Origins of meat-less Fridays

[super64]

Hello,

I’ve searched the boards and other web sights, but can’t find something concrete on when this tradition began. In reading ‘Catholism for Dummies’, it debunks the urban legend on having to do with a fishing business.(p300 Part IV: Practicing Catholicism through Devotions).

Can any one direct me to another resource(s). I beleive it was to respect the day Jesus gave up His flesh for us and would like to defend this to those who feel otherwise.

newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm
this site helps…any others?

Thanks for the help,

Scott

 

[Zahmir]

I heard that… in whatever time it was… that Spain was heavily Catholic and because they were having a depression or… just wanted some extra money… they imposed this “rule” on Catholics that they had to abstain from meat. Today, no meat means… more fish. Of course, the same was true then. So a lot more people bought fish which meant that fishing enterprises boomed…

But… probably just a rumor… I really have no idea, that’s just what I heard.

 

[Todd_Easton]

Christians fasting on Fridays (and Wednesdays) is mentioned in the Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve), a first-century Church document. But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). (Didache, chap. 8)

 

[Mike_D30]

I always heard that since the earliest days of the Church some form of mortification and abstinance was performed on Friday’s to commemorate Christ dying on the Cross on Friday.

It evolved into giving up meat, because back in the day, meat was considered a real creature comfort, and giving it up was a real sacrifice.

For a very long time no meat, eggs, milk, and cheeses were eaten at all on Fridays and during the entire Lenten Season. The meat rule was actually a relaxed version of the first practice. I could be wrong but I don’t think any Pope made a decree forbidding meat, but it rather developed as a form of sacrifice.

I don’t buy into it was done to help the fishing industry. The earliest Christians practiced extreme fasting furing Lent, substaining on a couple meals a week, and eating zero meat all Lent. It was alter relaxed to only abstaining from meat.

The idea of fasting is throughout the Bible, and seeing as Catholics are really the only Christians to follow ancient traditions such as fasting, places of ashes (ancient Jewish tradition to show remorse or sorrow), burning incense etc… To me it lends to the Catholic Churches deep Sacred Tradition. The real question should be why is the importance of fasting rarely practiced in other denominations? Jesus fasted and insisted his disciples would fast when he was gone.

Saying it was done to help the fishing industry and the Church took a cut, I think is a way to attack the Church.

 

[super64]

mike,

The idea of fasting is throughout the Bible, and seeing as Catholics are really the only Christians to follow ancient traditions such as fasting, places of ashes (ancient Jewish tradition to show remorse or sorrow), burning incense etc… To me it lends to the Catholic Churches deep Sacred Tradition. The real question should be why is the importance of fasting rarely practiced in other denominations? Jesus fasted and insisted his disciples would fast when he was gone.
Saying it was done to help the fishing industry and the Church took a cut, I think is a way to attack the Church.

Good point. I don’t by the fishing thing either.

Scott

 

[I_A]

DIDACHE 8:

But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday).

Well fasting goes back to the times of the bible. The didache is considered the first Christian text and it tells us to fast on Friday.
earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html

From what others have told me in the west this included fasting from meat, carne in Latin. The definition of “carne” in Latin excludes fish so the laity took the liberty to eat fish. Fish’s symbolic nature to Christianity is an added bonus.

Of course thats just what I’ve heard from others and I havn’t done much research on it.

 

[Chipper]

super64:

Hello,

I’ve searched the boards and other web sights, but can’t find something concrete on when this tradition began. In reading ‘Catholism for Dummies’, it debunks the urban legend on having to do with a fishing business.(p300 Part IV: Practicing Catholicism through Devotions).

Can any one direct me to another resource(s). I beleive it was to respect the day Jesus gave up His flesh for us and would like to defend this to those who feel otherwise.

newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm
this site helps…any others?

Thanks for the help,

Scott

I’m at work right now, so I don’t have access to my book. But My book on the Catholic faith, says that abstaining from meat on Friday’s is traceable back to the first century.

It stated it in very profound way. Back in the early days of the church Friday was also known as the “Day of Crucifixation of our Lord”. This is the day his “FLESH” was nailed to the cross. As such the early christians didn’t want to eat any “Fleshy” meats on this day.

Ever since I read this I, no longer desire to eat anything fleshy on this day either.

Regards,
Calvin