Suggestion for Friday abstinence

[MikeDunphy]

Instead of eating lobsters or other expensive seafood, why not try eating carp?

Keeping meals simple on Friday is a reasonable idea, very consistent with an effort to keep the day penitential.

 

[MikeDunphy]

Friday abstinence is a traditional practice. Here is a quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia article on abstinence:
“From the dawn of Christianity, Friday has been signalized as an abstinence day, in order to do homage to the memory of Christ suffering and dying on that day of the week.”

Crescentinus;9443426:

Hence me posting it in the Traditional Catholicism subforum.

Okay you’ve lost me. On Fridays outside Lent we don’t have to abstain from anything, not even meat. However, we do have to perform some type of penance.
I’m not trying to be difficult but I don’t understand the point are you trying to make. Can you clarify?

 

[corsair]

I Fast and Abstain on every Friday of the year because I CHOOSE to. Its my way of following the older norms of the church.

 

[DaveBj]

I Fast and Abstain on every Friday of the year because I CHOOSE to. Its my way of following the older norms of the church.

And now you’ve just told e-e-e-everybody about your fasting and abstinence. No brownie points for you

 

[thistle]

Friday abstinence is a traditional practice. Here is a quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia article on abstinence:
“From the dawn of Christianity, Friday has been signalized as an abstinence day, in order to do homage to the memory of Christ suffering and dying on that day of the week.”

I know the purpose of the Friday penance. What I am saying is that in most countries (including the US) you do NOT have to abstain from eating meat on Fridays outside Lent. You are free to choose any penance you want to do.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I know the purpose of the Friday penance. What I am saying is that in most countries (including the US) you do NOT have to abstain from eating meat on Fridays outside Lent. You are free to choose any penance you want to do.

The UK brought back year-round Friday abstinence because I believe it remains the NORM for the universal Church. I think the US may do the same soon because while the purpose of being ‘free to choose a penance’ was certainly made with good intentions, a rather LARGE segment of Catholics today thinks that non-Lenten Fridays don’t require ANYTHING. No ‘other penance’, no abstention, zip, zilch, nada.

At a time when our Catholic identity has become very fragmented, it might be worthwhile to foster a more unified gesture (which I believe is a major reason why the UK Catholic bishops chose to reinstitute the practice).

For many people, Friday abstinence year round would be a pretty reasonable penance. (Personally, I detest fish so it is a penance to give up meat any day, even with the price of meat increasing. After all, grains, eggs, milk, cheese, fruits and vegetable prices–fish too- are going up as well! I’m not saving money giving up meat by any means. )

For those who don’t eat meat anyway, it would be helpful that THEY could be told, specifically, something like, "since you already abstain from meat, choose one of these THREE penances : say a five decade rosary (prayer and ‘mental penance’), spend one-half hour doing some kind of volunteer work --weeding a garden of an elderly neighbor, knitting for the poor, serving at a soup kitchen etc. (-a ‘physical’ penance), or spend one-half hour writing a blog post about Christian witness, volunteering to teach a CCD class, etc.–(a public WITNESS penance). That would cover just about every possible area --a person who is homebound could always pray; a person who needs ‘tangible’ deeds can always do the physical penance, and those who feel the world needs more evangelization can do the witness penance. Since the Church parishes often use the ‘time, talent, and treasure’ ideas, those would work well with what people are accustomed to seeing and hearing at their regular parish. I’m sure the bishops would be able to come up with probably even better ideas (not hard), but until then, IF people aren’t aware of the need for Friday penance, Friday year round abstinence for non vegetarians MIGHT be a good way to get people into the habit of penance. People can always add on extra penance!

 

[thistle]

The UK brought back year-round Friday abstinence because I believe it remains the NORM for the universal Church. I think the US may do the same soon because while the purpose of being ‘free to choose a penance’ was certainly made with good intentions, a rather LARGE segment of Catholics today thinks that non-Lenten Fridays don’t require ANYTHING. No ‘other penance’, no abstention, zip, zilch, nada.

At a time when our Catholic identity has become very fragmented, it might be worthwhile to foster a more unified gesture (which I believe is a major reason why the UK Catholic bishops chose to reinstitute the practice).

