The Disaster of "Optional" Friday Abstinence

[drforjc]

Removing the Friday abstinence rule has, regardless of the penance aspect, done enormous damage to Catholic identity. This rule helped people identify with the larger Catholic community. It made them “different,” in a way. Not necessarily “ghettoized,” but different.

 

[slyboots]

For years we have maintained the abstainence rule of no meat on Fridays for our family. Oddly this has led to some situations. One time our friends knowing our no meat Friday policy lovingly prepared a gourmet salmon meal with shrimp kabobs to help us out, Crab legs and tilapia have been served to us at frineds homes.
I live in a land locked state, a beef/pork producing state. It’s much cheaper to eat these meats than to eat most fish here.
However, as someone rightly said, it’s not about fish instead of meat. It’s about penance.
So, in keeping with that how about eating extremely simply? Veggie soups and grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, PJB sandwiches, mac and cheese, beans and cornbread, fishsticks, tuna casserole…you know, the foods we ate as kids in the 50’s and 60’s on Fridays. Is this so hard? If you are on a diet and most of us are, salads with hard boiled eggs for that protein.
Then with the money you save on the Friday meals, put extra in the poor box. Easy. And make sure your children (and grandkids) know what the deal is. Simple meals for us, help the poor and most of all remember Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us.

 

[Genesis315]

Quite aware of that, thank you.

But when you do heavy physical labor and are used to a protien based diet a can of stringbeens-- not free, by the way-- wasn’t much of a substitute.

For us, it was a genuine hardship, whereas for the average New Englander, it was no penance at all. It had no impact on the lives of many, but a big one on ours. The burden was not universally shared, and so not appropriate for the Universal Church.

So basically you were sanctified by it more than anyone else . You should rejoice, not complain. Self-denial is the way to salvation . Rather than being envious of those did not embrace the spirit of the law and who had an easy way, you should have pity on them…

 

[ethelzguy]

Removing the Friday abstinence rule has, regardless of the penance aspect, done enormous damage to Catholic identity. This rule helped people identify with the larger Catholic community. It made them “different,” in a way. Not necessarily “ghettoized,” but different.

Nonetheless, it is still a tradition that many Catholics CHOOSE to uphold.

Cheese enchiladas, bean burritos, and a margarita are hard to beat on a Friday evening !

 

[DL82]

As a vegetarian, the idea of abstaining from meat as my Friday penance would be pretty pointless! The idea is to substitute something else, but some people have been poorly informed about that rule. I usually adopt a vegan diet on Fridays, which doesn’t make a huge difference except no chocolate and no milk on my morning cereal occasionally reminds me why I’m doing it.

I don’t really see how abstaining from meat one day a week is much of a penance? Most people don’t eat meat every single day anyway. In fact, fish is often more expensive than meat anyway, and tastes just as good. I can understand how the fish rule gave Catholics an important historical symbol, but not much more. Besides, it’s still there as an option if you choose to practice it.

 

[rhiamom]

My husband is a cradle Catholic, and his complaint about Lent and Friday penance was that most of the time it was no penance at all. You got to go out and eat shrimp or lobster instead of having meat loaf at home. This is a sacrifice? In our home area a number of the parishes do fish fry Fridays all through Lent. Then that is no longer a penance, either, but a social event and money-maker for the parish. Even after the Friday penance rule changed, I think every school cafeteria in the country still served fish sticks on Fridays.

What my husband doesn’t know is that he is practicing meatless Fridays again. I don’t mention it to him, but simply serve him meatless meals. For example, tomato soup with grilled cheese for lunch, and salmon for dinner. He hasn’t noticed.

 

[Lisa44]

What my husband doesn’t know is that he is practicing meatless Fridays again. I don’t mention it to him, but simply serve him meatless meals. For example, tomato soup with grilled cheese for lunch, and salmon for dinner. He hasn’t noticed.

I don’t know if I that would work with my husband, he’s like the lady in the commercial “where’s the beef!?”

 

[Lisa44]

I think that’s the problem, also.

I’m a convert, and didn’t learn about the Friday penance (outside of Lent) until I started googling other things Catholic on the internet.

