Almsgiving

Our Parish's Lenten Gospel Giving
The foundational call of Christians to charity is a frequent theme of the Gospels.  During Lent, we are asked to focus more intently on "almsgiving," which means donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts of charity.  As one of the three pillars of Lenten practice, almsgiving is "a witness to fraternal charity" and  "a work of justice pleasing to God." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2462).

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Fasting

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics.

Fasting is obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. 

If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the "paschal fast" to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection.

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Abstinence from meat

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of abstinence for Catholics, as well as all Fridays during Lent.
Abstinence from meat is obligatory for person ages 14 onwards.