Not eating meat on Fridays

[Grannie P]

Being a convert to Catholicism, I do not know the answer to the question, why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays. I could only come up with a sacrifice to Christ as he made sacrifices for us. How close was I?

[LilyM]

Closer than you'd think

As to why meat specifically - well, Jesus gave up His flesh and blood for us on a Friday, so it seems most appropriate for us to give up eating flesh and blood (warm-blooded meat) on Fridays too.


Having said that, in the Latin Rite Catholic Church we're no longer obligated to give up meat every single Friday of the year (at least not in most countries). More often it's just for the Fridays of Lent, and some other sacrificial act (extra prayers, charitable works and so on) can be done instead on other Fridays of the year.

So yes, it's about giving something up for Jesus because He gave so much up for us, and specifically on Fridays because that was the day He made His greatest sacrifice of all.

God bless, hope you come home soon!

[Gladys]

My family and I gave up meat this whole entire week for holy week. I did good ever since Ash Wednesday ever Friday after I was not eating meat. Sometimes I failed but I jumped back at it. I think that is the most that we can do for the great sacrifice that Jesus did for us.

God Bless,

Gladys

[AuroraBorealis]

What are the obligations for drinking fluids during the fasts?

Am I right to assume there's no limit to how much water we can drink on days of fasts?

[Scottgun]

Originally Posted by AuroraBorealis

What are the obligations for drinking fluids during the fasts?

Am I right to assume there's no limit to how much water we can drink on days of fasts?

I believe you may have as much water as you want.

[Ghoti]

If you're from Newfoundland, you're allowed seal meat on Fridays of Lent. If you're from Scandinavia, you're allowed whale.

[Scottgun]

Originally Posted by Ghoti

If you're from Newfoundland, you're allowed seal meat on Fridays of Lent. If you're from Scandinavia, you're allowed whale.

As long as it's baby Harp seal meat. Pesky critters!

[Ghoti]

Originally Posted by Scottgun

As long as it's baby Harp seal meat. Pesky critters!

Don't be starting a war over the seal hunt, now. That would be for another thread.

[ASimpleSinner]

Originally Posted by Grannie P

Being a convert to Catholicism, I do not know the answer to the question, why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays. I could only come up with a sacrifice to Christ as he made sacrifices for us. How close was I?

Another good explination that corresponds to this is a better understanding of what it took to have meat on the table in "ye olden days". What you ate for dinner that evening you butchered that morning and were - sorry to be graphic - covered in blood for your efforts. Any farm-boy or farm-girl who has ever butchered a chicken can tell you - it ain't a real clean process like picking up some patties in the frozen food aisle!

Friday was a day to refrain from anything that had a violence like that to it - a day to shed no blood.

For the vast majority of the world, until more recent times, to eat meat was and for some still is - a bit of a luxury. One historian I read who wrote about the Middle Ages said basically that for the peasantry (almost everybody!) the diet was pretty much "bread with bread" half the time - no fresh veggies in the winter, no fruits, certainly no meat a good deal of the time. To have such would, for many, be a true feast.

[pismopal]

Originally Posted by ASimpleSinner

Another good explination that corresponds to this is a better understanding of what it took to have meat on the table in "ye olden days". What you ate for dinner that evening you butchered that morning and were - sorry to be graphic - covered in blood for your efforts. Any farm-boy or farm-girl who has ever butchered a chicken can tell you - it ain't a real clean process like picking up some patties in the frozen food aisle!

Friday was a day to refrain from anything that had a violence like that to it - a day to shed no blood.

For the vast majority of the world, until more recent times, to eat meat was and for some still is - a bit of a luxury. One historian I read who wrote about the Middle Ages said basically that for the peasantry (almost everybody!) the diet was pretty much "bread with bread" half the time - no fresh veggies in the winter, no fruits, certainly no meat a good deal of the time. To have such would, for many, be a true feast.

It was a good news /bad news thing. We had a nice fresh chicken meal but I had to watch that chicken flopping around slinging blood from where it's head once was.....I guess you had to be there.

[Bebekoualy]

Originally Posted by Grannie P

Being a convert to Catholicism, I do not know the answer to the question, why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays. I could only come up with a sacrifice to Christ as he made sacrifices for us. How close was I?

Yeah, when I became a convert, it was a big question mark for me too! Anyway, you can fasten as you like, as you feel.
I know that during Lent, I don't take meat on Friday, because it's a way of fastening. Anyway, if I've got the opportunity to take fish on Friday, I don't say "no".
I cannot struggle to have fish every Friday because I'm in a family where nobody cares about Church, or whatever. (Lent was like a martyr because I was the only one who did fasten!)

Don't worry about it! Fasten as you want, don't forget that it's not the most important!

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by Grannie P

Being a convert to Catholicism, I do not know the answer to the question, why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays. I could only come up with a sacrifice to Christ as he made sacrifices for us. How close was I?

It's part of our discipline of fasting to abstain from certain foods throughout the week. In the West, these fasting disciplines have been radically curtailed compared to when every Christian literally 'fasted' twice a week (Wednesdays and Fridays) abstaining from Meat and Dairy products. Our Friday discipline of abstaining from Meat is really just a very limited remnant of a much larger body of fasting disciplines observed by the Church. In fact, the Friday abstinence from Meat is still enforced throughout the world except in America where an alternative form of penance is allowed. In reality, most Catholics in America no longer practice any form of penance on Fridays due to the lifting of Friday abstinence which was just a pale shadow of our fasting disciplines.

[DanteAlighieri]

Originally Posted by Bebekoualy

Yeah, when I became a convert, it was a big question mark for me too! Anyway, you can fasten as you like, as you feel.
I know that during Lent, I don't take meat on Friday, because it's a way of fastening. Anyway, if I've got the opportunity to take fish on Friday, I don't say "no".
I cannot struggle to have fish every Friday because I'm in a family where nobody cares about Church, or whatever. (Lent was like a martyr because I was the only one who did fasten!)

Don't worry about it! Fasten as you want, don't forget that it's not the most important!

With respect, I think you mean fasting, not fastening.

In any case, there's an important distinction to be made here: fasting and abstaining are two totally different things. We abstain from meat on Fridays in Lent as a penetential sacrifice. Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal in a day (or less).

Also, It's important to note that it is mandatory for Catholics to abstain from meat on Lenten Fridays -- it's not a personal choice. As another poster pointed out, US Catholics have been excused from mandatory abstention on non-Lenten Fridays, but we're encouraged to replace that with another act of pennance.

Peace,
Dante

[Steve12045]

Originally Posted by chrisb

It's part of our discipline of fasting to abstain from certain foods throughout the week. In the West, these fasting disciplines have been radically curtailed compared to when every Christian literally 'fasted' twice a week (Wednesdays and Fridays) abstaining from Meat and Dairy products. Our Friday discipline of abstaining from Meat is really just a very limited remnant of a much larger body of fasting disciplines observed by the Church. In fact, the Friday abstinence from Meat is still enforced throughout the world except in America where an alternative form of penance is allowed. In reality, most Catholics in America no longer practice any form of penance on Fridays due to the lifting of Friday abstinence which was just a pale shadow of our fasting disciplines.

I understand about abstaining from meat and the reasons but what about in days past ? The abstaining from dairy? Why?

[Chorister]

Originally Posted by Steve12045

I understand about abstaining from meat and the reasons but what about in days past ? The abstaining from dairy? Why?

Originally, the abstinence from dairy was because cream, milk, and butter were considered "rich."