Fasting and abstaining from meat?

[MarshallJackson]

I am still learning much about the Catholic faith and traditions. I would like to continue my journey, learn more, and begin practicing my faith and hitting the nail more on the head. I have read some articles about fasting and abstaining from eating meat. Some of the articles said that it is only on Fridays of lent, and others said that it was Fridays in general (year round). I would like to learn more about this and other traditions that come into play in terms of rules about eating and things of the sort. Thanks for all your patience and your time!

 

[otjm]

Abstaining from meat on Friday is required during Lent, and while it is not mandatory during the rest of the year; the understanding is that if one is not abstaining, then one is to perform some other form of penitential act.

Having grown up when abstaining on all Fridays was mandatory, I can say that I was not much of an aficionado of fish; my mother could vulcanize fish sticks (which were not all that delectable to begin with). It was not until I got into the military that I learned that fish could be pretty nice for a meal - which perhaps puts the fish my mother cooked (destroyed?) in perspective. To me, abstaining on Friday is not a penance if I am eating a nice piece of fish. Fresh salmon, rock fish, cabezon, ling cod, trout, shrimp (that is on the menu for tomorrow night!)…:extrahappy:

Oh well…

 

[MarshallJackson]

Thank you very much for your answer I’m so excited and happy that I’m able to learn more and more, and that this website helps provide that opportunity without the frustrations of being criticized or spoken to negatively

 

[Basilios]

Obviously it depends on your local Bishops conference on the rules for fasting and abstinence year round and during certain periods. Thanks be to God, here in the UK it is mandatory to abstain from meat all year round on Fridays. I can only talk about traditions that I know of and have practiced as a traditional Catholic (not all of which I do now!). Pick and choose as you like (again, depending on what your conference says is mandatory then you have to do those!) as these are just devotions:

All year round on Fridays to abstain from meat.
All year round on Saturdays to abstain from meat in honour of the BVM
All year round on Wednesdays to abstain from meat in honour of St Joseph
No meat during the entire period of lent, as well as only have small amounts of dairy and oil at only one meal per day
Fasting and abstaining during Advent
Fasting an abstaining prior to the Assumption

There are loads more devotional things like that but those are the main ones I know of and an think of that I have done (some of which was in a monastery mind you so not as a layman). But you can choose to do it however you wish!

God Bless +

 

[Rich_C]

Besides the Friday abstinance, there is also the option (no longer obligatory) to practice fasting and partial abstinence on the Ember Days, the Rogation Days, and on vigil days before great feasts.

Christians originally took fasting very seriously, and though the Church has imposed less and less of it on us since the Apostles, she still commends it. The saints wrote that you can hardly get to Heaven without performing some penance here on Earth, and embracing the ordinary means the Church has already given us is always the best first step.

God bless!

 

[otjm]

Millions of people fast now!

It is called dieting…