- Feb 5, 2002
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We have once again entered the season of Lent, a season of the Church calendar that is difficult for many Catholics. We have the feeling that we should be doing more, but under the pressure of modern life, and perhaps a degree of selfishness, we are reluctant to take on too much in the way of prayer and penitential activities. Words like “penance,” “mortification” and “renunciation” are intimidating.
The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for “Spring.” We are aware that Lent is meant to be a time of “giving things up,” and also perhaps that Fridays generally are meant to be days of abstaining from meat. But we are influenced by worldly thinking, which views religious fasting and abstinence as “medieval” or austere, while at the same time applauding and promoting those new diets, such as intermittent fasting, for their physical attributes. The Church promotes fasting and abstinence, not for any particular physical benefits, but rather, for spiritual ones. Such practices enable us to focus more on God and prayer and less on our normally indulged bodies.
For Catholics, the current obligations for fasting and abstinence during Lent are as follows: On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, both abstinence and fasting are obligatory for believers between the ages of 18 and 59. Abstinence here normally means abstaining from meat, while fasting refers to eating somewhat less than usual.
In addition, every Friday during the year, unless it coincides with a Solemnity – one of the more important feasts of the Church’s calendar – is also a day or abstaining from meat as a form of expiation for our sins. This is a way of commemorating Christ’s Passion and death on the Cross on Good Friday. Since He sacrificed His own flesh for us, we refrain from eating flesh – or animal meat – in His honor on Fridays; fish does not belong to this category. In addition, in former times, flesh meat was associated with celebration and rejoicing; whereas fish was not. But during Lent, many ordinary people had to do with red herring, which was cheap and plentiful, but heartily disliked because of its salty taste. Thus, it was truly penitential fare. This is why many Catholic countries and societies then, and still today, are strongly associated with not eating meat on Fridays.
Continued below.
The history of Lent and fasting in the Church - Our Lady's Blue Army
The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for “Spring.” We are aware that Lent is meant to be a time of “giving things up,” and also perhaps that Fridays generally are meant to be days of abstaining from meat. But we are influenced by worldly thinking, which views religious fasting and abstinence as “medieval” or austere, while at the same time applauding and promoting those new diets, such as intermittent fasting, for their physical attributes. The Church promotes fasting and abstinence, not for any particular physical benefits, but rather, for spiritual ones. Such practices enable us to focus more on God and prayer and less on our normally indulged bodies.
For Catholics, the current obligations for fasting and abstinence during Lent are as follows: On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, both abstinence and fasting are obligatory for believers between the ages of 18 and 59. Abstinence here normally means abstaining from meat, while fasting refers to eating somewhat less than usual.
In addition, every Friday during the year, unless it coincides with a Solemnity – one of the more important feasts of the Church’s calendar – is also a day or abstaining from meat as a form of expiation for our sins. This is a way of commemorating Christ’s Passion and death on the Cross on Good Friday. Since He sacrificed His own flesh for us, we refrain from eating flesh – or animal meat – in His honor on Fridays; fish does not belong to this category. In addition, in former times, flesh meat was associated with celebration and rejoicing; whereas fish was not. But during Lent, many ordinary people had to do with red herring, which was cheap and plentiful, but heartily disliked because of its salty taste. Thus, it was truly penitential fare. This is why many Catholic countries and societies then, and still today, are strongly associated with not eating meat on Fridays.
Continued below.
The history of Lent and fasting in the Church - Our Lady's Blue Army
