Fasting/abstaining on Friday when it's Christmas

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St_Francis

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So for those who fast or abstain on Fridays, what to do on Christmas, which is a major feast day?

Thanks šŸ™‚
 
St_Francis said:
So for those who fast or abstain on Fridays, what to do on Christmas, which is a major feast day?

Thanks šŸ™‚
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When I was in the monastery, we followed the lead of St Francis and ate as much meat as was practical ā€“ sausage at breakfast, turkey or goose at lunch, and some sort of simple meal with meat for supper.
In his account of St Francisā€™ life, Thomas of Celano, who knew the saint, describes an interesting interaction between the beloved saint and one of the early friars, Brother Morico.
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ā€œFrancis observed the birthday of the child Jesus with inexpressible eagerness over all other feasts, saying, ā€˜It is the feast of feasts, on which God, having become a tiny infant, clung to human breasts.ā€™ When the question rose about eating meat that day, since Christmas was a Friday, he [Francis] replied to Brother Morico, ā€˜You sin, brother, calling the day on which the child is born to us a day of fast. It is my wish that even the walls should eat meat on such a day; and if they cannot, they should be smeared with meat on the outside.ā€™ ā€
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While it actually isnā€™t a sin to fast or abstain on Christmas, it is not much in line with the joy of the solemnity.
 
St_Francis said:
So for those who fast or abstain on Fridays, what to do on Christmas, which is a major feast day?

Thanks šŸ™‚
Click to expand...
Itā€™s a major feast day. Iā€™m having turkey with all the trimmings. šŸ™‚

January 1st is also a major feast day, and here in Canada at least, itā€™s a Holy Day of Obligation, so Iā€™ll be putting meat balls on my spaghetti that day. šŸ˜ƒ
 
Itā€™s a Major Feastā€¦you donā€™t have to. You should be rejoicing. You can fast on St. Stephenā€™s day if you feel you must fast.
 
The rule of thumb is that Solemnities (and not Feasts or Memorials) trump abstinence.

I am excited this year because Friday in the Octave of Christmas is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, which means another day of exemption from abstinence. Normally, Friday in the Octave of Christmas is not exempted, unlike the Easter Octave.
 
Thanks, everyone šŸ™‚ We will be feasting on Christmas-- šŸ™‚ and I will get to eat chocolate šŸ™‚

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
 
As per canon law, every Friday and all weekdays of Lent are times of penance. Canon law stipulates that abstinence from meat is required on every Friday (though in some countries this may be substituted for another Penance) UNLESS a solemnity falls on a particular Friday. This Friday is the solemnity of Christmas and next Friday is the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. So eat meat!
That being said, Christmas Eve was traditionally a day of Penance. While no longer required, I would personally abstain and/or fast on Thursday in preparation for Christmas Day.
 
Thank you, Domer, Jen, and TWF! Fasting on Christmas Eve is an excellent idea and I am going to do that!
 
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