Practicing Abstinence Every Friday?

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Regarding the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays [outside of lent (not currently required in the United States)]:

I am curious how many “traditionalist” posters here DO NOT observe the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays outside of lent? If not, why not?
And which “non-traditionalist” posters DO?

Since this past Lent, I have been observing the meatless Fridays and fasting from my normal liquids (only drinking water) and have really found it beneficial in my sacrificial and spiritual life.
I was inspired to begin the practice for myself while reading this forum (in particular on the abstinence subject) and seeing this blog post this past March: newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-do-catholics-abstain-from-meat.html

I am glad I did, and plan to continue to do so.
Thank you to each of you for being an inspiration in my life!
 
I have started to not eat meat on other days. So I figure that abstaining on a Friday is not that beneficial. I would like to eventually just take bread and water on a Friday though.
I currently say extra prayers as my Friday penance or limit food consumption
 
Big_Feet said:
Since this past Lent, I have been observing the meatless Fridays and fasting from my normal liquids (only drinking water) and have really found it beneficial in my sacrificial and spiritual life.

I am glad I did, and plan to continue to do so.
Thank you to each of you for being an inspiration in my life!
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Awesome!

I do abstain on Fridays and sometimes Wednesdays as well. A couple of times, it completely slipped my mind!
 
I abstain from meat on *most *Fridays but only if it will not cause problems for others. If I can’t, I abstain from something else.
 
I have pretty much routinely abstained from meat every Friday since the dark ages. Back when they made the change in the rule for the U.S., we were supposedly allowed to pick some other penance or pious action. But in practice, most people gave up the Friday abstinence and substituted nothing. So it was simpler just to stay with it.
 
Why would you abstain from eating meat on Fridays after Lent? I’m just curious. 🙂
 
catholicanne said:
Why would you abstain from eating meat on Fridays after Lent? I’m just curious. 🙂
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The Church has designated all Fridays (unless they are solemnities) as days of abstinence. The traditional abstinence is from meat, and that is still highly favored by the Church. However, individual diocese or conferences of Bishops can call for a substitute penance. For a lot of us, just sticking with meatless Fridays is easier than trying to decide what to give up each week. 😃 Others appreciate the traditional aspect.
 
catholicanne said:
Why would you abstain from eating meat on Fridays after Lent? I’m just curious. 🙂
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It is a right to participate in a penitential practice on the day of our Lord’s suffering (Friday), and the Church instructs us to do so. The Church had practiced for years a mandatory abstinence from meat every Friday of the year as this penitential practice. Only in recent years (since 1960’s or 70s) have certain faithful (certain areas of the world) been able to substitute abstinence with other practices.

From the linked blog in my previous post:
Canon Law states that abstinence from meat is to be observed (by the faithful who are fourteen and up) on all Fridays throughout the year, unless the Episcopal Conference substitutes some other food [cf. Can. 1251, 1252].
In the United States, and in many parts of the world, the bishops have allowed the faithful to make some other sacrifice on Fridays outside of Lent (rather than having to give up meat, they may abstain from some other food). Still, the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays is maintained throughout the season of Lent.
The Church requires by law that, “Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.” [Can. 1252]
Now, when was the last time you heard a priest or parent explain the true meaning of abstinence from meat? Why aren’t people being taught the tradition of the Church?
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Big_Feet said:
Regarding the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays [outside of lent (not currently required in the United States)]:

I am curious how many “traditionalist” posters here DO NOT observe the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays outside of lent? If not, why not?
And which “non-traditionalist” posters DO?

Since this past Lent, I have been observing the meatless Fridays and** fasting from my normal liquids (only drinking water) **and have really found it beneficial in my sacrificial and spiritual life.
I was inspired to begin the practice for myself while reading this forum (in particular on the abstinence subject) and seeing this blog post this past March: newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-do-catholics-abstain-from-meat.html

I am glad I did, and plan to continue to do so.
Thank you to each of you for being an inspiration in my life!
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I need to do better with this. Soda is a weakness of mine 😊
 
catholicanne said:
Why would you abstain from eating meat on Fridays after Lent? I’m just curious. 🙂
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Can. 1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.
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Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
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Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
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The US Bishop allow Catholics to substitue another form of penance on Fridays outside of Lent, but the universal ‘norm’ is to abstain from meat.

Our parish’s associate pastor abstains on Wed and Fridays. He eats only bread and drinks only water. (this is a OF priest)
 
De_Montfort said:
I need to do better with this. Soda is a weakness of mine 😊
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Yes, a weakness of mine, too! I have given up sodas nearly completely, due to diet, but on Fridays I give up even the un-sweetened iced tea that I normally drink.
 
Why don’t more churches teach this then? I was always under the impression that no-meat Fridays only happened during Lent. Is this something only traditional Catholics do?
 
Indyann said:
It applies to all Catholics.
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Hmmm…

Well thank you for answering my question. If it applies to all Catholics then it applies to me too. I shall be abstaining from eating meat on Fridays.
 
catholicanne said:
Why don’t more churches teach this then? I was always under the impression that no-meat Fridays only happened during Lent. Is this something only traditional Catholics do?
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Good question about our priests not teaching this, though, I cannot answer this.

As for “only traditional Catholics” participating in this…well, I am not a “traditionalist” (I do not regularly attend the EF of the mass) but I consider myself a good Catholic, attempting to live my life in the fullness of the Catholic Christian faith. So, in that respect I consider myself a “traditional Catholic.” And yes, if one adheres to the laws of the Church, one must do some sort of penitential act on all Fridays that are not solemnities. I, personally at this point, have decided to participate in the universal standard of abstaining from meat these days. This I have found spiritually beneficial to me (and If you read the blog post I included a link to above about the real reason that meat and meat product was the choice of the ancient church for this fast, it has been helpful for me in those areas as well).
 
catholicanne said:
Indyann;9386094:
It applies to all Catholics.
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Hmmm…

Well thank you for answering my question. If it applies to all Catholics then it applies to me too. I shall be abstaining from eating meat on Fridays.
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Well, in the United States, only the abstinence from some type of food is required, not necessarily meat, as was prescribed many years ago.
Please, I encourage you to take this to prayer and prayerfully decide what is best for you to do within your own life. Maybe even take it to a spiritual advisor.
Remember, Sometimes abstaining from meat or other foods is not good for one’s health.
 
Yes, I abstain from eating meat on fridays since I read it was a formal requirement before. I also don´t have anything sweet in rememberance of our Lords bitter passion. It´s a good mortification, increases piety.
I also fast on mondays, no food intake, just liquids water, tea and coffee - no sugar. I have tried - unluckily - to start a thread on this, as I too am curious if others still fast. I heard a homily once where a priest encouraged it, since then I have practised it.
 
All traditional Catholics abstain year round. No FSSP or ICKSP parishioner would EVER think of eatting meat on Fridays. Our new ordo issued by Rome that applies to all PCED parishes clearly says this.
 
Jacob_Dominic said:
All traditional Catholics abstain year round. No FSSP or ICKSP parishioner would EVER think of eatting meat on Fridays. Our new ordo issued by Rome that applies to all PCED parishes clearly says this.
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Or at least most try. No one is perfect.
 
Hmmm. I consider myself traditional rather than traditionalist. I attend my local parish which offers only the OF, but I do abstain from meat every Friday. In certain cases, where charity to a host or guest dictates, I will eat meat, but that doesn’t happen very often.

It is a relatively easy penancefor me, but nonetheless, it does remind me of the day and Our Lord’s sacrifice.
 
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