I’ve met plenty of good, devout Catholics who are/were as surprised as I was that there’s a Friday penance. It’s pretty much glossed over in the Catechism (only one very small blurb that specifies “Lent and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord” CCC 1438); I’ve never seen it mentioned in a Church bulletin (not even my TLM bulletin); and I’ve never seen a reminder from the Bishops.

Most Catholics that I know, even the semi-practicing ones, generally follow the Friday penance during Lent and on Ash Wednesday.

I think that past 40 or so years have been very poor when it comes to catechesis. But I think we all agree about that.

Ditto that. We’re not supposed to eat meat on Fridays?
My RCIA focused almost solely on doctrine. The practical aspects of Mass or the day to day life of being a Catholic…?

I just found out the other day that Catholics have a daily prayer book called Liturgy of the hours. Catholics pray everyday?

I’m learning… I’m gona give up meat on Fridays and find one of these prayer books and pray daily! It’s always nice to find out what you’re supposed to be doing isn’t it?

 

[EasterJoy]

Removing the Friday abstinence rule has, regardless of the penance aspect, done enormous damage to Catholic identity. This rule helped people identify with the larger Catholic community. It made them “different,” in a way. Not necessarily “ghettoized,” but different.

Friday abstinence isn’t the only thing that changed. There used to be the Corpus Christi processions (this existed in my home parish long after the Mass changed to English), 40-hours devotions, devotion to the rosary increasing in May and October, other Marian devotions, and so on. But, at the same time, prayer was taken out of schools, and so there was an entire sphere from which religion was removed…that is a big part of a kid’s day.

All of this makes it difficult to sort out what changes were causative and which ones weren’t. Also, diets have changed a lot. When we go without meat during Lent, my kids hardly notice, because it is not uncommon for us to eat meatless meals at other times during the week.

I think it is clear that the place of meatless Fridays in the bigger picture is not trivial to sort out.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

I don’t understand what there is to be upset about or call a disaster?

This isn’t like a change in mass or tearing out communion rails.

Nobody is forcing you to do or not do anything. If meatless Fridays are that important to you, then go meatless on Friday!

The point of the article, though, is that meatless Fridays are important to you, perhaps precisely if you don’t think they are! It’s not an argument that “meatless Fridays is the ideal and only way for a Catholic to live out a properly penitential life,” but that the bishops not only took out a huge cultural placeholder that drew even the lukewarm into the corporate penance of the Church - they also didn’t replace it! That meant there was no longer any help in the cultivation of penance, and indeed next to no encouragement. The bare fact of the matter is that if you leave penance up to individuals, even those who on the balance strive to do well and serve God, it simply won’t get done. Having a mandatory penance, even if not equally suited to all individuals, helps create a culture of penance that is of service to all, as opposed to only those in the best shape helping themselves through voluntary acts.

As a vegetarian, the idea of abstaining from meat as my Friday penance would be pretty pointless!

I don’t really see how abstaining from meat one day a week is much of a penance? Most people don’t eat meat every single day anyway.

You’re absolutely right that if meatless is normal you should go above and beyond.

BUT

Even if meatless Friday isn’t a physical hardship for someone, the rule introduces an element of intentionality to the mix. Say I normally only eat meat 4 nights a week (which would be ridiculous for much of the Midwest where, on both sides of my family supper was “meat and potatoes”), if I find I want meat on Friday I have to stop and say “No, not today - why not today? - because Christ died for me and I must acknowledge that today.” I don’t feel weak, I’m only slightly “put out,” but the rule turned my mind to Christ’s sacrifice and made me alter my life accordingly - it did it’s job.

 

[dove51]

I agree with you. So many people seem to think it was just done away with, rather than just changed up a bit to include other forms of penance.

 

[tcraig]

And yet the U.S. bishops have several times “recommended” the traditional Friday abstinence.

usccb.org/dpp/penitential.htm

Another helpful link:
wf-f.org/FastandAbstinence.html

Most people don’t go online to check out the latest update of the USCCB.

I’ve never seen anything on Friday penance outside of Lent in the bulletin of any church I’ve attended - whether EF or OF (TLM or NO).

