Meat on Friday during Lent?

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My husband and daughter attend a yearly father/daughter banquet. This year it happens to fall on a Friday during Lent. Are there any exceptions to eating meat on Friday during Lent? Could they possibly give something else up just this once?
We would not want to do anything to break our beloved Church’s Laws. I’m just wondering if they should eat before they go and eat rolls and cake at the supper:) Thanks and Blessings
 
You can think of it as an excellent oppurtunity to witness to the Catholic faith.😃
 
laurels said:
My husband and daughter attend a yearly father/daughter banquet. This year it happens to fall on a Friday during Lent. Are there any exceptions to eating meat on Friday during Lent? Could they possibly give something else up just this once?
We would not want to do anything to break our beloved Church’s Laws. I’m just wondering if they should eat before they go and eat rolls and cake at the supper:) Thanks and Blessings
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What do they do for families that are vegetarian, or kosher? Check with the catering company - chances are good that they would be happy to prepare a vegetarian meal for your husband and daughter.
 
laurels said:
My husband and daughter attend a yearly father/daughter banquet. This year it happens to fall on a Friday during Lent. Are there any exceptions to eating meat on Friday during Lent? Could they possibly give something else up just this once?
We would not want to do anything to break our beloved Church’s Laws. I’m just wondering if they should eat before they go and eat rolls and cake at the supper:) Thanks and Blessings
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Do you know yet what is on the menu?
 
One of the great misconceptions about Catholics and Lent, is that every Friday we throw a big fish on a platter…how silly.

Cheese Pizza
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Bean Burritos
All kinds of pasta dishes
Soups
Salads/Baked Potatoes
Vegetable platters
Cheese enchiladas

C’mon, youse guyse add your own…but NO FISH…
 
in etiquette, just as if one of them was on a medical diet, they could inquire discretely if a non-meat option is available, and if not, without making a big deal about it, move the meat around a bit and eat the rest. they could skip the speech about “I am Catholic and can’t have meat on Friday”.
 
laurels said:
My husband and daughter attend a yearly father/daughter banquet. This year it happens to fall on a Friday during Lent. Are there any exceptions to eating meat on Friday during Lent? Could they possibly give something else up just this once?
We would not want to do anything to break our beloved Church’s Laws. I’m just wondering if they should eat before they go and eat rolls and cake at the supper:) Thanks and Blessings
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I would be shocked if there weren’t vegetarian options available ie: pasta, etc. If it were me, and I could not avoid meat, I would eat around it. Banquets are really for the social end anyway. Have a snack before and eat lots of dessert! 🙂
 
Are there any exceptions to eating meat on Friday during Lent?
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I would think it would be very rare if any at all, because isn’t it some law (law?) of the Church taht it is a duty for the Faithful to observe Ember Days, Fast Days, Holy days of obligation, etc. ?

I feel pretty confident answering that a Happy Social Celebration during Lent, while probably inappropriate in and of itself, would not qualify for any exception (if there is one!) to Catholic duty to observe Fast days.
 
Generally, I would agree with those who suggest asking for an alternative menu, or just bypassing the meat. I’ve never had problems foisting the meat portion on fellow diners or obtaining vegetarian dinners at banquets. Though I’ve gagged down some pretty bad pasta in my day.I mention the following only to present what the law does provide by way of possibility.For a just reason and in accord with the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, canon 1245 permits the pastor in individual cases to dispense from the obligation to a day of penance or to commute it to other pious works. Other clerics may also have this faculty by virtue of delegation from the bishop. So, you may contact your pastor and discuss the situation. He can determine if a just reason for this exists.Keep in mind the purpose behind the law though. Canon 1249 describes it for us. All members of the Christian faithful in their own way are bound to do penance in virtue of divine law; in order that all may be joined in a common observance of penance, penitential days are prescribed in which the Christian faithful in a special way pray, exercise works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their responsibilities more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence . . . .As a final note, we do not know your daughter’s age. The requirement of abstinence binds those who have completed fourteen years of age (c. 1252). If she is younger, she is not bound.
 
Generally, I would agree with those who suggest asking for an alternative menu, or just bypassing the meat. I’ve never had problems foisting the meat portion on fellow diners or obtaining vegetarian dinners at banquets.

Though I’ve gagged down some pretty bad pasta in my day.I mention the following only to present what the law does provide by way of possibility.

For a just reason and in accord with the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, canon 1245 permits the pastor in individual cases to dispense from the obligation to a day of penance or to commute it to other pious works. Other clerics may also have this faculty by virtue of delegation from the bishop. So, you may contact your pastor and discuss the situation. He can determine if a just reason for this exists.

Keep in mind the purpose behind the law though. Canon 1249 describes it for us. All members of the Christian faithful in their own way are bound to do penance in virtue of divine law; in order that all may be joined in a common observance of penance, penitential days are prescribed in which the Christian faithful in a special way pray, exercise works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their responsibilities more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence . . . .

