Apostles Anglican Church
Fr. John A. Roop

Fasting with the Church: A Lenten Spiritual Discipline

As Lent approaches, a word about fasting seems appropriate: not the “why” of fasting, but rather the “how” of it. In particular, I want to offer — not I, but the Church — a specific, common fasting rule for Anglican, and specifically ACNA, parishes. It is but a proposal; I have neither power nor desire to mandate.

In his writing and teaching, Martin Thornton (1915-1986), Anglican priest, spiritual director, ascetical theologian, and author, suggested a threefold regula — a spiritual rule of life consisting of three practices — for all Anglicans seeking to engage seriously in their spiritual formation. The regula consists of (1) the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer, (2) the weekly participation in the Eucharist, and (3) the regular engagement with personal piety/devotions. The first two of these practices, Daily Office and Eucharist, are by nature communal; they are done with the Church. That is clear in the case of the Eucharist; the Church gathers for it as the central act of worship on the Lord’s Day. But, it is equally true, if not equally apparent, for the Daily Office. Even if offered privately, the Daily Office is the prayer of the whole Church and it is prayed in spiritual communion with all those around the world who offer it daily. Further, both of these practices — by virtue of being communal — are structured and governed by specified rubrics (instructions). The Daily Office is not free-form, extemporaneous prayer. It is liturgical, fixed prayer that uses appointed prayers and scripture lessons for each day of the year. Because we do it together, we must also do it the same way. The same is true of the Eucharist, of course. We do not make it up as we go; it is the ancient sacrifice of the Church which we have received, which we enter into faithfully, and which we will, please God, pass on to our children whole and intact.

The third of Thornton’s practices, personal piety/devotions, is not communal and is not governed by common rubrics. Rather, the Lord draws each of us, individually, to spiritual practices that nourish us. Perhaps we are drawn to them also by the spiritual gifts we have received, by the vocation(s) we have been called to, by the personalities we have acquired through both nature and nurture. Some pray the Jesus Prayer while others pray in tongues. Some delve deeply into the study of Scripture and some read it in a more reflective and contemplative manner. Some chant the Psalms and canticles and some sing hymns or praise choruses. These disciplines are done privately. They are between the individual and the Lord. For Anglicans, they are supplemental to the Daily Office and the Eucharist, but never in lieu of these two primary disciplines.

As we approach Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, many Anglicans are considering the question, “What will I give up for Lent this year?” Before answering that, it might be helpful to consider the question and answer in the context of the threefold regula. Is Lenten discipline, especially the discipline of fasting, primarily communal, like the Daily Office and the Eucharist, or is it private like personal piety/devotions? For members of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) the Book of Common Prayer 2019, and its predecessor books, provides the answer.

The weekdays of Lent and every Friday of the year (outside the 12 Days of Christmas and the 50 Days of Eastertide) are encouraged as days of fasting. Ember Days and Rogation Days may also be kept in this way.

Fasting, in addition to reduced consumption, normally also includes prayer, self-examination, and acts of mercy (BCP 2019, p. 689).

Given these rubrics for Lenten fasting in the Book of Common Prayer, it seems that fasting is primarily communal, i.e., done with and in the same manner as the whole Church. What would that look like?

First, there would be abstinence — no food at all — on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. If we hold to the biblical pattern of evening and morning constituting one day, that would mean no food from sundown on Shrove Tuesday to sundown on Ash Wednesday and again from sundown on Maundy Thursday to sundown on Good Friday. Of course, with many parishes observing Shrove Tuesday with pancake suppers, some adjustment of these times might be necessary.

Second, there would be reduced consumption of food — one meal only or perhaps two smaller meals (the equivalent of one, normal meal) throughout the day — on every weekday throughout Lent. Notice that fasting on the weekend is not mentioned. It is the custom of the Church that every Sunday throughout the year is a feast day, a celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord, on which fasting is generally inappropriate. It is however a long-standing custom of the Church — required in some expressions of it — to observe a partial, Eucharistic fast on Sundays, i.e., to come to the Eucharist with an empty stomach, so that the Eucharist is the first meal of the day.

Of course, the Church has always recognized that some cannot and some should not fast; the Church is, after all, our loving mother who wants her children to flourish. Those dealing with medical issues that require special dietary restrictions or with special dietary needs should not fast, or should do so only in consultation with a physician. Typically, the elderly (a group to which it seems I now belong) , the very young, and pregnant women and nursing mothers are excused from fasting. For all others, the Church provides a reasonably challenging, but never harsh, rule.

Understand that you may do more than the Church offers, though excess should generally be avoided (see Article XIV. OF WORKS OF SUPEREROGATION, BCP 2019, p. 777). You might choose to forego chocolate (or all sweets), or coffee, or alcohol for example. Certainly the Orthodox Christians have a much more rigorous fasting discipline — essentially vegan fare — than do Anglicans. Obedience is given to one’s own tradition and not necessarily to another’s. These choices would fall under the category of personal piety/devotion, something that God might be calling you to do, in obedience to him and for your personal spiritual growth and flourishing: choice, not rubrics. And, always, the specter of pride looms: Look how holy I am, doing more than required, doing more than others. Better no fast at all than a fast that leads to pride.

The Anglican Church does not establish a “law” of fasting. Rather it offers practices common to the Church throughout many generations, practices that have proven helpful for those who embrace them in their spiritual formation. As Orthodox author and speaker Frederica Mathewes-Green writes:

The Daily Office, both Morning and Evening Prayer, contains a prayer of St. John Chrysostom which says, in part:

and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests (BCP 2019, p. 52).

Why precisely numbers matter — two or three gathered together — I cannot say with certainty. But, we have it from our Lord and confirmed by St. John Chrysostom, that praying with others, praying with the Church, does indeed matter. In that same spirit, fasting with the Church matters (see Acts 13:1-3). And so, at the beginning of Lent, in the service for Ash Wednesday, the Officiant says:

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word (BCP 2019, p. 544).

Perhaps we can understand the invitation “in the name of the Church” to be an invitation to Lenten disciplines done “with the Church” as well.