Why are Wednesdays considered penitential days in the Catholic Church?

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Little_One0307

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Afternoon to the wonderful CAF family,

Why are Wednesdays considered penitential days in the Catholic Church? Does the Eastern Churches consider Wednesday as a penitential day? Where did the tradition of Wednesdays as penitential days come from? Sources are much appreciated.

Thanks for responding to this question.

God bless.
 
According to this Orthodox site, Wednesday is because that was the day the Jewish council gathered to betray Jesus.
Link: orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/exo_fasting.aspx

Of course, that doesn’t seem right to me, since Jesus was arrested on Holy Thursday. I can only guess they mean they plotted on Wednesday and then actually carried it out on Holy Thursday.

Thoughts anyone?
 
From Ember Days:

Our Israelite ancestors once fasted weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but Christians changed the fast days to Wednesdays (the day on which Christ was betrayed) and Fridays (the day on which He was crucified).
I would be inclined to agree with the “plotted on Wednesday, arrested on Thursday” scenario…

“Luke 22” said:
1 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.
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The tradition goes back to the beginning of the Church. Originally, it is thought, the first Christians celebrated the passion weekly, while trying to maintain the Jewish liturgical life as well. It was not until later that the “church year” cyle developed. Wednesday commences the passion, with the betrayal of Christ.

Here is the link in the Catholic Encylopedia: oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Liturgical_Week

Enjoy!
 
smichhertz said:
According to this Orthodox site, Wednesday is because that was the day the Jewish council gathered to betray Jesus.
Link: orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/exo_fasting.aspx

Of course, that doesn’t seem right to me, since Jesus was arrested on Holy Thursday. I can only guess they mean they plotted on Wednesday and then actually carried it out on Holy Thursday.

Thoughts anyone?
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It refers to their plotting with Judas Iscariot. One of the Eastern traditions concerning fasting on Wednesdays is that Judas agreed on a Wednesday to betray Christ.
 
RyanBlack said:
It refers to their plotting with Judas Iscariot. One of the Eastern traditions concerning fasting on Wednesdays is that Judas agreed on a Wednesday to betray Christ.
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I seem to dimly recall that during Passion Week Wednesday was referred to as “Spy Wednesday” in reference to Judas’ betrayal.
 
Someone mentioned the Jewish Council and Judas’s betrayal. That’s part of it, and it also comes from the Didache: Christians are to fast twice a week, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays as the Jews did.

In Christ,
Andrew
 
Morning,

Once again thank you guys for taking the time and effort to respond to this thread.

So I am assuming that the Eastern Churches keep Wedenesdays as a day of penance as well.

God bless you guys.
 
Little_One0307 said:
Morning,

Once again thank you guys for taking the time and effort to respond to this thread.

So I am assuming that the Eastern Churches keep Wedenesdays as a day of penance as well.

God bless you guys.
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Technically speaking, yes. They also keep Fridays as a fast day. However, the fasting rules are a bit different.
 
I think it has to do with community thinking - in the modern world we tend to think more as individualists than as a community. Having a common practice fosters community while deliberating choosing a different practice from a community distinguishes you from that other community. The problem, I think, was an identity crisis of sorts between Judaism and early Christianity…they wanted a Christian community as opposed to a Jewish community.

This is a shameless plug but you might like this:
The First Catechism, Ruminations on the Didache

Also available in paperback, ISBN 1463670265
 
In the East, Wednesdays and Fridays have an equal fast - Wednesday commemorates the beginning of our Lord’s Passion, the betrayal of Judas when he went to the leaders, and Friday the culmination of our Lord’s Passion.

