Whether All Are Bound to Keep the Fasts of the Church?
Objection 1: It would seem that all are bound to keep the fasts of
the Church. For the commandments of the Church are binding even as
the commandments of God, according to Luke 10:16, "He that heareth
you heareth Me." Now all are bound to keep the commandments of God.
Therefore in like manner all are bound to keep the fasts appointed by
the Church.
Obj. 2: Further, children especially are seemingly not exempt from
fasting, on account of their age: for it is written (Joel 2:15):
"Sanctify a fast," and further on (Joel 2:16): "Gather together the
little ones, and them that suck the breasts." Much more therefore are
all others bound to keep the fasts.
Obj. 3: Further, spiritual things should be preferred to temporal,
and necessary things to those that are not necessary. Now bodily
works are directed to temporal gain; and pilgrimages, though directed
to spiritual things, are not a matter of necessity. Therefore, since
fasting is directed to a spiritual gain, and is made a necessary
thing by the commandment of the Church, it seems that the fasts of
the Church ought not to be omitted on account of a pilgrimage, or
bodily works.
Obj. 4: Further, it is better to do a thing willingly than through
necessity, as stated in 2 Cor. 9:7. Now the poor are wont to fast
through necessity, owing to lack of food. Much more therefore ought
they to fast willingly.
_On the contrary,_ It seems that no righteous man is bound to fast.
For the commandments of the Church are not binding in opposition to
Christ's teaching. But our Lord said (Luke 5:34) that "the children
of the bridegroom cannot fast whilst the bridegroom is with them
[*Vulg.: 'Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast, whilst
the bridegroom is with them?']." Now He is with all the righteous by
dwelling in them in a special manner [*Cf. I, Q. 8, A. 3], wherefore
our Lord said (Matt. 28:20): "Behold I am with you . . . even to the
consummation of the world." Therefore the righteous are not bound by
the commandment of the Church to fast.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (I-II, Q. 90, A. 2; Q. 98, AA. 2,
6), general precepts are framed according to the requirements of the
many. Wherefore in making such precepts the lawgiver considers what
happens generally and for the most part, and he does not intend the
precept to be binding on a person in whom for some special reason
there is something incompatible with observance of the precept. Yet
discretion must be brought to bear on the point. For if the reason be
evident, it is lawful for a man to use his own judgment in omitting
to fulfil the precept, especially if custom be in his favor, or if it
be difficult for him to have recourse to superior authority. On the
other hand, if the reason be doubtful, one should have recourse to
the superior who has power to grant a dispensation in such cases. And
this must be done in the fasts appointed by the Church, to which all
are bound in general, unless there be some special obstacle to this
observance.
Reply Obj. 1: The commandments of God are precepts of the natural
law, which are, of themselves, necessary for salvation. But the
commandments of the Church are about matters which are necessary for
salvation, not of themselves, but only through the ordinance of the
Church. Hence there may be certain obstacles on account of which
certain persons are not bound to keep the fasts in question.
Reply Obj. 2: In children there is a most evident reason for not
fasting, both on account of their natural weakness, owing to which
they need to take food frequently, and not much at a time, and
because they need much nourishment owing to the demands of growth,
which results from the residuum of nourishment. Wherefore as long as
the stage of growth lasts, which as a rule lasts until they have
completed the third period of seven years, they are not bound to keep
the Church fasts: and yet it is fitting that even during that time
they should exercise themselves in fasting, more or less, in
accordance with their age. Nevertheless when some great calamity
threatens, even children are commanded to fast, in sign of more
severe penance, according to Jonah 3:7, "Let neither men nor
beasts . . . taste anything . . . nor drink water."
Reply Obj. 3: Apparently a distinction should be made with regard to
pilgrims and working people. For if the pilgrimage or laborious work
can be conveniently deferred or lessened without detriment to the
bodily health and such external conditions as are necessary for the
upkeep of bodily or spiritual life, there is no reason for omitting
the fasts of the Church. But if one be under the necessity of
starting on the pilgrimage at once, and of making long stages, or of
doing much work, either for one's bodily livelihood, or for some need
of the spiritual life, and it be impossible at the same time to keep
the fasts of the Church, one is not bound to fast: because in
ordering fasts the Church would not seem to have intended to prevent
other pious and more necessary undertakings. Nevertheless, in such
cases one ought seemingly, to seek the superior's dispensation;
except perhaps when the above course is recognized by custom, since
when superiors are silent they would seem to consent.
Reply Obj. 4: Those poor who can provide themselves with sufficient
for one meal are not excused, on account of poverty, from keeping the
fasts of the Church. On the other hand, those would seem to be exempt
who beg their food piecemeal, since they are unable at any one time
to have a sufficiency of food.
Reply Obj. 5: This saying of our Lord may be expounded in three ways.
First, according to Chrysostom (Hom. xxx in Matth.), who says that
"the disciples, who are called children of the bridegroom, were as
yet of a weakly disposition, wherefore they are compared to an old
garment." Hence while Christ was with them in body they were to be
fostered with kindness rather than drilled with the harshness of
fasting. According to this interpretation, it is fitting that
dispensations should be granted to the imperfect and to beginners,
rather than to the elders and the perfect, according to a gloss on
Ps. 130:2, "As a child that is weaned is towards his mother."
Secondly, we may say with Jerome [*Bede, Comment. in Luc. v] that our
Lord is speaking here of the fasts of the observances of the Old Law.
Wherefore our Lord means to say that the apostles were not to be held
back by the old observances, since they were to be filled with the
newness of grace. Thirdly, according to Augustine (De Consensu Evang.
ii, 27), who states that fasting is of two kinds. One pertains to
those who are humbled by disquietude, and this is not befitting
perfect men, for they are called "children of the bridegroom"; hence
when we read in Luke: "The children of the bridegroom cannot fast
[*Hom. xiii, in Matth.]," we read in Matt. 9:15: "The children of the
bridegroom cannot mourn [*Vulg.: 'Can the children of the bridegroom
mourn?']." The other pertains to the mind that rejoices in adhering
to spiritual things: and this fasting is befitting the perfect.
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