Fasting: All Catholics in good health ages 18-60 are required to fast at least on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  Those who are fasting are permitted to eat one full meal as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.
 
Abstinence: All Catholics in good health ages 14 and older are required to abstain from eating meat on all Fridays in Lent as well as on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  No poultry or red meat may be eaten on these days.  Fish may be eaten.

Almsgiving, fasting, and prayer are the traditional practices that Catholics are called to focus on especially during Lent.  Prayer provides an opportunity to grow in our spiritual life, to reflect upon our sinful patterns and distractions, and to instead spend more time focused on God.  Almsgiving and fasting are the exterior signs of our interior closeness to God which we deepen in prayer.  St. Augustine describes fasting and almsgiving as the “two wings of prayer,” because they are signs of humility and charity.  Almsgiving and fasting are our opportunity, Pope Francis points out, to be like the Good Samaritan “who bent down to his brother in need and took care of him.”