'St. Benedict (Canon 41) also designates that the fast of Wednesday and Friday is until the ninth hour. And Balsamon forbids the consumption of shellfish on Wednesday and Friday just as during Great Lent. Let us therefore stop insensibly thinking that the fast of Wednesday and Friday is not an Apostolic directive, for behold, the Apostles in their Canons number this fast together with that of Great Lent, and in the Apostolic Constitutions they number it together with the fast of Holy Week, saying:

“One must fast during Holy Week and Wednesday and Friday.”[18] But why should I say that this regulation is only of the Apostles? It is a regulation of Christ Himself, for this is what the Apostles say in Book V, ch. 14 of the Constitutions:

“He (that is, Christ) commanded us to fast on Wednesday and Friday.”[19] We therefore fast on these days according to the Holy Hieromartyr Peter (Canon 15): “On Wednesday because on this day the council of the Jews was gathered to betray our Lord; on Friday because on this day He suffered death for our salvation.” The divine Jerome says the same thing.

Therefore, because the fast of Great Lent is equal to the fast of Wednesday and Friday it follows that, for those who are sick or weak, the relaxation of the fast is also to be equal during these fasts. For this reason, as Canons 8 and 10 of Timothy allow a woman who is pregnant during the Great Fast to consume as much wine and food as is necessary for her condition, this also applies to the fast of Wednesday and Friday. The same holds for those who have become weak from excessive sickness, that is, they are allowed to consume oil and wine during these fasting periods. So says the divine Jerome: “The fast of Wednesday and Friday is not to be broken unless there is great necessity.” The divine Augustine says the same.[20]"

Alex
 
Alexander_Roman said:
In the East, Wednesdays and Fridays have an equal fast - Wednesday commemorates the beginning of our Lord’s Passion, the betrayal of Judas when he went to the leaders, and Friday the culmination of our Lord’s Passion.

'St. Benedict (Canon 41) also designates that the fast of Wednesday and Friday is until the ninth hour. And Balsamon forbids the consumption of shellfish on Wednesday and Friday just as during Great Lent. Let us therefore stop insensibly thinking that the fast of Wednesday and Friday is not an Apostolic directive, for behold, the Apostles in their Canons number this fast together with that of Great Lent, and in the Apostolic Constitutions they number it together with the fast of Holy Week, saying:

“One must fast during Holy Week and Wednesday and Friday.”[18] But why should I say that this regulation is only of the Apostles? It is a regulation of Christ Himself, for this is what the Apostles say in Book V, ch. 14 of the Constitutions:

“He (that is, Christ) commanded us to fast on Wednesday and Friday.”[19] We therefore fast on these days according to the Holy Hieromartyr Peter (Canon 15): “On Wednesday because on this day the council of the Jews was gathered to betray our Lord; on Friday because on this day He suffered death for our salvation.” The divine Jerome says the same thing.

Therefore, because the fast of Great Lent is equal to the fast of Wednesday and Friday it follows that, for those who are sick or weak, the relaxation of the fast is also to be equal during these fasts. For this reason, as Canons 8 and 10 of Timothy allow a woman who is pregnant during the Great Fast to consume as much wine and food as is necessary for her condition, this also applies to the fast of Wednesday and Friday. The same holds for those who have become weak from excessive sickness, that is, they are allowed to consume oil and wine during these fasting periods. So says the divine Jerome: “The fast of Wednesday and Friday is not to be broken unless there is great necessity.” The divine Augustine says the same.[20]"

Alex
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Alex,

Thanks so much for posting this informative post. I learned quite a bit. I with the grace of God, am wanting to keep the Fast on Wednesdays as well.

God bless.
 
Alexander_Roman said:
In the East, Wednesdays and Fridays have an equal fast - Wednesday commemorates the beginning of our Lord’s Passion, the betrayal of Judas when he went to the leaders, and Friday the culmination of our Lord’s Passion.

'St. Benedict (Canon 41) also designates that the fast of Wednesday and Friday is until the ninth hour. And Balsamon forbids the consumption of shellfish on Wednesday and Friday just as during Great Lent. Let us therefore stop insensibly thinking that the fast of Wednesday and Friday is not an Apostolic directive, for behold, the Apostles in their Canons number this fast together with that of Great Lent, and in the Apostolic Constitutions they number it together with the fast of Holy Week, saying:

“One must fast during Holy Week and Wednesday and Friday.”[18] But why should I say that this regulation is only of the Apostles? It is a regulation of Christ Himself, for this is what the Apostles say in Book V, ch. 14 of the Constitutions:

“He (that is, Christ) commanded us to fast on Wednesday and Friday.”[19] We therefore fast on these days according to the Holy Hieromartyr Peter (Canon 15): “On Wednesday because on this day the council of the Jews was gathered to betray our Lord; on Friday because on this day He suffered death for our salvation.” The divine Jerome says the same thing.

