Question regarding Lenten fasting

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I know no meat products on Fridays during Lent. What about meat by-products? Such as cheese and milk? Are they allowed or not?
 
Abstinence is giving up flesh (red meat–beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat, etc.). Milk and cheese are OK.

The Great Fast that the Orthodox undertake does eventually include cheese, milk, egss, even oil. They basically give up one additional thing each week, but I don’t know the order or any other details.
 
Remember it’s not just Lenten Fridays that you have to do penance.
 
Meat by-products are fine. We give up meat because it is considered a luxury - something the poor do not get to eat. So while the primary purpose is self-denial/mortification, it is also a reminder of how very fortunate we are! God bless!
 
PeteZaHut said:
Remember it’s not just Lenten Fridays that you have to do penance.
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But on non-lent Fridays, we can pick our own penance. That said, suppose one has chosen to give up meat as their Friday penance. Would they be required to perform an additional penance during the Fridays of Lent?
 
Sir_Knight said:
But on non-lent Fridays, we can pick our own penance. That said, suppose one has chosen to give up meat as their Friday penance. Would they be required to perform an additional penance during the Fridays of Lent?
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As far as I’m aware, the Lenten regulations do not stipulate that there be penace in addition to abstinence on Fridays of Lent, or in addition to fasting and abstinence on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. Having said that, one would hope we’re all doing additional penance during the entirety of Lent, not just the Fridays–and additional almsgiving and prayer, as well, for that matter–as we are strongly encouraged to do.
 
PS Condiments made from meat, such as lard, are allowed, as is gelatin (which is dissolved collagen, an animal product). I have read different things about liquids, but the sense I get is that clear broth is also not considered meat. Chicken stock could be used, for instance, but not sausage gravy with bits of meat in it.
 
EasterJoy said:
PS Condiments made from meat, such as lard, are allowed, as is gelatin (which is dissolved collagen, an animal product). I have read different things about liquids, but the sense I get is that clear broth is also not considered meat. Chicken stock could be used, for instance, but not sausage gravy with bits of meat in it.
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Yes. Pertinent both to this and to the OP question is the source of the current discipline, (1966)*Paenitemini *:
The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, the products of milk or condiments made of animal fat.
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tee
 
Down here, Long John Silvers, Red Lobster and the various Mexican sea food restaurants make a killing. What do is either have bean and cheese tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches or various forms of sea food. The sushi houses also see a huge spike. I also eat cheese pizza.
 
These are canon laws on the subject, as found at vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM
CHAPTER II.
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Days of Penance
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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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Can. 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. 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.
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Can. 1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.
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As the Jimmy Akin article treats very well, it would appear that the US bishops did not require a replacement penance when the year-round Friday penance of abstinence was removed for Fridays outside of Lent.

Having said that, canon law is clear on this: The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. We are bound to do some penance. “Each in his own way” implies self-examination for how to respond to this divine law. It is to be hoped, I would think, that doing the minimum that we think the official word of our bishops compels us to do is not the “each in his own way” that this passage envisioned. The Church has never taught a love of God that is so stingy.

The passage The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way also implies this: those without juridical authority to define these things would do well to practice self-examination. We may still instruct and admonish one another towards holiness, of course, but within the prudent boundaries of minding our own business when our opinion has not been asked for.
 
EasterJoy said:
These are canon laws on the subject, as found at vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM

As the Jimmy Akin article treats very well, it would appear that the US bishops did not require a replacement penance when the year-round Friday penance of abstinence was removed for Fridays outside of Lent.

Having said that, canon law is clear on this: The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. We are bound to do some penance. “Each in his own way” implies self-examination for how to respond to this divine law. It is to be hoped, I would think, that doing the minimum that we think the official word of our bishops compels us to do is not the “each in his own way” that this passage envisioned. The Church has never taught a love of God that is so stingy.

The passage The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way also implies this: those without juridical authority to define these things would do well to practice self-examination. We may still instruct and admonish one another towards holiness, of course, but within the prudent boundaries of minding our own business when our opinion has not been asked for.
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and of in the Sermon on the Mount one finds …the importance of going more than is required…of generosity …what Ratzinger referred to as the ‘law of excess’…👍 of going the extra mile…
 
Bookcat said:
in the USA …it is. so far as obligation goes.

but all fridays except solemities and holy days are days of penance…

jimmyakin.org/2004/07/more_on_friday_.html
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The Octave of Christmas and the Octave of Easter being included as solemnities, for this purpose.

It may be remembered, though, that work for the purpose of almsgiving is allowed on Sundays and solemnities, which are otherwise days of rest. This is why parishes may have work-intensive fund-raisers on Sundays. Therefore, works of charity are good ways to observe periods of solemnity, and especially Fridays that fall on solemnities.

Direct works of love allow us to have our penance, and feast on it, too!
 
EasterJoy said:
The Octave of Christmas and the Octave of Easter being included as solemnities, for this purpose.

It may be remembered, though, that work for the purpose of almsgiving is allowed on Sundays and solemnities, which are otherwise days of rest. This is why parishes may have work-intensive fund-raisers on Sundays. Therefore, works of charity are good ways to observe periods of solemnity, and especially Fridays that fall on solemnities.

Direct works of love allow us to have our penance, and feast on it, too!
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Holydays …are days of rest…

“solemnities”…that are not holy days are not…

just a claraficaton
 
Bookcat said:
Holydays …are days of rest…

“solemnities”…that are not holy days are not…

just a claraficaton
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Nevertheless, when a solemnity falls on a Friday, nothing stops us from giving extra alms or devoting ourselves to prayer, instead of fasting or abstaining, if we are so inclined.
 
benedictgal said:
Down here, Long John Silvers, Red Lobster and the various Mexican sea food restaurants make a killing. What do is either have bean and cheese tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches or various forms of sea food. The sushi houses also see a huge spike. I also eat cheese pizza.
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And over my way, fish tacos. (Yum)
 
benedictgal said:
Down here, Long John Silvers, Red Lobster and the various Mexican sea food restaurants make a killing. What do is either have bean and cheese tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches or various forms of sea food. The sushi houses also see a huge spike. I also eat cheese pizza.
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Going to Sushi houses might fulfill the letter of the law, bit I am not sure about the spirit. 😃
Honestly to me a charred burger is much more penance than a simple piece of grilled fish. :o
In my house we try to observe the no meat Friday all year around, but it difficult to keep the food simple and blend enough to consider eating it a penance.
 
DeniseFath said:
Meat by-products are fine. We give up meat because it is considered a luxury - something the poor do not get to eat. So while the primary purpose is self-denial/mortification, it is also a reminder of how very fortunate we are! God bless!
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correct me if i’m wrong, but meat is much cheaper nowadays than fish. compare a mcdonald’s hamburger to a filet-o-fish for one thing. even going to the gorcery store you’ll know that pound for pound, meat (especially pork and chicken) are cheaper than fish

in general, fish are more expensive unlike in Biblical times when its considered poor man’s food
 
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