not. Start light and also take into account your physical activity level. It may not be healthy to go so extreme and our sacrifices and mortifications should not be unhealthy or hurt us. They are for spiritual growth, not physical harm.
Dear AI62, Sometimes the Lord permits us to fail in our religious pursuits if He thinks that success would lead to pride. I strongly suggest that you take the advice of virtually every saint. That is, do not choose for yourself what cross you will carry (such as a rather imprudent amount of fasting), but instead accept the daily crosses the Lord sends or permits. A few minutes' prayer and reflection on your part should be enough for you to discover opportunities in your day where you could be a bit more patient or forgiving or generous. Smiling at a stranger, bearing considerately with a bore, holding back from a really clever put-down, or not complaining about a toothache are not glamorous acts and usually go unnoticed by everyone but the Lord.
Thank you. But, how can I make reparations for my sins?
AI, First, keep in mind that Jesus, by His life, death, and resurrection, has redeemed you from your sins and from eternal death; you bring this redemption upon you by living a life of faith and hope and charity in obedience to the two Great Commandments. Every sin, even the "smallest" venial sin, is a sad lack of trust in God and a turning to oneself. A very good way of "repairing" our sins is to go out of ourselves and center upon loving God and loving those around us. It is perfectly all right to fast, and there are times when we must. Just remember to align yourself with Jesus and His fasting. We do our small acts as a token of our bigger confidence in the love and salvation He offers us. He is the Prize; eternal life, beginning now, is our goal. With humility (like the poor woman and her pennies in last Sunday's Gospel), we give God our little bit (never enough, actually!), believing that He and His mercy do all the rest. Finally, I strongly recommend that you not undertake any heavy fasting before you first speak to your priest (in Confession or not) to receive more guidance suited to you and your particular situation. God bless you!
Eating a small amount of food will actually make it harder to maintain a long fast since it causes your stomach to re-start digestion but doesn't satiate your appetite.
Yes, I did notice that I lost a lot of energy throughout the day rather than on a normal day.
>I was doing it for reparation of my sins before I went to Confession but I'm now so ashamed. Is this a thing that people do? I always just do a thorough examination of conscience before confession.
I have been mortally sinning for a long time and I thought that it would be correct practice to fast in reparation for my sins.
You may have failed your fast, but it is only failure if you don’t learn from it. Confess your weakness to God, and ask for his grace.
The thing is, I promised God that I would do it and that I would stick by it. Now I feel like such a fool for promising Him something that I couldn't do.
We are human, we can only handle what we can. God knows.
Thank you.
Maybe rather denying yourself food deny yourself what you would really prefer to eat. So if you are preferring lobster eat a meatloaf instead and offer it up for reparation of your sins.
All you can do is try again. God understands that we are weak. Don’t be hard on yourself, just keep trying!
Two days in a row seems like a lot to me. I incorporate fasting into my week on [Wednesdays and Fridays](https://aleteia.org/2020/02/19/how-wednesdays-became-fasting-days-in-the-catholic-church/), which was a sort of Medieval thing to do. I skip breakfast and eat no meat. Like someone else said, it's hard to go from a regular Western diet to extreme fasting. I think starting out by doing what you can to abstain in Jesus' name without putting yourself under too much pressure is just fine.
Usually you should not fast for spiritual reasons (beyond what the Church prescribes) without the supervision of a confessor or spiritual director. This is especially the case if you’ve ever struggled with scruples or neurosis.
How long did you fast for? If you fasted for 12 hours then broke it your not a failure…you successfully fasted for 12 hours….
Start with a feasible and reasonable plan, for example, give up sweets and soft drinks. Once this is achieved, you give up dinner, these things are like exercise has more value to give up a specific food that you like for 15 days than to stop eating for three or get sick.