Meat on Fridays

[CastingCrown]

I’d just like to clarify… although obviously abstaining from meat on Fridays is preferred, if for whatever reason I know I’m going to be having meat for dinner on Friday, does doing something such as (i) fasting at lunch (ii) foregoing my morning coffee or (iii) saying an extra rosary fulfill my Friday obligation?

Thanks

 

[LittleHannah]

During Lent you have an obligtion to not eat meat on friday. Other fridays of the year i believe you can substitute another kind of penance other than eating meat.

 

[Spencerian]

I’d just like to clarify… although obviously abstaining from meat on Fridays is preferred, if for whatever reason I know I’m going to be having meat for dinner on Friday, does doing something such as (i) fasting at lunch (ii) foregoing my morning coffee or (iii) saying an extra rosary fulfill my Friday obligation?

Thanks

This Catholic Answers article has the answer for you. The Code of Canon Law states:

All Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe. (CIC 1249)

So, yes, you can choose a different form of penance. Fasting, however, is typically a day long matter, with 1 normal meal and up to 2 smaller snacks, not just skipping one meal. So, if you are considering that direction, the normal fasting mode appears more genuine. Coffee isn’t an essential aspect of a meal in the strictest sense (my own nerves would disagree with this, truth notwithstanding), and Rosary prayers are not an obligation of the faithful except as directed by a priest as part of confessional penance, by my experience and understanding.

As another has noted, the meat restriction on Fridays is mandatory during Lent and perhaps a few holy days during the season, depending on your diocese.

 

[chevalier]

Abstaining from meat on Fridays is obligatory by default. However, national conferences of bishops have chosen to waive this obligations, sometimes substituting a different form of penance (or none). The US Conference of Bishops has done so, and the Friday abstinence remains only in Lent, under their jurisdiction. On the other hand, in some other countries this does not need to be the case and abstinence from meat on Fridays may be obligatory (in which case a Catholic may not choose to do some other form of penance unless perhaps in some cases for which there is a general dispensation).

 

[TraditonRules]

does lent start today??

 

[CastingCrown]

Nah, it doesn’t start today - I just realized that I’m eating chicken tonight I normally abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays as part of my devotional life, it’s just sometimes I don’t plan things as well as I should

Spencerian:

Fasting, however, is typically a day long matter, with 1 normal meal and up to 2 smaller snacks, not just skipping one meal.

That’s what it works out as for me though as I usually have a banana for breakfast, some nuts in the afternoon and then dinner.

Spencerian:

Coffee isn’t an essential aspect of a meal in the strictest sense (my own nerves would disagree with this, truth notwithstanding)

This is true, but it is certainly a sacrifice! Sometimes I would prefer to skip a meal and keep the coffee!

Spencerian:

Rosary prayers are not an obligation of the faithful except as directed by a priest as part of confessional penance, by my experience and understanding

…but still would fulfill my Friday obligation, right?

 

[TuAutem]

(rosary prayers) still would fulfill my Friday obligation, right?

As chevalier posted above, that depends on where you live. If you’re in the US, then yes, you can set yourself an alternative penance.

If you live in the UK, then no, you must follow the universal discipline of abstaining from meat.

If you live elsewhere, check with your national bishops’ conference or diocese to see if they have loosened the default rule (hopefully they post this information somewhere where it’s easy to find through google!)

 

[CastingCrown]

Great, thanks

 

[thistle]

I’d just like to clarify… although obviously abstaining from meat on Fridays is preferred, if for whatever reason I know I’m going to be having meat for dinner on Friday, does doing something such as (i) fasting at lunch (ii) foregoing my morning coffee or (iii) saying an extra rosary fulfill my Friday obligation?

Thanks

It depends which country you live in.

Outside Lent Friday penance is obligatory but some countries require abstaining from meat to be the penance while other countries (most actually) allow any form of penance to be done.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

It depends which country you live in.

Outside Lent Friday penance is obligatory but some countries require abstaining from meat to be the penance while other countries (most actually) allow any form of penance to be done.

Although I believe just recently (September of 2011) England and Wales ‘reinstituted’ the discipline of abstinence from meat on all Fridays which again I believe is the ‘default’ norm of the Church unless the given bishop in a given area/country has been granted an indult.

Personally I’d like to see year-round meatless Fridays again. It’s a great tradition and a nice ‘visible’ Catholic identity sign.

And I say this as somebody who hates and detests fish and isn’t all that great on vegetarian foods. There is no need to go out and dine on lobster thermidor --having a light dinner of scrambled eggs and toast, or sitting down with vegetarian chili, or a large healthy salad, is eating ‘normally’ enough yet with some mindfulness. And if you’re already vegetarians, you have the option to eat LESS or to eat along with your usual meal something you aren’t too fond of but which is not junk. Maybe you really don’t care for squash unless it’s in the form of pumpkin pie, but if you have a large family you can cook a small acorn squash and take a few bites each Friday. This would definitely get you feeling penitential and mindful.

Or you could always PLAN a lobster dinner (if you love seafood of all types) and then sit down to plain boiled cod. You love seafood but if you have (in your imagination) prepared yourself for lobster and all the trimmings, you’ll be eating your cod (which you like) but you won’t be eating the lobster which you LOVE. And you’ll have some feeling of sacrifice.

In any of the cases, what we’re aiming for is giving up something GOOD for something which is, to us personally, LESS desirable, and doing it out of love for God.

I know that probably most Catholics are, on a given non Lent U.S. Friday, chowing down on beef without a qualm (and I love beef), even though they probably pray just as much as I do, go to Mass regularly or semi-so, think about and love God as much as I do, etc. They probably do a better job as Christians at any given minute than I do so I’m not being holier-than-thou; it’s just I believe that a non-meat Friday all year gives Catholics the heaven-sent opportunity on EVERY Friday to offer something to God and think about Him. I think we could use more of those opportunities. And we might start seeing more people coming to weekly Masses if we bring back some of the practices we had as Catholics and make them visible. It could be worth a try.

 

[puzzleannie]

I’d just like to clarify… although obviously abstaining from meat on Fridays is preferred, if for whatever reason I know I’m going to be having meat for dinner on Friday, does doing something such as (i) fasting at lunch (ii) foregoing my morning coffee or (iii) saying an extra rosary fulfill my Friday obligation?

Thanks

yes of course those are exactly the types of things the bishops had in mind when they expect us to find our Friday penance. Except in Lent, then you must forego the meat.