The weight of Lenten fasting

  • Thread starter Thread starter nfinke
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
N

nfinke

Guest
So yesterday my wife turned down an offer from my father in law to go get some tacos. After explaining, he (a southern Baptist) said something along the lines of “so if I eat meat today I’m going to hell? Catholics crack me up”.

Now I know the Catholic rules on fasting don’t apply to non-catholics. But how authoritarian is it? Seeing as it is just a tradition based on Jesus’ fast in the desert, I would be surprised if we considered eating meat on a Friday in lent to be a mortal sin. Is that the case? Is it a venial sin? Is it a sin at all? Or just as far as violating the rule of the church?
 
The sin would be disobedience, not eating meat per se. Scripture explicitly commands us to obey the elders of the Church.

Also…what happened to fish tacos?
 
You see, here is the thing…

I don’t think most Catholics that fast during Lent do it because they are thinking about whether they are going to hell or not from it. They do it because they understand about sacrifice and giving up things to unite us to Jesus during his 40 days in the desert.

I have never in all my years thought “I can’t eat this or I will go to hell.”
 
I’d have gone along, ordered fish tacos or veggie or bean and rice.
 
Last edited:
It’s not about the rule in and of itself. No regulation came down from God Himself to say “Thou shalt not eat meat on Fridays during Lent.” Rather, the practice of abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent is for spiritual purification. Jesus calls us to repentance and penance, particularly during this season of Lent, in which we try to transform ourselves more closely into the image of Christ. One of the ways that we do this is by sacrificing certain things that we enjoy (like meat) so that we can channel our energies more toward God and our spirituality. We, as Christians, undertake this practice on Fridays to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, which occurred on a Friday. This is even more heightened during the season of Lent, which, as I said, is an especial time for sacrificing the things we enjoy. To make sure that we actually do this and are not lazy, the Church has established an official rule/regulation that we must abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent. But, as I said, it is not about just following a rule or we will go to hell. It has nothing to do with hell. It has to do with simply safeguarding an important spiritual practice and ensuring that we all take the time to do it during this very important season.

May God bless you all with a transformative Lent! 🙂
 
nfinke said:
“so if I eat meat today I’m going to hell? Catholics crack me up”
Click to expand...
“If I eat bacon today I’m going to hell? Jews crack me up”

But I’d bet he’d agree that one was true…
 
Last edited:
The divine law requires us to do penance, especially fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. In light of the governing or shepherding authority granted by Christ to the Church’s pastors to act in His name, the Church enjoins certain seasons and days of penance, as well as certain penances to ensure we do this and, by us all doing it together, we can help bear each other’s burdens, as Christ commands.

In this light, to deliberately choose not to participate is clearly an act contrary to charity–love of God and love of neighbor–which is what a mortal sin is. But just like any Church discipline, there can be justified excuses.
 
Last edited:
Remind him, Christ said “WHEN you fast” not “IF you fast”. He expects it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top