Can I be excused from abstaining during Lent?

[CatholicFireman]

[A Catholic website says:]

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.

I’m a firefighter who works 24 hour shifts. The first three Fridays on Lent I work. Do I fall under “manual laborer”? Can I substitute Thursday for Friday?

Thank you.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

I’m not sure from where your source gets “manual laborer” as an exception to the abstinence rule. Generally speaking there is no exception to the abstinence rule other than health or grave inconvenience.

While I don’t know the specifics of where you are and how hard it is to get something other than meat to eat I don’t really see how a firefighter on duty would qualify as a grave inconvenience. Is it not possible to plan your meals for that day ahead of time?

If you truly feel your situation is unable to be planned around then I suggest discussing it with your local parish priest.