For many people, Friday abstinence year round would be a pretty reasonable penance. (Personally, I detest fish so it is a penance to give up meat any day, even with the price of meat increasing. After all, grains, eggs, milk, cheese, fruits and vegetable prices–fish too- are going up as well! I’m not saving money giving up meat by any means. )

For those who don’t eat meat anyway, it would be helpful that THEY could be told, specifically, something like, "since you already abstain from meat, choose one of these THREE penances : say a five decade rosary (prayer and ‘mental penance’), spend one-half hour doing some kind of volunteer work --weeding a garden of an elderly neighbor, knitting for the poor, serving at a soup kitchen etc. (-a ‘physical’ penance), or spend one-half hour writing a blog post about Christian witness, volunteering to teach a CCD class, etc.–(a public WITNESS penance). That would cover just about every possible area --a person who is homebound could always pray; a person who needs ‘tangible’ deeds can always do the physical penance, and those who feel the world needs more evangelization can do the witness penance. Since the Church parishes often use the ‘time, talent, and treasure’ ideas, those would work well with what people are accustomed to seeing and hearing at their regular parish. I’m sure the bishops would be able to come up with probably even better ideas (not hard), but until then, IF people aren’t aware of the need for Friday penance, Friday year round abstinence for non vegetarians MIGHT be a good way to get people into the habit of penance. People can always add on extra penance!

That’s why I said most countries as I know some require abstaining from meat. As for the UK I notice in several threads there is some debate as to whether abstaining Fridays is a requirement or a recommendation. Has that debate been resolved. Also I assume you mean England and not Scotland.

 

[thebookofesther]

Okay you’ve lost me. On Fridays outside Lent we don’t have to abstain from anything, not even meat. However, we do have to perform some type of penance.
I’m not trying to be difficult but I don’t understand the point are you trying to make. Can you clarify?

Code of canon law in 1982 did not abrogate not eating meat on fridays it is still recommended to give up meat, but for some reason if you are not able to, you are to give up something else or give an act of charity.

 

[thistle]

Code of canon law in 1982 did not abrogate not eating meat on fridays it is still recommended to give up meat, but for some reason if you are not able to, you are to give up something else or give an act of charity.

Not “for some reason”. The Bishops Conference in each country is allowed by Canon Law to decide the form of penance and in most (not all) countries they decided abstaining from meat is not mandatory but any penance may be chosen, of which abstaining is one.

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.

Can. 1253 The Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

 

[DaveBj]

Actually, I think that eating the mystery meat patties that come in the frozen lunches that I have when I’m at work ought to be considered a penitential act

 

[Mrs_Sally]

No need to eat any kind of fish or seafood at all. Have cheese pizza or a salad. We ate tuna cassarole often on Fridays growing up, but now my family usually has peanut butter at lunch and spaghetti for dinner.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

My point is, I recall some stories odd stories about abstinence. Before Vatican II, there were those who did abstain from meat on Fridays but they bought more expensive seafoods such as lobsters. Odd thing is, even after Vatican II, there are still those who do buy more expensive seafoods. I am simply offering an alternative to lobsters or other expensive seafoods. In some parts of the eastern United States, carp is cheap. In California, Humboldt squid had become cheaper when the Humboldt squid invaded California.

Lobster and other shellfish used to be very inexpensive. In fact, so much so that it was fed to prisoners in New England.

However, the broader point is that we are to abstain from meat (flesh) as a rememberance of Christ giving up his life (flesh) for us on Good Friday. There has never been any rule that we must eat fish, or that if we do it has to cost under a certain amount.

 

[Crescentinus]

Lobster and other shellfish used to be very inexpensive. In fact, so much so that it was fed to prisoners in New England.

However, the broader point is that we are to abstain from meat (flesh) as a rememberance of Christ giving up his life (flesh) for us on Good Friday. There has never been any rule that we must eat fish, or that if we do it has to cost under a certain amount.

Indeed. However, there is a reason why I suggested for an alternative and that is for those who can’t afford expensive seafood like lobsters or for those who are saving up money.

 

[Lesley68]

The point is that we abstain from meat, which does not mean that we have to eat fish

A cheese sandwich, baked potatoe with beans, marmite on toast, are all non meat and non fish and much cheaper than fish