To Meat or not to Meat, that is my question

[Mike_Dye]

We don’t eat meat of Friday, I have always thought it funny to have shrimp instead of hotdogs as a penance though !

 

[Forest-Pine]

Excerpts from an article I wrote on the subject:

To Eat or Not to Eat; Meat is the Question

Most Catholics raised prior to Vatican II remember meatless Fridays not only in Lent, but all through the year. A fading tradition, many people (Catholics as well as Protestants) have never experienced it, and many more do not even remember why we had this tradition in the first place.

What even fewer seem to know is that canon law still requires us to abstain from eating red meat on regular Fridays throughout the year.

Here in the US, we have a small loophole in that we are allowed to substitute another Friday sacrifice if we do not abstain. It is a highly controversial subject, with many calling for an end to the archaic practice even in Lent, and others appealing for a re-instation of this sorely needed reminder.

Despite the roiling controversy, the public remains substantially unaware of the canonical obligations, the historical background, and the vivid symbology surrounding this long-standing tradition.

Friday being the day Jesus suffered and died for our salvation, it has been set aside in the Church as a day of penance to remember Jesus’ passion since the earliest days of Christianity. On this day, we spend time contemplating the sufferings and death of Jesus to prepare ourselves for his Sunday resurrection. We examine our consciences. We ask forgiveness of our neighbors and of God for our sins. We strengthen our faith and ourselves by performing acts of penance. Foremost among these penitential acts are the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the observance of fasting and abstention, the performance of works of mercy and charity, almsgiving, and prayer. Indeed, Jesus himself underlined the need for us to pray, fast, and give alms in Matthew 6. Canon law 1250 clearly states that fasting and abstinence are to be observed “every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.”

While the USCCB has excused us from the specific obligation of abstaining from meat on regular Fridays throughout the year, we are still required to show some sort of sacrifice on each Friday, and they encourage Catholics to abstain as this sacrifice.

Many Catholics, citing the request of the late John Cardinal O’Connor, have renewed the tradition of Friday abstinence with a single cause in mind: they offer their suffering up to the Lord in a combined effort to end abortion. It is appropriate that they use this day of penitence to atone for the sins of others, lament the culture of death, re-dedicate their own lives to such counter-cultural practices as natural family planning, and honor the innocent lives who were so brutishly taken from this world.

The good that is created through Friday abstinence–unity with our Catholic brothers and sisters through history and across the globe, a strengthening of faith, a remembrance of Jesus’ passion, a witnessing to the world, a strengthening of discipline, and an avoidance of leading others into sin–has a clear tradition in scripture, in history, and in faith. How the vibrant symbolism of such a simple act of self-control and self-denial could be forgotten in so little a time is disappointing. Our communities need us to be united in our joys and our sorrows, our country needs us to be united in the cause of social goals, the world needs us to stand in solidarity with them and witness to the atoning blood of Christ. The simple solution is to continue doing what we have done all along: set ourselves right with our fellow man and with God each Friday so that we can properly rejoice in the Good News on Sunday morning.

 

[Forest-Pine]

choirgirl:

Question: What do vegitarians do on Fridays during Lent?

Don’t eat meat. While a vegetarian would not be held to any stricter regulations than everyone else, it would be logical that a vegetarian have another form of penance. (While giving up tofu is the obvious literal equivalent, it is not the same thing. We eat bloodless meals to remember the blood Jesus spilled on Friday. Tofu has no such equivalency.) Here is a short list of penances:

Fasting Prayer Almsgiving Abstinence Tears of Repentance

Concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor

Reconciliation with one’s neighbor

Intercession of the saints Practice of charity Works of Mercy

Fraternal correction Revision of life Examination of conscience

Acceptance of suffering Endurance of persecution

Reading Sacred Scripture Missionary Works Attending Mass

Pilgrimage Attending the Stations of the Cross

Asceticism Defense of Justice

Development of a penitential spirit

Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Witnessing to a Christian way of life

 

[Forest-Pine]

ICXCNIKA:

I abstain from meat because it is a lot easier than some other penances, like being nice to people or doing an act of kindness or giving my last dollar to that stinky, greasy fellow in the park.

Sure, I’ll eat bar b que’d salmon on Friday. No problem.

MaryAgnes:

And this seems penetential to you???

ICXCNIKA:

Just kidding. Sheesh.

Mike Dye:

We don’t eat meat of Friday, I have always thought it funny to have shrimp instead of hotdogs as a penance though !

Penance
Despite the fact that a feast of any sort goes against the spirit of penitence, an American who decides to patronize the All-You-Can-Eat Super Seafood Buffet on Friday evenings can be credited for joining the worldwide community of believers who are keeping a bloodless day. By making a conscious effort to plan and choose a non-meat meal on a regular basis, he is disciplining himself. He has to remember the passion, the Blood of the Sacrificed Lamb, and the sufferings of Jesus on the cross in order to put the thought into making this weekly decision. By keeping this tradition, he reminds not only himself, but also his family, his fellow diners, and the restaurateurs what is really important in life: he encourages all he comes in contact with to contemplate the atoning blood of Jesus instead of the spilled blood of a cow (or the hungry gurglings of a stomach!) By participating in this communal act of penance, he is reconciling himself with God and with his fellow man.

