The article talks about the customs of Lent.
Fasting (only one full meal a day) is the in thing for all days during Lent — but obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Abstinence from meat is in for all Fridays.
If the Catholics you know aren’t doing this, then they are probably CINOs or don’t know any better. Maybe you can inform them.
Sorry, but it was a little dig at my RC brothers. Lent doesn’t begin for us until next Monday. ;)
Orthodox fasting is a little . . . different. The “official” RC rules look pretty lax to us. My wife’s grandmother was RC and she practiced fasting rules much more like Orthodox ones.
Of course, it’s not the rules that count, but your heart when fasting. We have something called a “demon’s fast.” It’s when someone follows a very strict fast but is a real jerk. We call it a demon’s fast because even the demons don’t eat.