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Hi Kelly,
Not without technically breaking your fast.
I would not do this on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday because on those days the fast is
binding under pain of mortal sin, though, if needed, you do get two light collations to
keep your strength up.
If you are fasting as a matter of
your own devotion, you can do whatever you want. If you find you are
just too weak to make it through the day, saltines are a good choice for a pick-me-up;
they are what I use.
On the other hand, one of the he main points of fasting
is to learn self-denial, and if you crumble at the first sign of difficulty,
you aren't going to learn it. I'd fight this temptation to snack while
you are fasting hard until:
- it's so bad you can't get your work done or
- you get
so weak you have trouble doing anything.
It helps to think:
- of the starving
people who have no choice
- of the Christian martyrs who were deprived of
food, and
- all those people who didn't have the option of snacking as you
do.
Step out of your fat and wealthy American existence for a moment and have
the courage to taste, want, and hunger for this discipline. Do it in solidarity with the poor.
Eric Ewanco
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