Meatless Fridays

[jmcrae]

Really? I thought Vatican II changed this requirement.

Friday Penance never became optional - rather, what we do for Friday Penance became that we have now a list of options; abstaining from meat is not the only possibility, now.

If I am going out and I know I will be eating meat, I usually substitute the Litany of the Sacred Heart.

 

[GodIsGracious]

Wow. It’s interesting because when I was young I was “taught” that we no longer have to eat meat on Fridays.

Period.

Nothing else after that.

Now I’ve learned there IS something else after that. Thanks folks! It’s always good to be an (properly) educated Catholic.

 

[sarahraegraham]

My husband and I practice meatless Fridays as well. Just one of those things the Church institutes under God’s wisdom; He knows we need constant tangible reminders.

 

[GodIsGracious]

Brenda, your cornstarch “breading” for the fish is AWESOME. Followed your directions exactly and the cod came out WONDERFULLY! THANK YOU!!!!

 

[baltobetsy]

Brenda, your cornstarch “breading” for the fish is AWESOME. Followed your directions exactly and the cod came out WONDERFULLY! THANK YOU!!!!

Another delicious option is nut flours, or nuts very finely chopped. Almonds and pecans are especially good. Just toss them into the blender and watch like a hawk so you don’t end up with nut BUTTER.

Betsy

 

[thevickinator16]

Hello!

I do not eat meat on Fridays as i was taught all my life. I too thopught that was stopped after Vatican II. My family and I are at odds though as to what “acts of piety” are. Could some one give a few examples. I also do not eat meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays as part of the Sabbatine priviledge for the Brown Scapular. Friday is not bad and neither is Wednesday. On Saturday I am dying for meat. This is the hardest day for me. I feel good when I don’t give in to the temptation to eat the meat. No one else in my family gives up meat which makes it hard sometimes. Especially when they fry sausage on Saturday mornings.

God Bless!

 

[Brenda_V]

Brenda, your cornstarch “breading” for the fish is AWESOME. Followed your directions exactly and the cod came out WONDERFULLY! THANK YOU!!!!

You are most welcome. It took me awhile to figure out what works well for coating my protein source before frying. I make a chicken nugget the same way - only I fry them just long enough to get the outside crispy and then bake them until the chicken itself is done.

As others have said though about the abstaining on Friday, I remember when we all thought it was totally done away with and then some time after I was married I found out about the “must substitute another penance” part. So keep in mind that although I don’t go meatless most Fridays but sometimes I find myself in a position of either not being able to eat or having a bunless hamburger, no fries so I will say several Hail Mary’s.

Brenda V.

 

[EnchantedEve]

Actually, most of the Eastern Churches require abstinence (meaning not only from meat, but from eggs, dairy, and fish) on Wednesdays as well as Fridays during most of the year.

Of course, there are exceptions.

I believe in the West they refer to this as a Black Fast, do they not?

 

[EnchantedEve]

Another thought I wanted to add: My wife and I also abstain from meat every Friday. However, I do occasionally substitute another penance as permitted, since I have a personal weakness for slipping into legalism and must remind myself it is the spirit of the Law and not the letter which is important, otherwise we risk becoming pharisaical. So I do choose another route sometimes just so I do not lose my way.

Anyone else have this problem? You start doing it just because you are supposed to and not remembering why?

 

[SherryLynn9]

Another thought I wanted to add: My wife and I also abstain from meat every Friday. However, I do occasionally substitute another penance as permitted, since I have a personal weakness for slipping into legalism and must remind myself it is the spirit of the Law and not the letter which is important, otherwise we risk becoming pharisaical. So I do choose another route sometimes just so I do not lose my way.

Anyone else have this problem? You start doing it just because you are supposed to and not remembering why?

I know I have this problem as well.

 

[GodIsGracious]

Another thought I wanted to add: My wife and I also abstain from meat every Friday. However, I do occasionally substitute another penance as permitted, since I have a personal weakness for slipping into legalism and must remind myself it is the spirit of the Law and not the letter which is important, otherwise we risk becoming pharisaical. So I do choose another route sometimes just so I do not lose my way.

Anyone else have this problem? You start doing it just because you are supposed to and not remembering why?

That was part of why I lapsed as a Catholic for nearly 2 decades. That and other “issues” I had with the Catholic Church. Fully willful on my part.

I am now attending Mass on a regular basis. I am so excited to be doing so. Although, last week I had a few moments while sitting in Mass of, “Can we hurry up and finish already?” I think it’s normal simply because we are human beings.

We get caught up in what is going on around us since it is physically (to the senses) immediate. We get tired. We get hungry. We get annoyed. We get irritated. We get angry.

But! We also get happy. We get joyful. We get excited.

