Faith, Fasting, and
Food at the Family Table
What Is Lent?
Lent is a sacred season in the Christian calendar dedicated to prayer,
fasting, and almsgiving as we prepare our hearts for Easter.
It begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts forty days, recalling Jesus’ forty days in the desert. Sundays are not counted among the forty days, since each Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection — a “little Easter.”
The day before Lent begins is known as Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat
Tuesday,” traditionally a time to enjoy festive foods before entering a more
penitential season.
What Is Fasting and Abstinence?
In both Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions, fasting and abstinence
are important spiritual disciplines.
- Abstinence (beginning at age 14)
traditionally means refraining from meat — the flesh and its products.
- Fasting (from age 18 until the 60th
birthday) generally involves limiting the quantity of food consumed.
The spiritual purpose of these practices is beautifully expressed by St.
Augustine in his Sermon on Prayer and Fasting:
“Abstinence purifies the soul, elevates the mind, and subordinates the
flesh to the spirit.”
Fasting is not merely about food — it is about freedom. It helps us
reorder our desires so that Christ becomes our deepest hunger.
🌸Lenten Foods: Simple, Nourishing,
Meaningful
During Lent, many families prepare simple meals such as:
- Fish
- Soups
- Eggs
- Legumes and vegetables
Cooking as a Spiritual Practice
Lent is a beautiful opportunity to:
- Cook together as a family
- Teach children the meaning of
sacrifice
- Share stories of faith at the
table
- Transform ordinary meals into
moments of grace
When we prepare simple foods with gratitude and mindfulness, our kitchens
become places of prayer.
Let us embrace fasting and abstinence not as restriction, but as renewal
— a way to rediscover joy, discipline, and communion.
Fun Cuisine for Lent… and Easter Too!
Simple recipes can carry us through the penitential season and lead us
into the celebration of Easter with hearts prepared and joyful.
Click the link below to access this week’s recipe:
This year, I am incorporating a creative touch by adopting the Japanese tradition of ramen and preparing rich vegetable creams and soups — warm, comforting, and meatless dishes that bring both nourishment and intention to the table.
Recetas LuzDelMes para Cuaresma
La fe, el ayuno y la comida en la mesa familiar
¿Qué es el
ayuno y la abstinencia?
La Cuaresma para los ritos
católicos y ortodoxos, tienen leyes para el ayuno y la abstinencia. En general,
la ley de la abstinencia prohíbe comer la carne, productos con sangre y médula
ósea. La abstinencia es obligatoria después de alcanzar la edad de 14 y el
ayuno se convierte en obligatorio a partir de los 18 años hasta 60 años.
Los motivos para la práctica de abstinencia son bien
explicados por San Agustín en su sermón sobre la oración y el ayuno: "la
Abstinencia purifica el alma, eleva la mente, subordina la carne al
espíritu."
Vamos
a aprovechar el ayuno y la abstinencia de la Cuaresma para cocinar y comer con
nuestros hijos. La comida más común para la Cuaresma son pescados, sopas, cremas
y huevos. Este año he adaptado la tradición Japonesa del Ramen y las cremas de
vegetales.
¿Cuál
es tu receta preferida? – ¡Compártela en los comentarios!
¡Celebremos Nuestra Fe!
Poemas y Reflexiones: www.luzdelmes.com
Thank you for your support!🌷 #LuzDelMes 🌠
Maritza MartineMejia
Mother, Theologian, Author, Educator
and Translator
Member:
Read your Wold Board of Trusteed, Read to Me, Day! Ambassador
FREE Reading Activities visit: www.luzdelmes.com
Received Crystal Apple, VCB Poetry
2015, Latino Book Awards 2016, Premio Verso Dorado 2022
