Good Friday & Holy Saturday Regulations on Fasting and Abstinence
Since Lent ends on Holy Thursday evening, the Paschal Fast we keep on Good Friday and Holy Saturday is not the penitential Lenten Fast. It is meant to be a joyful fast of anticipation of Easter, and, most especially, to the baptisms at the Easter Vigil. 

Good Friday is a day of total fast and abstinence. It is recommended that we maintain abstinence (and fasting if possible) on Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil. 

The law of fasting binds persons from the completion of their 18th year to the beginning of their 60th year. Fasting allows only one full meal during the day, but does not prohibit taking some food in the morning and evening (the order of meals is optional). The quantity of food taken at the two lesser meals should not exceed the quantity of the full meal. No food is to be eaten between meals. Drinking ordinary liquids does not break the fast. 

The law of abstinence binds persons from the completion of their 14th year from the day after their 14th birthday throughout life. The law of abstinence forbids the eating of meat. Permissible are soups, meat gravy and sauces flavored with meat. 

In other words, on Good Friday, Catholics of the above mentioned ages are to abstain from eating meat, eat only one full meal and two lesser meals, and not eat between meals. Ideally we should strive to do the same (or at least the abstinence from meat) on Holy Saturday as well. 

​The laws of fasting and abstinence are binding only to those in good health. For more information about these regulations, call the Archdiocesan Office of Christian Worship at 313-237-5934.