Breaking Abstinence

[MParedon]

I am virtually by myself out here. And now if I explain this abstaining from meat on Fridays of Lent, I'm afraid they'll throw hypocrisy back in my face ("Well you didn't have a problem eating meat last Friday!") and/or think that I think I'm too good for their meals or something. Take into consideration that they provide me with room and board, so I am in no position to make demands.

Actually I think you should talk to them. If they say that you did eat meat last Friday, just explain that you didn't want to offend them and you knew that they had just gotten off work and you didn't want them to have to change plans. Explain that you appreciate all that they provide you and that it was accident that you didn't tell them about lent ahead of time. Ask if it is possible for you to help out on Fridays to make an extra sidedish that you can eat instead of meat so that no one is inconvenianced or misses out on eating meat. You can also sweeten the deal by volunteering to clear away the dishes and wash them.
That might seem a little overboard, but this season is all about sacrifice.

Anyway, I could have eaten a second helping of dinner, which I often do, and I could have eaten some of my favorite icecream, but I didn't. Peanut butter filled chocolate candies with fat chocolate ribbons/swirls in vanilla icecream. Oh well, I think it's ok. It's the spirit you're supposed to be worried about, not the letter of the law.

I think you did very well in not eating the second helping and dessert, you could point it out to your relatives if they get upset about hypocrasy.
As for the spirit being what is worried about rather than the letter of the law, I would say rather that you are stretching and growing in your spirit by going the extra step.

Keep in mind that you don't have to make it into some big apologetic defense of Catholic Lenten practice, you can just say that it is very important to you and it is really helping you get closer to Christ.

 

[Caedmon]

Another reason this happened, is that I was anticipating going to my parents' house this Friday and eating chinese with them, in which case fish and shellfish would have been available to me. But they called Thursday night, IIRC, and requested that I come next weekend instead, so I was unprepared for this situation.