Roman Ordo says Abstinence on All Fridays - Page 3

newyorkcatholic · #31 May 12, '12, 7:48 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_Peterson

I'm not a traditional Catholic but I don't eat meat on Fridays. It's not about sacrifice or anything like that. This past lent my girlfriend went along with the no meat thing with me and we both found that it was fun trying to come up with vegetarian meals once a week so we just kept doing it. Last night we had portabella burgers with french fries

Good for you, but why not also make it about sacrifice?

However you want, it's not my job to tell you what kind of sacrifices to make.

Just thought we could all do with a reminder that we should make sacrifices. Myself included.

J_Peterson · #32 May 12, '12, 8:02 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkcatholic

Good for you, but why not also make it about sacrifice?

However you want, it's not my job to tell you what kind of sacrifices to make.

Just thought we could all do with a reminder that we should make sacrifices. Myself included.

I guess it's hard to see something as a sacrifice when it's something I enjoy.

It just occurred to me, does a sacrifice have to hurt or cause discomfort? Maybe I'm misunderstanding sacrifice.

newyorkcatholic · #33 May 12, '12, 8:39 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_Peterson

I guess it's hard to see something as a sacrifice when it's something I enjoy.

It just occurred to me, does a sacrifice have to hurt or cause discomfort? Maybe I'm misunderstanding sacrifice.

It doesn't have to be horrible ... I would say that if you like meat but give it up for something else you like, or if it's sometimes an inconvenience (because on any given Friday perhaps you don't feel like finding a non-meat meal, because you are just too tired, or you are at a restaurant that has the best burgers) ... then it's still a mild sacrifice.

I'm just thinking out loud here.

**ProVobis** · #34 May 12, '12, 10:48 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueLight

If you don't abstain on a particular Friday, do you have to do the penance on the Friday, or can you do the Penance the next day, for example?

You can do the Penance which the priest assigns you in confession the next day.

TrueLight · #35 May 12, '12, 10:50 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProVobis

You can do the Penance which the priest assigns you in confession the next day.

Ha ha.

The question is not for me. Someone asked me this question yesterday. He doesn't normally observe Friday abstinence, but I think he wants to. He stated that he had been planning to do a work of mercy anyway today and could that be applied as his penance.

So what's the answer?

**ProVobis** · #36 May 12, '12, 11:03 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueLight

Ha ha.

The question is not for me. Someone asked me this question yesterday. He doesn't normally observe Friday abstinence, but I think he wants to. He stated that he had been planning to do a work of mercy anyway today and could that be applied as his penance.

So what's the answer?

I was joking. Truthfully I don't know since the Canon Law just talks about Fridays (and days before Holydays, I think.)

wasserfall · #37 May 12, '12, 1:01 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_Peterson

I guess it's hard to see something as a sacrifice when it's something I enjoy.

It just occurred to me, does a sacrifice have to hurt or cause discomfort? Maybe I'm misunderstanding sacrifice.

Abstaining from meat for Friday penance doesn't have to feel like a sacrifice. The point is that you do it for penance, even if it doesn't feel penitential and you have a great vegetarian meal every Friday.

And if you are committed to the observance of abstinence, eventually a situation will arise on some Friday in which you will have to make a disciplined and penitential decision to observe abstinence.

EcceAgnusDei · #38 May 12, '12, 1:12 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasserfall

Abstaining from meat for Friday penance doesn't have to feel like a sacrifice. The point is that you do it for penance, even if it doesn't feel penitential and you have a great vegetarian meal every Friday.

And if you are committed to the observance of abstinence, eventually a situation will arise on some Friday in which you will have to make a disciplined and penitential decision to observe abstinence.

By consciously changing our habits, even if it is having a yummy veggie meal, we are consciously remembering Christ. Perhaps that's part of the point, too.

I was a strict vegetarian for 14 years (vegan for 3) and now I only eat meat rarely, so not eating meat on Friday is not really giving anything up for me. However, I do notice when it is Friday and often I consciously choose to eat seafood for that reason, even though I probably would have had a strict vegetarian meal otherwise. The choice reminds me of Christ's suffering, and I also feel like it connects me to other Catholics now and in the past.

+ PAX

J_Peterson · #39 May 12, '12, 3:29 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkcatholic

It doesn't have to be horrible ... I would say that if you like meat but give it up for something else you like, or if it's sometimes an inconvenience (because on any given Friday perhaps you don't feel like finding a non-meat meal, because you are just too tired, or you are at a restaurant that has the best burgers) ... then it's still a mild sacrifice.

I'm just thinking out loud here.

That's a good point and has actually happened. I thought about fasting on Fridays as well. I'm trying to gain weight though so I think maybe I'll try it once I feel my weight is where I want it.