Prayers help. Reading and learning about my faith has really helped to keep me excited about it. I’m learning it as an adult now. I am finding that so many people get stuck in an elementary view of what the Catholic church is and what the faith is that it keeps their spirituality immature and stagnant. I know I was caught up in that for a couple of decades.

IMO, I think it’s normal for us as human beings. That is not to say that absolves of us our responsibility to continue practicing our faith and learning about it. For me, that’s what is helping to keeping it exciting for me. Like, starting to practice meatLess Fridays.

 

[brotherhrolf]

It’s funny growing up in south Louisiana - even before Vatican II. We recognized that God had gifted us with the bounties of the sea as well as an excellent cuisine and that not eating meat on Friday was not a sacrifice for us. We were always encouraged to fast or to spend more time in prayer, etc.

 

[WhollyRoamin]

It’s funny growing up in south Louisiana - even before Vatican II. We recognized that God had gifted us with the bounties of the sea as well as an excellent cuisine and that not eating meat on Friday was not a sacrifice for us. We were always encouraged to fast or to spend more time in prayer, etc.

Curiously, it’s much the same in Catholic history. I mean, think about all the great Catholic countries that border the coast! It was never a hugely dramatic penance. Most of the medieval diet was made of fish or vegetarian anyway. It was a notice to not take lavish excesses on the day when Christ was crucified.

For those of us in Middle America, it becomes an interesting conundrum, as beef is the mainstay and fish is the extravagance. Nonetheless, I keep abstinance. And yes, I’ll eat lobster on Fridays. God has given us -]the papacy/-] Canon Law, let us enjoy it!

 

[corsair]

The wife and I have started doing Adoration for an hour, followed by a fish lunch (very small amounts). We also try to get in a couple or three Rosaries in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Finish the day off with a very light dinner with no meat then Stations of the Cross.

We try to do this every Friday and then get very intense during Lent. We have learned to love the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary and do this during Lent mostly.

I guess as one gets older and the kids are all grown and on their own. one can find more time for deeper meditation and prayer.

Cheers

 

[HollyDolly]

Meatless Friday it is not only a sacrifice it is also a good practice for self discipline, something that we need to fight sin. I like to follow the practice.

That’s the way we kids were raised growing up in the 1960s and 70s.
Of course those were the days before Rome said you could eat meat on Fridays. My parents ALWAYS had fish on Fridays, baked, fried, broiled you name it. Or maybe we had chalupas with a vegetable or meatless lasagna, but mainly it was fish.
I still do it and I’m 53.

 

[LilyM]

On a sorta similar topic - may be a tiny bit too much info for some.

Yesterday I went to daily Mass and received Communion. Now the Real Presence lasts as long as the accidents of bread and wine do - in other words for about fifteen minutes after you receive. And I’ve been told that out of respect you shouldn’t eat for this long after receiving Communion (although as far as I know it’s not a strict rule as the one-hour fast prior is).

Well I left the church and literally a couple of yards up the street was someone from a cafe giving out free samples of pizza to passersby. I didn’t think about it until the pizza was in my mouth, half chewed and about to be swallowed. And then I had that awful moment of ‘should I swallow or not?’ Since I was out of the sight of the people who gave it to me and thus not in danger of offending them) I took out a tissue and spat it out. Over-scrupulous? Possibly.

 

[ProVobis]

The 15-minute post-communion fast was a law at one time but, as you say, it is not required anymore.

That said, I also think it should be respected. Unless a couple of pieces of pizza can feed a flock of 7,000, of course.

 

[Shin]

Yes, there are times when He remains with you longer too.

You should focus on Him in the Eucharist and not food after Communion for a good time.

 

[jmcrae]

On a sorta similar topic - may be a tiny bit too much info for some.

Yesterday I went to daily Mass and received Communion. Now the Real Presence lasts as long as the accidents of bread and wine do - in other words for about fifteen minutes after you receive. And I’ve been told that out of respect you shouldn’t eat for this long after receiving Communion (although as far as I know it’s not a strict rule as the one-hour fast prior is).

Well I left the church and literally a couple of yards up the street was someone from a cafe giving out free samples of pizza to passersby. I didn’t think about it until the pizza was in my mouth, half chewed and about to be swallowed. And then I had that awful moment of ‘should I swallow or not?’ Since I was out of the sight of the people who gave it to me and thus not in danger of offending them) I took out a tissue and spat it out. Over-scrupulous? Possibly.

A friend of mine would say, “Hey, Baby Jesus likes pizza, too!”

 

[redrosetea]

When lent was over we decided to continue on with meatless Fridays. It just seemed like the right thing to do…It is a very god thing to thikn when Fri comes we are now doing this out of love, rather than obligation