Fasting is one of the three focuses of Lent, along with prayer and almsgiving. But how much fasting should we do? The Church asks very little: only to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In this meditation we pray about this important topic, considering:

• How much Our Lord suffered for us and how we should respond with generosity
• The history of fasting in Lent, from the early centuries to the present
• Statements from Pope St John Paul II on generosity in fasting
• Words of St Francis de Sales on the spirit of fasting
• Practical ways we can live fasting in Lent