A
AlbertDerGrosse
Guest
This is a multifaceted question, and so I expect a whole heck of a lot of thread drift…
We frequently hear about Advent’s supposed penitential nature, what with the violet in the vestments and all, yet there doesn’t seem to be any of the quintessentially Catholic forms of penance: fast and abstinence. It seems to be common knowledge that Advent used to be a truly penitential season with an associated period of fast/abstinence, and there are vestiges of this in certain cultures that celebrate a sort of “Advent Mardi Gras” in terms of carnival-like festivities on or around St. Martin’s Day (15 November). Given the increased focus on fast and abstinence in particular, and penance in general, that has occurred following the most recent sex scandal I’d like to incorporate something into my dietary practices for Advent this year. More importantly, I’d like to incorporate something that has some kind of historical continuity with the traditions of the Church. I’d much rather revive a dormant/dead Advent tradition than create one myself out of whole cloth. Why reinvent the wheel, right?
Problem is, it’s starting to look like Western Christendom gave up the Advent Fast a long time ago; Some time before even the early 20th century, as the 1917 CIC has nothing to say about Advent specifically. Oddly enough it still has the vestiges of Saturday abstinence during Lent and no abstinence whatsoever on any Wednesday of the year except Ash Wednesday (Wednesdays of Embertide, Rogationtide, and Vigils notwithstanding). I’ve managed to find a very obscure reference to a dispensation given by Irish bishops in the late 18th century to their faithful allowing them to transfer their Advent Saturday obligation to Wednesdays, yet nothing that specifically mentions that obligation to begin with (and whether that obligation was only for the Irish or if it was universal).
So I’m hoping the brilliant minds of CAF can help me out! Do ya’ll know anything about the history of Advent fast and/or abstinence in the Latin Church? When was the last time the Church required anything during Advent? Was there ever anything universally established? When was Advent last treated like pre-conciliar Lent: i.e. every day, except for Sunday, a day of fast and (at least) partial abstinence? Did Wednesdays factor into this at all as something special?
I’m particularly curious about Wednesdays since it has come to my attention that the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem require their priests to abstain year round on Wednesdays (while fasting and abstaining on Fridays), with an added fast on the Wednesdays of Advent. Assuming they haven’t imposed these disciplines capriciously there must be some kind of continuity with the tradition of the greater Church (or so goes my thinking).
So here’s a big, wide, open thread for all of us to talk about fasting and abstinence during Advent, both general and specific (though the more specific the more helpful!).
Happy November everyone! May God have mercy on the souls of all our loved ones departed, and may they rest eternally in peace.
We frequently hear about Advent’s supposed penitential nature, what with the violet in the vestments and all, yet there doesn’t seem to be any of the quintessentially Catholic forms of penance: fast and abstinence. It seems to be common knowledge that Advent used to be a truly penitential season with an associated period of fast/abstinence, and there are vestiges of this in certain cultures that celebrate a sort of “Advent Mardi Gras” in terms of carnival-like festivities on or around St. Martin’s Day (15 November). Given the increased focus on fast and abstinence in particular, and penance in general, that has occurred following the most recent sex scandal I’d like to incorporate something into my dietary practices for Advent this year. More importantly, I’d like to incorporate something that has some kind of historical continuity with the traditions of the Church. I’d much rather revive a dormant/dead Advent tradition than create one myself out of whole cloth. Why reinvent the wheel, right?
Problem is, it’s starting to look like Western Christendom gave up the Advent Fast a long time ago; Some time before even the early 20th century, as the 1917 CIC has nothing to say about Advent specifically. Oddly enough it still has the vestiges of Saturday abstinence during Lent and no abstinence whatsoever on any Wednesday of the year except Ash Wednesday (Wednesdays of Embertide, Rogationtide, and Vigils notwithstanding). I’ve managed to find a very obscure reference to a dispensation given by Irish bishops in the late 18th century to their faithful allowing them to transfer their Advent Saturday obligation to Wednesdays, yet nothing that specifically mentions that obligation to begin with (and whether that obligation was only for the Irish or if it was universal).
So I’m hoping the brilliant minds of CAF can help me out! Do ya’ll know anything about the history of Advent fast and/or abstinence in the Latin Church? When was the last time the Church required anything during Advent? Was there ever anything universally established? When was Advent last treated like pre-conciliar Lent: i.e. every day, except for Sunday, a day of fast and (at least) partial abstinence? Did Wednesdays factor into this at all as something special?
I’m particularly curious about Wednesdays since it has come to my attention that the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem require their priests to abstain year round on Wednesdays (while fasting and abstaining on Fridays), with an added fast on the Wednesdays of Advent. Assuming they haven’t imposed these disciplines capriciously there must be some kind of continuity with the tradition of the greater Church (or so goes my thinking).
So here’s a big, wide, open thread for all of us to talk about fasting and abstinence during Advent, both general and specific (though the more specific the more helpful!).
Happy November everyone! May God have mercy on the souls of all our loved ones departed, and may they rest eternally in peace.
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