Friday obligation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Savagedds
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Savagedds

Guest
I wondered what others were doing. I most often give up meat on Fridays, but so few of my friends do so. No one seems to be aware that the obligation even exists any more, and my friends are quite devout.

I find it difficult when I’m invited to someone’s house on a Friday and they put a big steak on my plate to abstain, less from temptation than from a desire not to be rude. So I have a rule that I follow, “Thou shalt not be a pain in the butt.” When this happens I pray an extra Rosary or give something else up like caffeine, which really hurts worse anyway. Giving up meat doestn’t give me a huge headache!!

Thoughts?
 
I do the same thing. I don’t eat meat on Fridays, but if it means offending someone or being rude, I’ll eat it. If we’re eating out in a restaurant though, of course there’s always something on the menu that’s meatless.

JELane
 
Outside of Lent we are not forbidden to eat meat. We our encouraged to, but not forbidden. When do eat meat outside of Lent we are called to do penance or sacrifice like you are doing now. On a side note chicken and pork are considered meat just as beef is.
 
We still an have obligation to some act of penance on Fridays. Some choose the abstain from meat or fast. Other choose other actions.
 
I love fish and my fiance is not so fond of fish. When we have supper together on Fridays we have fish since giving up meat for him is difficult and feels like a penance.

So when I get to eat fish I’m having a feast. Therefore even if I some Fridays don’t eat meat I always abstain from something else. In the future we will have meatless Fridays, but I think that I will continue to subtitute my penance with something other than meat.

I have also recently discovered that we need not abstain and do penance when a Solemnity fall on a Friday (even during Lent).
 
A couple of years ago, my family and I just decided to continue the Lenten fast. We have abstained and fasted every Friday since. My wife and I eat a very small breakfast, and fast until evening, when we eat a moderate dinner (no meat of course).

Our children, 10, 6, and 1 also abstain, although they of course eat 3 healthy square meals. They try not to snack, and they don’t have any sweets or anything, so they have to eat healthy. This simple act has brought us all closer to Our Lord. When my six-year old daughter wants a piece of candy, then remembers that “it’s Friday,” she is able to think about why she can’t have that sweet. When my stomach growls at 2:00, I remember the sacrifice of Christ.

Like the first poster, if any of us are in an uncomfortable situation, where it might be offensive or uncouth to refuse meat, we simply roll with the situation, so as not to embarras anyone. However, not eating lunch on Friday’s has given me several opportunities to share my Faith. Most often it’s the result of a derogatory remark, like, “Didn’t Christ eat food?” or “fasting is vain repetition,” or “Christ didn’t die on a Friday,” etc. As you can imagine, my act of fasting can lead to some pretty interesting conversations!
 
I will occasionally abstain from meat, but most of the time I do something else. I’ve always remembered one priest saying that if we abstain from meat but then go out and have a big lobster dinner, we’ve missed the point. So I usually fast part of the day or say extras prayers instead.

God bless!

Cindy
 
I’m ashamed to say that I fall into the category of Catholic who thought the Friday abstinence was only during Lent. Three weeks ago I just happened to come across a calendar online that gave me the education that I needed. Unfortunately the other habit is so engrained I’m struggling. I like the idea of a small fast. I will try that.
 
Until recently, I was unaware that the obligation extended beyond the Lenten season. Since then, I generally try to give up meat, although I occasionally choose another form of pennance/sacrifice depending upon circumstances during any given week.
 
We Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox not only don’t eat meat at all during Lent, but we have other days throughout the year when we abstain from meat.

the Aposolic Fast - basically the month of June, in honor of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul. Most abstain on Weds. and Fridays.

The Philipian Fast- you call it Advent, its 6 weeks for us, just like Lent (We call it the Great Fast). Also, Weds, and Fridays. Some people also abstain on Sats. in honor of Our Lady.

The Commemoration of the beheading of John the Baptist, Aug. 29. (it is the custom of some ethnic groups not to eat off of plates, or anything that comes in a head,ie, cabbage, lettuce),

The Commemoration of the Life-giving, Vivifying, and Glorious Cross of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

The Vigil of Major Feasts. This used to be common in the Latin Rite too. I don’t know of many people who do this. Poles and Eastern Europians have a special meal on Christmas eve that resembles the Sader service, and is meatless. The Italians have a meal called the “Seven Fishes”.
 
Mothers Boy:
I’m ashamed to say that I fall into the category of Catholic who thought the Friday abstinence was only during Lent.
Click to expand...
Join the club! I only found out recently too. Jimmy Akin posted a few suggestions for alternate penances on his website that I liked. They included spending some time reading scripture, giving up TV for the day, putting off some fun activity you had planned until Saturday, and a few other things. I thought these were good suggestions.
 
My understanding is that we are to do something penitential on Fridays and that not eating meat is the default option. I find it more of a penance and yet easier to give up something else. It’s easier because you don’t have to figure out what to substitute.
I think meat was more of a treat in earlier times, especially if you weren’t rich. Nowadays enough protein, usually meat, is no problem for most people in North America. It’s more of a sacrifice for me to skip a treat such as coffee for a week.

Peace and all good
 
And is does not have to be giving up something, it can be doing something, such as going out of your way to help others, doing an extra hour of prayers, etc.
 
Where is the thread with a link to Mr. Akin’s recent investigation of the USCCB document from 1966, and his interpretation that there really is NOT a “Friday obligation” in the US? An encouragement, yes… but not an “obligation” that’s bound under pain of sin.

Must be in another forum.
 
I abstain from meat… it’s difficult as nobody else in my family is a Catholic so it’s not unusual to find steak on the menu 😛
 
40.png
zeek:
I eat meat on Friday’s, but not during Lent.
Click to expand...
Me too, Zeek. I did not know this observation existed past the Lenten season…
 
I don’t eat that much meat so abstaining on Friday is hardly a penance.

I need to remember to do something else in it’s place.

I don’t have a television so that can’t be it. What?! Abstain from the internet?? Are you nuts?? :bigyikes:
 
I fast on Fridays. No food til after 5 or 6 pm and then something light–no meat (only since this past Lent–learned about it on Catholic Radio–never heard anything about abstaining from meat from the pulpit!) We need MORE Truth preached from the pulpit. (Or else spend more time on the internet reading in the Catholic Forum! 😃 )
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top