Friday Penance Obligation

[lil_flower]

I am 6 weeks pregnant and am wondering about what to do on Fridays. I’ve tried giving up meat, and various other foods, but it seems (with morning sickness all day) that sometimes the only thing that I can get down is the one thing I’ve said I’d give up. With my appetite and food aversions/cravings being so unpredictable I thought I should give up something else, but all I seem to do other than eat is sleep and work and I can’t give up either of those! I’ve thought about saying an extra rosary, but I seem to have the pregnant woman’s “scatterbrain syndrome” and I can hardly make it through half a decade without my mind wandering or falling asleep. One Friday I just offered up my sickness and yucky pregnant feelilngs as penance… is this enough even though it’s not just a Friday thing? I’m wondering if the Friday Penance is binding on pregnant women, and if so, are there any suggestions of what to do that would meet the obligation?

Thank you,
Nicole

 

[Jan_Wakelin]

First, unite your sufferings to Christ. We should do that all the time anyway.
You do not have to do anything more, but here are some suggestions anyway:

*Do something special for your husband, sister, mother or friend.
*Call someone who is homebound or lonely.
*Write a note to an elderly relative.
*Send a “thank you” to someone you appreciate…hairdresser, postman, doctor, priest
*Send a check to a charity
*Say a prayer for unwed mothers and/or women who cannot conceive
*Abstain from criticizing or gossiping or complaining
*Read a psalm or another Bible passage and meditate on it
*Say an Our Father and a Hail Mary for the Holy Father’s intentions

Those are just a few ideas. I bet if you ask this question in the general forum you will get many great suggestions.