Therefore, because the fast of Great Lent is equal to the fast of Wednesday and Friday it follows that, for those who are sick or weak, the relaxation of the fast is also to be equal during these fasts. For this reason, as Canons 8 and 10 of Timothy allow a woman who is pregnant during the Great Fast to consume as much wine and food as is necessary for her condition, this also applies to the fast of Wednesday and Friday. The same holds for those who have become weak from excessive sickness, that is, they are allowed to consume oil and wine during these fasting periods. So says the divine Jerome: “The fast of Wednesday and Friday is not to be broken unless there is great necessity.” The divine Augustine says the same.[20]"

Alex
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Thanks for this Alex. I am hoping to do the Wednesday fast along with the Friday fast regularly, as part of my desire to live a penitential life, thanks to some of the threads.

I wonder how common the Wednesday fast is in the West, especially in the U.S.?
 
TrueLight said:
Thanks for this Alex. I am hoping to do the Wednesday fast along with the Friday fast regularly, as part of my desire to live a penitential life, thanks to some of the threads.

I wonder how common the Wednesday fast is in the West, especially in the U.S.?
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I don’t think it is common. Maybe some in the religious communities keep it. As for the general Catholic population, I am not sure. I don’t know any personally who keep it. I just heard about it by reading some older Church stuff.

My Spiritual Director/Confessor has given me the go ahead to keep the Wednesday fasts and abstanience from meat.

I had to start really slow to get used to the Friday ones, and even take some more time on the Wednesdays. I still forget to remember no meat and less food on Wednesday, hopefully by God’s grace I will remember it.

[OH MAN]!!! I forgot today is Wednesday. Oops. Well hopefully next week I will remember.

God bless.
 
Little_One0307 said:
I don’t think it is common. Maybe some in the religious communities keep it. As for the general Catholic population, I am not sure. I don’t know any personally who keep it. I just heard about it by reading some older Church stuff.

My Spiritual Director/Confessor has given me the go ahead to keep the Wednesday fasts and abstanience from meat.

I had to start really slow to get used to the Friday ones, and even take some more time on the Wednesdays. I still forget to remember no meat and less food on Wednesday, hopefully by God’s grace I will remember it.

[OH MAN]!!! I forgot today is Wednesday. Oops. Well hopefully next week I will remember.

God bless.
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LOL I almost forgot too. Today was Employee Appreciation Day and they had free Asian food with ice cream.

So I skipped the meat. The food was so nasty anyway, it was pretty penitential. I put the ice cream in the freezer for tomorrow.

I assume you’re doing the U.S. version of the fast? One regular sized meal and no more than 2 small meals which don’t equal one meal?
 
for the record there is no discipline currently in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church regarding Wednesday as a penitential day.
 
TrueLight said:
LOL I almost forgot too. Today was Employee Appreciation Day and they had free Asian food with ice cream.

So I skipped the meat. The food was so nasty anyway, it was pretty penitential. I put the ice cream in the freezer for tomorrow.

I assume you’re doing the U.S. version of the fast? One regular sized meal and no more than 2 small meals which don’t equal one meal?
Click to expand...
I did forget, but I had cheese pizza with mushrooms on it, no meat. However, because of health reasons, I was released from this fast and abstienence today. My Spiritual director/confessor is concerned, and so he released me as of this afternoon.

I am going to do some extra praying today.

Yes most of the time I do U.S. version of fasting all through the days as I do Lent. I am trying to move to the Eastern Rite practices of fasting, but then again, it’s about being easy with myself and taking things slowly, and obeying my Spiritual director.

God bless.
 
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