Do you abstain or fast on Fridays

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I do penance on Fridays. I used to solely abstain from meat but I decided to abstain in more meaningful way by trying to give up something I really like.
 
Azurestone said:
ALL meat (anything with a backbone, i.e. no fish), dairy, eggs, wine, and oil. During Great Lent or the Christmas Lent, the same prescription for every day of the season.
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I know, I realize that. I mentioned only meat because that was what was under discussion.
 
National bishops’ conferences were allowed to seek an exemption from the Holy See, which the bishops of the United States DID. Other conferences may or may not have done so and, as has been stated, perpetual Friday abstinence has been restablished in the Church in the United Kingdom.

One small point: it isn’t ontologically wrong to eat meat on Friday and never was (ie, the act of eating meat on a Friday is not sinful OF ITSELF. It was, however, a grave sin of disobdience against the Church. Lots of Catholics AND Protestants get that wrong and we get the tiresome “see, the Church DOES change Its teachings!” A discipline “changed” (and in the US, we are only dispensed if we replace abstinence with another penetential act) and one cannot sin by not observing what’s not there.

I practice the Friday abstinence the year round because it’s just plain simpler. I’ve been known to forget it was a Friday in Lent, but rarely to forget that it was a Friday, so I just do it all year. I have to say, in this day and age, it does not seem terribly penitential: there are such a plethora of food choices that abstaining from flesh and fowl seems no big deal (cheese enchiladas, four cheese pizza, stuff sopapillas, anyone? I had shrimp and delicious breaded talapia last night. Don’t see that as mortifying). It is, however, a corporate act, an act of the whole Body, so I think it important. Maybe we should go to every Friday being a day of fast and abstinence, like Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
 
Zhenia said:
I was not raised a Catholic, but my mom’s family was (Traditional) Catholic, before Vatican II. I remember once in the early 1960s, asking Grandmom why her calendar from the drug store had little red fishes on every Friday.

She said, “Its because on Friday you’re not supposed to eat meat, but fish instead, in memory of the fact that Christ was crucified on that day”.
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Did you know that in the early Church the fish was the symbol of Christianity? The cross came later.
 
I’ve been abstaining from meat on Fridays since I was brought into the Church this last Easter. Since it’s not something I grew up with, I would sometimes forget, but I’ve added a reminder to my calendar so that I get a notification reminding me.

Right now, it’s not that difficult to avoid meat since I eat in a dining hall and have lots of options so I’m not sure if I should give up something else in addition to meat.
 
Zhenia said:
I know, I realize that. I mentioned only meat because that was what was under discussion.
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Fair enough. I figured that was your intention. I should have added a bit more to my post, as well. As it wasn’t meant entirely to you.

My main point was to suggest, to people who have trouble missing meat (and still eat fish), that there are many faithful people to God who fast much stricter. Many Early Church Fathers suggested similar strict diets, as well. Though, the Eastern fasting tradition is currently by canon.

My soapbox rant is ‘Christianity isn’t meant to be easy’. We are attempting to correct a fallen nature and fill ourselves with the intended Grace from God. We don’t go to Church on Sunday and call it quits. We accept God and reject our passions through prayer and fasting. A rejection of which is only for personal comfort and submission to our sinful nature.
 
Azurestone said:
Fair enough. I figured that was your intention. I should have added a bit more to my post, as well. As it wasn’t meant entirely to you.

My main point was to suggest, to people who have trouble missing meat (and still eat fish), that there are many faithful people to God who fast much stricter. Many Early Church Fathers suggested similar strict diets, as well. Though, the Eastern fasting tradition is currently by canon.

My soapbox rant is ‘Christianity isn’t meant to be easy’. We are attempting to correct a fallen nature and fill ourselves with the intended Grace from God. We don’t go to Church on Sunday and call it quits. We accept God and reject our passions through prayer and fasting. A rejection of which is only for personal comfort and submission to our sinful nature.
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You’re right. In fact the strictest Orthodox Jews fast entirely from all food and drink for 24 hours on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), on Ta’anit Esther (the Fast of Esther), and many other holydays. They also usually fast on Mondays and Thursdays from ALL food and drink.

