Today, for the average layperson in the Roman Catholic Church, fasting is largely unknown. Even the twelve-hour fast before communion has been reduced to one hour—a time span so short as to be meaningless. To date the only church in Christendom that has retained the traditional fasts from meat, dairy products, fish, wine, and oil on Wednesdays, Fridays, and in Great Lent is the Orthodox Church. The old adage that when you ask for a great amount you get everything, but when you ask for little you