Why Don't We Eat Meat on Fridays in Lent?

As you've probably read, heard or know by now, the three disciplines of Lent are prayer, almsgiving and fasting. We have talked a lot about prayer since the beginning of this blog. Last week you read about almsgiving and the wonderful way you can help Honduran children break out of the cycle of poverty. This week I am going to talk a little but about fasting and abstinence.

Fasting and abstinence are closely related, but there are some differences in these spiritual practices. In general, fasting refers to restrictions on the quantity of the food we eat and on when we consume it, while abstinence refers to the avoidance of particular foods. The most common form of abstinence is the avoidance of meat, a spiritual practice that goes back to the earliest days of the Church.

The Church's hope is that by denying ourselves food while fasting or meat while abstaining (especially in this country where most of us have an abundance to eat), we will discover our inner hunger for God that can only be filled by surrendering ourselves to total reliance on God.

I have often heard it asked, "Why did we give up meat?" or others claiming we do so because the disciples were fishermen or the Church wanted to support the fishing business and that's why we can eat fish but not meat! In my research of this topic, I cannot find any such proof that we were trying to corner the market on fish sales! As a matter of fact here is the answer I found on the Busted Halo web site regarding this question:

Did Catholics only eat fish on Friday because they had an agreement with fisheries?

Fr. Joe answers: No, I don't think there was a backdoor agreement between the fishermen and the bishops over the whole fish on Friday thing.

Since about the second century of Christianity, Christians abstained from meat on Friday as a kind of sacrifice and reminder that acknowledged Jesus' supreme sacrifice on the Cross on Good Friday. About a century or two later, Lent came into being as a season of intense preparation for Easter (eventually it took on a more penitential flavor, asking folks to get their act together for Easter), so the fasting and abstinence was extended to much of Lent.

When the Second Vatican Council met in the 1960's, they were trying to simplify Catholic customs and laws - they had become onerous, complicated, and a bit oppressive in terms of the emphasis on sin and sacrifice. Before this happened, many people believed (and even a Pope or two had talked about) breaking Friday abstinence as a sin so serious it could land you in hell. They knew the whole thing had gotten out of hand.

So the bishops gathered in solemn council in the 60's decided to preserve the fasting custom (which means only one meal a day) but restrict it only to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday while retaining the old Friday abstinence law only during the more penitential time of Lent. You could say it was a kind of Catholic "lightening up". Although some people argue (and maybe they are right) that now its almost too easy (everybody needs a challenge, especially a spiritual one!)

Father Brett Hoover
[Father Brett Hoover, CSP answered this question for Fr. Joe]

From the site Busted Halo, accessed February 21, 2013

Here is a more scriptural and theological basis for why we don't eat meat:

What's given up isn't technically "meat" but the Latin "caro", which means "flesh". This is why fish is allowed: their meat isn't considered "flesh". So why do we give up flesh on Fridays? Two reasons:

First, "flesh" is often the term the New Testament writers (particularly St. Paul) use to describe our sinful appetites. So in Romans 8:13, Paul says, "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." We give up "flesh meat" to symbolize putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

Second, Christ redeemed up by offering up His Flesh for our salvation on Good Friday. St. Paul explains in Colossians 1:19-23:
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross [through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven. And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

So Christ, by being put to Death in the Flesh, reconciles us to the Father. So our job is done, right? Christ bore all the bad stuff, so we're home free? Not quite. St. Paul says in the very next breath (Colossians 1:24-25):

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking on the afflictions of Christ in behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from the ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones.

Christ being put to Death in the Flesh reconciles us to God the Father, but the Passion doesn't mean that we're going to get a free ride. Rather, our job is to take up our cross daily, and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). A Cross is for killing: Christ is saying that we have to die to ourselves every day. So it's fitting that we put away the flesh-meat on Friday, the day of the week which forever honors Christ's Passion, to signify both our love of the ultimate Sacrifice of the Flesh, and to emulate our Savior by mortifying the flesh for the sake of the Spirit.

From the site http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-is-fish-allowed-on-meatless-fridays.html

The biggest thing to remember is that we sacrifice something. After all, Jesus Christ sacrificed his very self for us. The least we could do is give up a little meat!

Submitted by Carol Burczyk, Pastoral Associate