Even when the Catholic Church said you had to avoid all food and drink from midnight till Holy Communion, they were making it very easy compared to other religions!
 
Contra_Mundum said:
I do abstain unless I am invited to dinner and the host prepares meat. I’ve read somewhere that in such a situation we should not make a fuss and eat the food.
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This is per the instructions of St. Frances of Assisi. His point was that our individual practices of penance (and mortification) be ours and not be forced or be a burden on others. To be inhospitable is a major Franciscan no-no.

I’m biased, :bounce: but I think this is a wonderful practice.
 
I fast and abstain on Fridays, Ember Days and Rogation days as well as all through Lent, with the exception of Sundays during Lent.

I do it because I want to not because anyone is forcing me. It helps me consentrate on penance.
 
I abstain from meat on Fridays and Wednesdays. I try to observe the Rogation days, I am learning more about that. Any and all penances I give to Our Lady.
…
For stories of prayers answered through the intersession of St. Anthony, visit
saintanthonylostandfound.blogspot.com/
 
Kevin812 said:
This is per the instructions of St. Frances of Assisi. His point was that our individual practices of penance (and mortification) be ours and not be forced or be a burden on others. To be inhospitable is a major Franciscan no-no.

I’m biased, :bounce: but I think this is a wonderful practice.
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Its also common practice in the East. It comes from one of St. Paul’s letters really, that we shouldn’t fuss about what we eat. Being at peace with our brother is more important than our fasting. So if you are a guest and you are served meat at days of fast (or abstinence), then eat, rather than offend your host.
 
TrueLight said:
I’m allergic to shellfish! Grrr. But I can eat regular fish.
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I would question though if eating crustaceans really is fasting because they are luxury foods. Its like, “oh, its Friday, let me give up this nice juicy hamburger for this lobster meal.” I don’t see the value of fasting/abstinence being upheld there.
 
I abstain from meat each Friday. I think it should be brought back universally because it would foster a greater sense of Catholic identity.

That said, it was hard to do so last Friday considering I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet! But hey, it’s not as hard for me to not eat meat on Friday as it was for our Lord to suffer on the cross, so who am I to complain?
 
I would question though if eating crustaceans really is fasting because they are luxury foods. Its like, “oh, its Friday, let me give up this nice juicy hamburger for this lobster meal.” I don’t see the value of fasting/abstinence being upheld there.
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Do you have a list of such luxury foods we should also avoid eating while fasting? 🙂

As far as abstinence is concerned, it seems like someone who’s never eaten anything but juicy hamburgers every day of his life would find anything else a penance. But that’s my opinion.
 
Paxvobis said:
I abstain from meat each Friday. I think it should be brought back universally because it would foster a greater sense of Catholic identity.

That said, it was hard to do so last Friday considering I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet! But hey, it’s not as hard for me to not eat meat on Friday as it was for our Lord to suffer on the cross, so who am I to complain?
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Great response. All the tradditional Catholics I know are very strict in observing abstinence from meat of Fridays.

However, there are a lot of non-traditional Catholics I know who do not even give it a thought and I believe are not even aware that it is or once was a requirement of the Church.
 
Contra_Mundum said:
I do abstain unless I am invited to dinner and the host prepares meat. I’ve read somewhere that in such a situation we should not make a fuss and eat the food.
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That came from St Francis of Assisi. The Brothers and Sisters of Penance were to follow the Rule regarding fasts and abstinence, but if they were guests at the home of another, they were to eat what was served, as to not embarrass the Host who invited them. Francis taught that charity was the greater action here, rather than the penance of abstinence/fasting. The sacrifice is not the refraining from eating meat or fasting, but having to eat what was served, what you normally would not. Perfect charity being the more meritorious action, and being far more pleasing than fasting/abstinence would be.

I abstain both Wednesdays and Fridays, been doing that for over 20 years now. I also added not having seafood those days, as I feel (personally) that eating seafood is not in keeping with the spirit of abstinence. Seafood is more likely to be a Sunday dish for me (as it was this past Sunday evening, when I had a deviled crab cake.), due to it’s cost, I consider it a luxury to splurge on and feast with (every Sunday is a feast, as it’s a “little Easter”). I eat fish or cheese-based food on abstinence days.
 
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