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Meatless Fridays
Our Sunday Visitor ^ | 11/25/12 | Greg Erlandson

Posted on 11/15/2012 7:24:29 AM PST by marshmallow

Hot dog! Friday abstinence may be back, and this ‘old Catholic’ is ready to embrace it

Want to feel old? Talk to anyone under the age of 50 about meatless Fridays. Odds are, they will have no memory of it. They will have no knowledge of why Catholics were called “mackerel snappers,” nor will they laugh at tired George Carlin routines about going to hell for eating a hot dog.

And they sure as heck won’t know why many restaurant chains still have their fish specials on Fridays.

But for all you youngsters, you might get ready: Friday abstinence may be coming back.

Once upon a time, children, Catholics abstained from meat on Fridays as a small act of penance. Not just Fridays during Lent, but all Fridays. Friday was the day of the Lord’s death on the cross, and throughout the year, not just on Good Friday, Catholics would commemorate that day in a special way. One still finds this practice in religious communities like monasteries, and the British bishops restored the practice last year.

In general, however, meatless Fridays disappeared after the Second Vatican Council, despite the fact that canon law (Canon 1251) still asks us to abstain from meat or other food on Fridays subject to the requirements of the local conference of bishops.

The irony is that of all the many changes when the Church windows were opened to the fresh wind of aggiornamento, this one may have been one of the more significant. It was a small act of penance that was thoroughly integrated into everyone’s lives.

Of course, not everyone did it with full consciousness of what it was intended to commemorate. For many, it just became a rule, and junior theologians like young George Carlin loved to debate whether eating a hot dog on........

(Excerpt) Read more at osv.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture; Theology
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To: marshmallow

While they’re at it bring back the prayers after dismissal for the conversion of (not Russia) but America.


21 posted on 11/15/2012 9:37:00 AM PST by mosesdapoet ("A voice crying in the wilderness make streight for the way of the Lord")
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To: marshmallow

I grew up in the U.S. after VII so we weren’t very disciplined about Fridays unless it was Lent. The allowed “substitute penance” in practice was a failure. Nobody seems to really follow it. I now live in the UK and I like that they brought the rule back. It makes me remember the Good Friday sacrifice even though I don’t keenly mind fish or vegetarian. The key thing is that I think of the sacrifice more, whereas before I really tended to forget, it just wasn’t in my upbringing outside of Lent.


22 posted on 11/15/2012 9:41:12 AM PST by ShovelPenguin
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To: marshmallow

We have meatless days whenever we want to, usually 3 or 4 days a week.


23 posted on 11/15/2012 9:43:25 AM PST by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: HerrBlucher
Brother those prays done with heartfelt meaning are powerful for all. You are looking at it as something just for the prayer person only. Did you ever read I forget who it was I came across but a person was shown how powerful prayers are on the spiritual realm. An angel showed him. Just saying the Our Father and Hail Mary. He saw virtually people on their death beds in other nations going to Christ because of these prayers.

I personally had a remarkable event. I was praying the Divine Mercy Prayers for the world with intentions. I just got done then heard my brothers voice in the other room. I live alone. My brother lives in another state. So immediately I called him. He answered the phone with a heavy flu cold voice. He had a bad coughing time. I told him what happen. We prayed. I told him to watch out the good Lord was showing us something here. He told me he would pray. Well that night I had the urge to pray. So I prayed for a while. The next noonday I called him. He was rushed to the doctors. He took two conflicting type of medicines by accident. But was much better.

You prayers count with The Lord. The more we pray the more attentive we are to the Holy Spirit. Please do not forget. Important. May God richly Bless You! Praise Jesus!

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

24 posted on 11/15/2012 11:42:17 AM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: marshmallow

The question I have is this, will this EVER happen in the American Catholic Church.


25 posted on 11/15/2012 12:57:09 PM PST by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: marshmallow

The question I have is this, will this EVER happen in the American Catholic Church?


26 posted on 11/15/2012 12:57:46 PM PST by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: marshmallow

I am 53 and I barely remember meatless Fridays.


27 posted on 11/15/2012 1:00:26 PM PST by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: ShovelPenguin

Same here, I have grown up under the shadow of VC II and begining to begin again in my Roman Catholic Christian faith.


28 posted on 11/15/2012 1:05:19 PM PST by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: sassy steel magnolia

I do not think gardening will be regulated. Doubt it.


29 posted on 11/15/2012 1:10:10 PM PST by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: johngrace

All true brother, and all the more reason it is hard to see prayer as penance. I think penance should be a combo of prayer and some task you don’t want to do.


30 posted on 11/15/2012 1:27:27 PM PST by HerrBlucher (Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of Creation)
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To: marshmallow

Such a shame that Catholics live by the law rather than accepting the sacrifice on the cross for being sufficient. God’s grace is there for the accepting.


31 posted on 11/15/2012 2:20:32 PM PST by crosshairs (America: Once the land of the free. Still the home of the brave.)
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To: crosshairs

There is still fasting. We do not believe in the Mosaic law. What Paul was writing about was the mosaic temple works while it was still going on as he wrote his letters. Check some other christian scholars and writers then maybe you will understand. Since the 1500’s people have been reading those letters out of it’s time period on works issue.


32 posted on 11/15/2012 5:55:49 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: gdani

My Mom’s family was from New Orleans. Having to eat seafood there is a TREAT!


33 posted on 11/15/2012 10:55:09 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: marshmallow

I did not know that the fish fridays had ever left us and am appalled, how could Christs chosen church have the audacity to take away one of our lords commandments.

When will they ever stop, next thing you know they will be changing the Sabbath to the seventh day of the week.


34 posted on 11/16/2012 4:52:28 AM PST by ravenwolf
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To: Biggirl

I do not think gardening will be regulated. Doubt it.


We will just have to see but i would say don,t doubt it.


35 posted on 11/16/2012 4:59:03 AM PST by ravenwolf
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To: sassy steel magnolia

We are doomed...


I think we are doomed, thinking secular, but they, the secularists are the ones who are really doomed.

1 cor 15:19
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

As for meatless Mondays the Church can just exchange the meatless day from Friday to Monday like they changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.


36 posted on 11/16/2012 5:14:56 AM PST by ravenwolf
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To: crosshairs
Truth is lost on the obtuse who talk the talk but refuse to walk the walk.

"And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee." Matthew 6:16-18

"But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days." Luke 5:35

37 posted on 11/16/2012 10:17:53 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: marshmallow

**Friday abstinence may be coming back.**

I’m ready!

I’ve been eating fish on Fridays for years and years and years!


38 posted on 11/16/2012 10:23:34 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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