AmericanPapist Comments
Another factor is sheer forgetfulness. I know I have ordered a roast beef on a Friday in Lent, only get halfway thorugh it before remembering IT'S LENT!
I think we should bring back Friday abstinence year-round. (And don't tell me to do it myself. I need the Church's prod in my backside.)
Wouldn't it be appropriate that meat not be served at Catholic University on Lenten Fridays? It'd mark the institution as Catholic, serve as a reminder to Catholic students of their obligation and one could hardly argue that not serving meat impinges on anyone's civil rights.
In an addition to Ed Peter's comment, I would say:
1) as a Byzantine Catholic I don't think we ever gave that up (I am pretty sure it is at least Wednesday, Friday - or is that abstinence). During our Lent, called the Great Fast, we are to have nothing from a spined animal (no meat, milk, cheese, etc.). You do find a lot of individualized fast rules but those are the general guidlines. So YES, year round Lenten Fridays!
2) Fasting (from food and drink depending), prayer (personal, devotional, etc.) and worship (Vespers, Divine Liturgy (Mass) need to be taken as a whole - I think the forgetfulnees is extremely valid, especially a cultural sense. Those three aspects just need to be an organic part of the culture of the family. I have a really hard time keeping the Great Fast, because my family doesn't "live" it. In the same way, we forget Friday's because we don't "live" it - so it is really difficult to grow spiritually from it!
PS - you can institute your own Friday fasts, that is no problem. In fact, fasts should be taken as something done voluntarily for spiritual and virtuos growth!
Quote: Wouldn't it be appropriate that meat not be served at Catholic University on Lenten Fridays?
This surprised me as well. The fact that an institution named "Catholic University" would serve meat on Fridays during Lent seems very wrong.
When the Catholic Church relaxed all these rules - those of Friday fasting, fasting before Communion, and other faith discipline measures, they lowered the standards of the Catholic faith, and the message sent out was "It's okay to only half do your faith." Faith should be sort of like Marine Corps training - you get into it what you put out - a very fine professional, dedicated to what they believe, and willing to go the distance to get it done. Right now we can't even get most Catholics to abstain from meat for seven Fridays in a row. God help us!
We always abstain from meat on Fridays, unless it falls on an octave or on a solemnity. It is a small thing, I must admit, but it reminds you of what happened on a Friday and who caused it.
One may substitute some other penance, but I find that it is then easier to forget about doing it at all or even to rationalize away doing anything that may be inconvenient.
Providence College (I am reliably informed) does not offer meat on Fridays in Lent in any of its dining facilities.
Apparently PC also prohibits the sale of meat products in their campus convenience store on Lenten Fridays as well.
The Dominicans seem to have their act together on this point, at least (too bad the Friars could make only two baskets in the last seven minutes against West Virginia in the Big East Tournament this week!).
It always surprised me at UD that so many people ate meat on Fridays in Lent. However, it was also at UD that I learned (from some boys from St. Greg's Academy, of. course.) that you're actually supposed to abstain from meat every friday, or do a specific penance, and vaguely intending to be nice to someone doesn't count.
It would make a lot of sense for a Catholic school not to serve meat on Fridays in Lent, but I guess it also makes sense that they wouldn't want to baby the students - they're adults, and they should be able to keep the fast and abstinence rules without Mamma there to hold their hands.
"but I guess it also makes sense that they wouldn't want to baby the students"
I take your point, but isn't offering meat to their students (and employees as well) presenting them with a "near occasion of sin," which they are supposed to avoid?
I enjoyed a nice corned beef and cabbage today. However my Bishop granted a dispensation for St. Patrick's Day. But this evening we were able to enjoy both the dispensation and the fact that the Solemnity of St. Joseph began with Evening Prayer I. Either way anyone in Baltimore was good.
I abstain from meat every friday in the year.
AmP, wasn't it you who ran an article awhile back pointing out the google search for "does chicken count as meat on Friday" or something to that effect? Sad.
AmP, wasn't it you who ran an article awhile back pointing out the google search for "does chicken count as meat on Friday" or something to that effect? Sad.
I'm not sure I understand. Are you ferin' AmP, or again' him?
As a recent PC alum, I can definitely verify that meat is not served in the cafeterias on campus during Lenten Fridays. Cod nuggets quickly became a student favorite...
"The Pope has infallibly declared that chicken is meat." Fr. Duddleswell, of "Bless Me Father"
I wouldn't expect to find pork chops on the menu of a Yeshiva cafeteria. It is scandalous and there is no excuse for Catholic University's cafeteria to serve meat on Lentan Friday -unless they want to be "cafeteria Catholics!"
Catholics in the pews should know about this. Maybe when it comes time for 2nd collection for CUA, the faithful will have to think twice!
Scott, I think Lauren was raising the related point that some Catholics appear to be unsure even about what constitutes "meat" on Friday. But at least some of those folks are endeavoring to find out.
You're supposed to abstain from meat every Frida of the year. That never was abolished -- just the penalty!
Pauline, that's simply not correct, and hasn't been since November 1966. Regardless of how you or I might feel about it.
A lot of American Catholics are too young, too old, pregnant, or sick -- and thus excused from abstinence, right?
So they should adjust that poll to show which American Catholics the laws apply to, and how many of them are abstaining.
I too think it is Catholic University that has the practice I find odd. Maybe the quality of campus food service has improved of late, but my understanding has been given the often unidentifible character of servings and the limited selections, these kids might be no more obligated than if they were at home and their mother put a chicken wing before them for dinner.
Second, before people get all high and mighty on their pious devotions, the Church has for centuries adjusted the laws of fasting to correspond to the common diet. Our forebearers performed little more "penance" than we do now. We just have improved our diets.
For all the (well-deserved) flak ND has been taking recently, they pull the meat from the dining hall on Fridays in Lent. One of the primary reasons this is necessary and appropriate (and doesn't constitute "babying") is not only that doing otherwise creates a near occasion of sin, but that a school cafeteria doesn't often have the room to serve a full array of meat options AND a full array of fish options. If they're serving meat, there very well may not be anything meatless except side items or cheese pizza. Even ND creates problems by simply leaving what are ordinarily meat stations empty, instead of serving fish from them, creating huge traffic jams at the few places left with food!
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