As a final note, we do not know your daughter’s age. The requirement of abstinence binds those who have completed fourteen years of age (c. 1252). If she is younger, she is not bound.
 
oooh look at the time, it must be close to Lent because the threads looking for loopholes to the 8 required days of abstinence and 2 required days of fasting out of 365 are already cropping up. if an old fat diabetic on multiple meds and a strict medical diet can do it so can you.
 
puzzleannie said:
oooh look at the time, it must be close to Lent because the threads looking for loopholes to the 8 required days of abstinence and 2 required days of fasting out of 365 are already cropping up. if an old fat diabetic on multiple meds and a strict medical diet can do it so can you.
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Yah, my three-beer-a-night habit gets put on hold for Lent every year…but I don’t dread it at all…It’s good for ya 👍
 
Uncle_Norbert said:
Yah, my three-beer-a-night habit gets put on hold for Lent every year…but I don’t dread it at all…It’s good for ya 👍
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Yeah, but consider the plight of those of us who don’t eat meat or fish in the first place.

We have to give up delights like soyburgers, tofu (well, not tofu— we have to draw the line somewhere), vegetarian pizzas, meatless pasta sauces, bean burritos, cheese omelets and the like on those days. 🙂
 
cameron_lansing said:
We have to give up delights like soyburgers, tofu (well, not tofu— we have to draw the line somewhere), vegetarian pizzas, meatless pasta sauces, bean burritos, cheese omelets and the like on those days. 🙂
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But at least you don’t HAVE to…but it makes for a good Lenten sacrifice 😉
 
Uncle_Norbert said:
But at least you don’t HAVE to…but it makes for a good Lenten sacrifice 😉
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Yes and no. We are all still bound to do penance by virtue of divine law. Maybe I’ll have the tofu and mung bean special on days of abstinence. That would be a pretty severe penance.

As they say, de gustibus non dispudandum est. I have been known to make a mean vegetarian haggis in my day. Fortunately, everyone survived.😃
 
The young nun came to Theresa and said, “The lord has sent us some partridge from his recent hunt. What shall I do with it?”
“Send it to the kitchen to be prepared for supper.”
“But Mother, it’s Lent.”
“Lent is Lent, Sister, but partridge is partridge.”
Theresa and the other Sisters had partridge for supper.

Matthew
 
puzzleannie said:
oooh look at the time, it must be close to Lent because the threads looking for loopholes to the 8 required days of abstinence and 2 required days of fasting out of 365 are already cropping up.
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Yes, I’m seeing the same thing.

I mean, we have Lent in order that we will observe a more abstinent and pentitential disposition . . . . and then I lot of questions about how people Make Exceptions.

I think the desire to Make Exceptions is normal and kind of the point of Lent isn’t it?🤷
 
No meat on Fridays unless recieving permission from the Bishop.
 
I am a Californian where lots of people are given the choice of ordering a vegetarian dish at a banquet. It’s a given in California.

I don’t see anything wrong in saying I am a Catholic and I don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent. What is so hard about saying that? Everybody will respect that and run to the kitchen and bring me a salad.
Most likely baked potatos or rice and veggies will be served on a plate along with chicken or beef at a banquet.
If you don’t want to make a big scene you just avoid eating the meat.

I am sure your daughter doesn’t want to make a big scene so my advise is for her dad and her to eat real slow and act like they are eating a lot of food.
She can say she and her dad had a late snack and are not really hungry. When a waiter comes around she hands the waiter her plate real fast and it is gone while people are talking to eachother.
I do that all the time when I don’t like a certain dish at a banquet.
I am an old lady with years of experience of eating at Banquets. I totally dislike people who make a big scene about not being able to eat a certain food.
It is best just to be quiet and just eat what you do like and leave the rest on your plate.

I agree with the other people here that there is no excuse to eat meat during Lent.
When I was a young 15yr.old girl I ordered a cheese burger for lunch one day on a Friday. I remembered it was Friday when I saw the cheese burger so I threw it away and didn’t eat lunch.
Presently I would have said, "give me the cheese burger without the meat.
Yesterday, I saw a young lady order a special order of a plate of fries with the meat, cheese and sauce on top of the fries. There was no bread in her order. The most interesting part was that it was at a “In & Out” Burger chain restaurant where there is no such thing on the menu. I was totally blown away by the idea of that creative dish.

My advise for your daugher’s sake is for them to eat whatever is served and just avoid the meat. She is not a vegetarian so she wouldn’t be telling the truth to her friends who have seen her eat meat at school.
We live in a country full of food and we don’t always eat everything on our plates. Thank you God for all the food that you provide for us.

Here are soon non-meat dishes for Lent:
macoroni and cheese, spaghetti with no meat, chili beans with no meat, fried potatos with catsup, potato pancakes, baked yams, Mexican rice and beans and a salad at a restaurant, Vegetarian Chinese restaurants, Japanese shrimp tempura and sushi restaurants, soups with no meat, tomato soup, French onion soup, and all kinds of egg dishes. We have so many options.
 
I would have to say that unless your Bishop say they can have the meat no meat.

I don have a Question for any one out there since we are talking Lenten Dietary Rules. Does anyone know If all seafood is acceptable
or is it Just Fish?
 
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