Social Justice
It is important that we do all we can to support our brothers and sisters in Christ in their struggles, to preach the Gospel of the Sacrificed Lamb with our actions and our words, and to remain in unity with the people of faith, throughout history and in modernity. It is not only they who benefit, though. By abstaining, we are forcing schools, restaurants, and other institutions to take note of the power of Catholicism. Have you noticed that every fast-food restaurant has a fish sandwich in Lent? The grocery stores run specials on seafood? The soup of the day is all of a sudden Clam Chowder? That is united Catholic action at work. This show of solidarity has an impact much larger than on fast food menus. It was the Knights of Columbus who pushed the “One Nation Under God” wording of the pledge through Congress. It is the Catholic theory of *jus ad bellum, *or the right to wage a “just war,” that shaped not only the US’, but also many other international legal statutes. While Catholicism is the greatest single denomination in the United States, we have a very small historical footprint in our country’s governmental policies. Social change can be effected through spiritual unity.We need to show this unity in our everyday lives, not just when something big or important arises. Congress needs to know that we are here, we believe in what we preach, and we are willing to put our money where our mouths are. If we cannot unite in our thoughts, actions, and prayers on a single day of the week, we will not ever gain the social and political strength we are capable of attaining.

 

[happycamper]

Great thread, alot of “Food” for thought (and action) on penance of Fridays and penance in general.

Thank you all very much.

 

[Loboto-Me]

Forest-Pine,

That was a wonderful post! That’s one of the reasons why I have kept the “traditional” penance… other than being unimaginative. I find that I am in unity with all other Catholics on fridays, and I am an active witness in my community by doing this.

 

[thistle]

Am I correct in saying there is a difference bewteen fasting and abstaining? My understanding is that we should not eat meat on Fridays (i.e. we abstain from meat but otherwise eat all our normal meals) whereas we have to fast on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday (i.e. we should not eat our normal meals, unless young, old or sick, and in the strictest sense eat only bread and water or at the least only have one proper meal).
One thing that is not clear to me is whether on Fridays we also should not eat any dairy products, milk, butter, cheese, for example, because they come from the animals we normally eat but are abstaining from on Fridays. I read this in the online Catholic Encyclopedia.

 

[Forest-Pine]

Good questions, Thistle. You got the definitions and time frames correct between fasting (eating little) and abstaining (avoiding certain foods). The Eastern and Western rites within the church have different traditions concerning fasting and abstaining. In the Eastern church you are fasting about half the year! And they regularly abstain from dairy, eggs, and meat (I believe, I’m no expert). In the Latin Rite, we only abstain from the meat of warm blooded animals (chicken, pork, lamb, beef, etc). The New Advent encyclopedia is very helpful, but also VERY outdated. While a good resource, don’t take it as the be-all-end-all. (I didn’t realize this for some time. Many of the articles were written a century ago.)

 

[thistle]

Thanks for the tip about the dated online encyclopedia.
I’ve ordered the Catholic Encyclopedia in book form as edited by Rev. Peter M. J. Stravinskas. It is said this will become the standard one-volume reference on the Catholic Church. I’ll see what that has to say.

 

[mercygate]

So, when y’all fast, and the guidelines say that fasting means eating only one meal a day plus two smaller meals not to equal the main meal, how do you determine what a “meal” is?

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

mercygate:

So, when y’all fast, and the guidelines say that fasting means eating only one meal a day plus two smaller meals not to equal the main meal, how do you determine what a “meal” is?

LOL, with a really, really big plate for regular meals.

IF I’m using the guidelines, I do it one of three ways:

1.) Use a bread or dessert plate.
2.) Figure out how much is rougly one-half and a little more by loading it up to full plate and putting it back (obviously, when I’m alone).
2.) If I have to dine out on a Friday (sometimes this is a requirement), I “guage” how much I would normally eat, and only eat about a third to little less than a half of it. I put the rest in a to-go container if I have to order something so I don’t waste it. Of course, that means no dessert. I try not to explain myself, just go aboutit matter-of-factly.

I USUALLY abstain from meat on Friday, but I will not waste food during the regular liturgical year (Lent is not regular). During Lent, I watch hte budget extra carefully, anyway.

 

[mercygate]

OutinChgoburbs:

LOL, with a really, really big plate for regular meals.

IF I’m using the guidelines, I do it one of three ways:

1.) Use a bread or dessert plate.
2.) Figure out how much is rougly one-half and a little more by loading it up to full plate and putting it back (obviously, when I’m alone).
2.) If I have to dine out on a Friday (sometimes this is a requirement), I “guage” how much I would normally eat, and only eat about a third to little less than a half of it. I put the rest in a to-go container if I have to order something so I don’t waste it. Of course, that means no dessert. I try not to explain myself, just go aboutit matter-of-factly.

I USUALLY abstain from meat on Friday, but I will not waste food during the regular liturgical year (Lent is not regular). During Lent, I watch hte budget extra carefully, anyway.

That is really practical and sensible, too. Keeping both the letter and the spirit, I think.

 

[thistle]

On a fasting day, instead of having dinner why not simply have bread and water.

 

[mercygate]

thistle:

On a fasting day, instead of having dinner why not simply have bread and water.

'Nother great thought – especially for those who do not have a bread-and-water day already in their week.

 

[ridesawhitehors]

I’m still trying to master the discipline of daily prayers, let alone trying to remember what day of the week it is.

 

[mercygate]

ridesawhitehors:

I’m still trying to master the discipline of daily prayers, let alone trying to remember what day of the week it is.

:bounce: Laugh o’ the day!