The Three Levels of Fasting

As mentioned in the Week 2 colloquy, we have devised 3 ways to fast:

The 1st is fasting on bread and water for the whole day - the hardest of all the methods.

The 2nd category of fasting is fasting until sundown (we might call this the Via Media). Until sundown we do not eat, and then at sundown a normal meal will be taken - although we will continue abstaining from meat at that normal meal.

The 3rd is really that which the institutional church asks of us for Fridays in Lent - we eat one principal meal and another meal is skipped. We might have another smaller meal at either the evening or the start of the day, besides our principal meal. This is the lightest of all the means of what we might consider fasting, but it is suitable to those who are struggling with fasting, especially if you're joining Septuagesima70 for the 1st time.

The Fasting of St. Charles (detail), Daniele Crespi, 1625