In a world focused on instant gratification and obsessed with constant comfort, the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fridays is one that seems pointless to many. You’ll hear many argue, instead, that, “Jesus would want you to eat meat and be happy.” Some have even spread the false narrative that the Catholic Church enforced the abstinence of meat on Fridays in order to prop up the fishing industry. These tales, though appealing and at times comic, disregard the historical tradition of abstinence within the Church.
The history of penance and abstinence in the Catholic Church is ancient. In a pastoral statement, the United States Congregation of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said that, “Catholic peoples from time immemorial have set apart Friday for special penitential observance by which they gladly suffer with Christ that they may one day be glorified with Him.” This penitential observance is at the heart of the tradition of abstinence from meat on Friday. For Catholics, Fridays all year round are held as special days of penance because it is the day that Christ suffered on the Cross and died. And so, Catholics do penance to be mindful of the sins which they must expiate in union with Christ crucified. This atonement is necessary because sin separates us from God, and we must renounce our sin to be once more united with Him. Thus, by rejecting sin and performing acts of penance, we are fulfilling Christ’s desire to bring us to the Father.
Abstinence from meat in particular, as opposed to all animal flesh and byproducts seems, confusing for some. Fish is often more expensive than meat, after all. For people who enjoy fish more than meat, giving up meat on Fridays is not very difficult. Such arguments, however, disregard the fact that meat used to be considered a celebratory meal. The USCCB notes, “Meat was once an exceptional form of food; now it is commonplace.” The desert fathers also viewed meat as a food that gave heat to the body and enlivened passions. Thus, abstinence from meat was considered helpful in training the passions.
However, the Church in the United States has loosened its requirements for abstinence of meat. The USCCB has prescribed that the abstinence of meat is only required on Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fridays. Nonetheless, the USCCB still encourages acts of self-denial and mortifications on Fridays throughout the rest of the year “in prayerful remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ.” Specifically, the USCCB encourages Friday penances that address the modern need for “self-discipline in the use of stimulants and for a renewed emphasis on the virtue of temperance, especially in the use of alcoholic beverages.” Further, the faithful are also encouraged to work in hospitals with the sick and lonely, meet obligations with friends and family, and work with the poor on Fridays as acts of penance.
The penitential act of abstaining from meat holds more meaning than merely adjusting one’s diet for a day. Though especially important during Lent, a period which the Church has set aside for penance, abstinence from meat can be, and has in the past been, practiced every Friday. The purpose of this small act of penance is to aid us spiritually, as we atone for our sins and seek to imitate Christ. Moreover, abstaining from meat can serve as training wheels for a more major penance. Evidently, there is no conspiracy by the Church to help fishermen. The Church, rather, is trying to help the faithful get closer to Christ through self-denial.
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