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 wont 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 Lords 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 everyones 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 ...
While they’re at it bring back the prayers after dismissal for the conversion of (not Russia) but America.
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.
We have meatless days whenever we want to, usually 3 or 4 days a week.
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."
The question I have is this, will this EVER happen in the American Catholic Church.
The question I have is this, will this EVER happen in the American Catholic Church?
I am 53 and I barely remember meatless Fridays.
Same here, I have grown up under the shadow of VC II and begining to begin again in my Roman Catholic Christian faith.
I do not think gardening will be regulated. Doubt it.
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.
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.
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.
My Mom’s family was from New Orleans. Having to eat seafood there is a TREAT!
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.
I do not think gardening will be regulated. Doubt it.
We are doomed...
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.
"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
**Friday abstinence may be coming back.**
I’m ready!
I’ve been eating fish on Fridays for years and years and years!
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