Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. The Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence in the United States.
The obligation of abstinence (refraining from eating meat) begins at age 14. The law of fasting (limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals) obliges all between the ages of 18-59. No one should consider this obligation lightly.
Those individuals who have a medical condition in which fasting may be considered harmful are not obliged to fast, but should perform some other act of penance or charity.
Pastors and parents are asked that minors, though not bound by the law of fast and abstinence, are educated in the authentic sense of penance and encouraged to do acts of penance suitable to their age.
Notable during this Lenten season is that the Solemnity of Saint Joseph falls on a Friday. Because of this, there is not an obligation to abstain from meat on Friday, March 19, 2021, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, according to the norm of canon 1251.
The faithful are encouraged to do acts of penance and charity during the Lenten season beyond what is prescribed by the law.