It’s as if regular Friday penance is an “underground” type of thing. It’s not advertised or spoken of.

 

[Jennifer_G]

Ditto that. We’re not supposed to eat meat on Fridays?
My RCIA focused almost solely on doctrine. The practical aspects of Mass or the day to day life of being a Catholic…?

Yeah, they never really mentioned non-Lenten Fridays that I remember (maybe they did, but it might’ve been really brief).

I just found out the other day that Catholics have a daily prayer book called Liturgy of the hours. Catholics pray everyday?

:yup: I thought about trying to do the Liturgy of the Hours a decade ago, and thought it was rather long.

matins - Said during the middle of the night (or upon waking if you choose to wake up at 3-4am, and is the longest set of prayers/readings.)
lauds - Prayer said around daybreak (or 6am).
prime - No longer used.
tierce - A short mid-morning prayer.
sext - A short noontime prayer.
nones - (pronounced like home) a short mid-afternoon prayer.
vespers - I think this is one of the more well-known prayers that you hear about. It’s an evening (dusk) prayer.
compline - Nighttime prayer (around 9ish - before going to sleep).

I’m learning… I’m gona give up meat on Fridays and find one of these prayer books and pray daily! It’s always nice to find out what you’re supposed to be doing isn’t it?

Same here. Maybe I’ll say the basic Liturgy of the Hours (Lauds, Vespers and Compline) for Friday penance. I’m just not sure how long they take, though.

 

[Chatter163]

Most people don’t go online to check out the latest update of the USCCB.

I’ve never seen anything on Friday penance outside of Lent in the bulletin of any church I’ve attended - whether EF or OF (TLM or NO).

It’s as if regular Friday penance is an “underground” type of thing. It’s not advertised or spoken of.

That was precisely my point. It is why I put quotes around “recommended.” They issue statements like that so that they may go on record, but beyond that say and do little. :banghead:

 

[drforjc]

Nonetheless, it is still a tradition that many Catholics CHOOSE to uphold.

Cheese enchiladas, bean burritos, and a margarita are hard to beat on a Friday evening !

Yep, I follow it almost always- with very occasionally “substituting.”

 

[SimonArizona]

What is the point of abstaining from meat, but then having a lobster?

 

[ethelzguy]

What is the point of abstaining from meat, but then having a lobster?

That’s why God created Tuna Casserole. True penance.

 

[Ann_Stanton]

In the past, schools, hospitals, and other institutions offered a meat-less option on Fridays. This no longer happens even during Lent. We can have all the education and reminders, but still have a problem with the Friday penance. In the school system that I work for, does not tell Muslims, Hindus, etc.that the meat offered at school is forbidden by their religion. During Lent, tuna and non-meat meals are offered any day except Friday. When the cafeteria is asked to provide meal options for various religous groups, they tell us that they don’t have to offer those types of meal and don’t have to tell consumers what they are being serves. So, I am in favor of creating a new form of penance.

 

[lak611]

What is the point of abstaining from meat, but then having a lobster?

That’s why God created Tuna Casserole. True penance.

Neither of those is a penance for me. I love seafood, fish, tuna casserole, pasta with marinara sauce, Boca Burgers, tofu, etc.

I cannot stand any form of pork, so needing to eat pork would truly be penitential for me!

 

[ethelzguy]

In the past, schools, hospitals, and other institutions offered a meat-less option on Fridays. This no longer happens even during Lent. We can have all the education and reminders, but still have a problem with the Friday penance. In the school system that I work for, does not tell Muslims, Hindus, etc.that the meat offered at school is forbidden by their religion. During Lent, tuna and non-meat meals are offered any day except Friday. When the cafeteria is asked to provide meal options for various religous groups, they tell us that they don’t have to offer those types of meal and don’t have to tell consumers what they are being serves. So, I am in favor of creating a new form of penance.

When I was in Basic Training, fish on Friday was a given, regardless of your religious background. On the other hand, raising kids in the Bible Belt in the 70’s, we were frequently subjected to fish sticks on Wednesdays and hot dogs on Fridays. Seems our Southern Baptist bretheren may have been having a little fun at our expense.