Regula, caput IX
Christ Institutes the Fasting Rule
Christ himself establishes the times and manner of fasting for the nuns.
Here Christ sets out the times and manner of the fasts the nuns are to keep.
The Liturgical Year of Fasting
The nuns are given a seasonal calendar of fasting, moving from Advent through Easter, Ascension, and the feasts of the Cross, All Saints, and back to Advent.
During Advent, everyone will fast on Lenten food until the day of my birth. They will also begin fasting on Lenten food on the Friday just before the Sunday of Quinquagesima, continuing through to Easter. But on the Friday closest to my Ascension, they will fast on fish and dairy until the feast of Pentecost. From the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, they will fast on fish and dairy until the feast of Saint Michael. From the feast of All Saints until Advent, they will fast on fish and dairy.
Bread-and-Water Fast Days
Specific Marian feasts, apostolic vigils, and other solemnities are designated for a strict bread-and-water fast.
On these days they are to fast on bread and water: that is, before the four solemnities of my Mother Mary — her Purification, Annunciation, Assumption, and Nativity — and on the vigils of all the Apostles, with this exception: wherever two Apostles are combined in one solemnity, for example Peter and Paul, Philip and James, Simon and Jude, a single day's fast will serve for both, as well as for John before the Latin Gate, John the Baptist, blessed Michael the Archangel, All Saints, the day of Preparation, and the day before the solemnity of my Body. On these days, everyone will fast on bread and water.
Mercy Toward the Sick and Weak
The sick and elderly are excused from fasting, and those who are genuinely weak must be borne with patiently.
And it should be understood that in all fasts, the sick and the elderly are excused. You must also bear with those who are known to be genuinely too weak to carry out their duties while they are fasting.
Weekly Observance and Church Fasts
Outside of fasting seasons, the weekly schedule permits meat on four days, with Wednesday and Friday as abstinence days, Saturday as a fish-and-dairy fast, and all Church-prescribed fasts to be observed.
But during the other times of the year, they may eat meat four times in each week — that is, on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. At the main meals on these days they may eat fish and dairy. On Wednesday they will abstain from meat, at both breakfast and dinner. Even so, on that day they may eat fish and dairy. On Fridays throughout the whole year they will fast on Lenten food. On Saturdays too they will fast, subsisting on dairy and fish. Furthermore, on all other fasting days prescribed by the statutes of the Church, they will fast.
Read the original Latin
Christus ordinat hic de temporibus et modo ieiuniorum fiendorum per moniales.
"In aduentu omnes in cibis quadragesimalibus ieiunabunt vsque ad diem natiuitatis mee. Feria quoque sexta proxima ante dominicam quinquagesime ieiunare incipient in cibis quadragesimalibus vsque ad pascha. Feria vero sexta proxima post ascensionem meam vsque ad festum penthecostes ieiunabunt in piscibus et lacticiniis. A festo autem exaltacionis sancte crucis ieiunabunt vsque ad festum sancti Michaelis in piscibus et lacticiniis. A festo eciam omnium sanctorum vsque ad aduentum ieiunabunt in piscibus et lacticiniis. Hiis autem diebus debent ieiunare in pane et aqua, scilicet ante quatuor solempnitates Matris mee Marie, purificacionis, annunciacionis, assumpcionis et natiuitatis, in vigiliis omnium apostolorum, hoc excepto, quod, vbicumque duo apostoli in vna solempnitate combinantur, vtputa Petri et Pauli, Philippi et Iacobi, Symonis et Iude, ieiunium vnius diei stabit pro ambobus, Iohannis ante Portam Latinam, Iohannis Baptiste, beati Michaelis archangeli, omnium sanctorum, parasceues et ante solempnitatem corporis mei. Hiis diebus omnes in pane et aqua ieiunabunt. Et est sciendum, quod in omnibus ieiuniis excipiende sunt egrote et antique.
Illis quoque compaciendum est, que intelliguntur ad peragenda officia sua vere debiles existere, dum ieiunant. Ceteris autem temporibus tocius anni in omni ebdomada quater vescantur carnibus, scilicet die dominico, die lune, die martis et die iouis. In cenis autem horum dierum piscibus vescantur et lacticiniis. Die autem mercurii abstinebunt a carnibus tam in prandio quam in cena. Licebit tamen illo die vesci piscibus et lacticiniis. In sextis feriis tocius anni ieiunabunt in cibis quadragesimalibus. Sabbatis quoque in lacticiniis et piscibus ieiunabunt. Preterea omnibus aliis ieiunalibus diebus secundum statuta ecclesie ieiunabunt."
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