Something to Chew On...

Question:  Why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays during Lent?

Answer:

Interesting question!  There are a lot of different reasons given for Catholics’ abstaining (to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice [1]) from meat on Fridays during Lent.   Here are a few of the top reasons for you to chew on:

A: Sacrificing meat on Fridays reminds us of the sacrifice of Christ on Good Friday.  As Lent is a time of preparation for The Passion and Resurrection of Christ, taking a moment to remember what Christ did for us and participate in a sacrifice of our own can, in some small way, unite our sacrifice to that of Christ’s. The types of meat we abstain from were referred to in older times as “fleshmeat”, so by giving up our “fleshmeat” (red meat, chicken, etc...), it helps us to remember and venerate Christ’s sacrificing his own flesh for our sake on the Cross.  Some Catholics do not eat meat on Fridays all year long (though this practice is not required) as a continued reminder.

B: The practice can be traced back to the twelve Disciples and early apostles of Christ, who would fast from meat as a form of spiritual and bodily discipline. It was often used as a time of preparation for an event, whether in the church or in a person’s life. It also shows up in the Old Testament: "In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks." (Daniel 10:2-3)  In the New Testament, they would consume fish instead, which was a commonly known symbol for Christ.

C: In the time of the Christ, meat was very expensive and only the wealthy could afford to eat it often, so one theory is that abstaining from meat humbles us and allows us to contemplate our own spiritual poverty, as well as unite us with the poverty of others.

D:  Sacrificing meat on Fridays is also considered an act of penance (an expression of repentance for sins.) Since Lent is considered a penitential season, a time to reflect more deeply on our sins and what keeps us from full communion with Christ, practicing other acts of penance and sacrifice are highly encouraged as a way to grow spiritually.

Any way you look at it, abstaining from meat during Fridays in Lent is meant to provoke our thoughts and challenge us both physically and spiritually.  Lent is a time of reflection and anticipation of the Passion and Resurrection, and sacrificing meat on Fridays helps us to enter into the spirit of the season.

So, the next time you bite into that cheese pizza on a Friday during Lent, take a moment to remember why there is no Pepperoni, as well as the Man that gave up His flesh for YOU!!

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1 Miriam-Webster Dictionary