Apple Crisp

My good friend called me yesterday to confirm coffee at her house this morning. The two of us have been so busy that it was all we could do to find one hour in which to meet – from exactly 10:15 to 11:15. From there I was going to pick up my children from their half-day at school, then go on to pumpkin picking.

“Have you been fasting?” she asked me on the telephone.

I have to admit I thought this was a test, because she had been the first one to send me the information about the 40 Days for Life call for fasting and prayer.

“I have to admit,” I nervously replied, “I was going to do a modified fast [because I am nursing], but I failed.”

“That’s okay,” she said lightheartedly, “The reason I asked was because I went apple picking and was thinking of making something. I didn’t want to put it in front of you if you were fasting.”

It turns out she had also not been successful in avoiding snacks between meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, as had been called for in the Diocese of Rockville Center. Like me, she had decided to make non-food-related sacrifices. How thoughtful it was of her to desire not to act as a “stumbling block” for me.

I informed her that, even if I had been fasting, the Catholic Fasting Rules allow us to accept food from our hostesses if it would be rude not to do so.

Those who are excused from fast or abstinence:
Besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment, manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.

You can read about the 40 Days for Life as well as the complete Catholic Fasting Rules here.


We had a wonderful homemade apple crisp. I can’t remember the last time I had baked apple goods that actually came from freshly picked apples. What a treat!

For the recipe that goes with the photo above go here.