During the Octave of Christmas, the first eight days of Christmastide, each day is treated as a solemnity. So, when it comes to Friday - this means there is no penance! We like to call these special Fridays "Cheeseburger Fridays" - several posts have been made here on Cheeseburger Fridays. Now, before you accuse me of irreverence, I like to draw attention to Cheeseburger Fridays because it gives you yet another opportunity for an ice-breaker to discuss your faith! Those who know you likely know you offer up a penance on every Friday throughout the year - but what they may not know is that it is not EVERY Friday, for if a solemnity falls on a Friday, we are not to do penance.
This also gives me the opportunity to remind all my fellow Catholics - you are STILL required to do some sort of penance on ALL Fridays throughout the year that are not solemnities! This is not simply a Lenten tradition - it is Canon Law! Canon 1250 is the one that expressly states this and Canon 1251 is the one that tells us "unless it falls on a solemnity." Canon 1251 goes on to tell us we do not HAVE to stay with the offering up of meat on Fridays throughout the year (in Lent, it still HAS to be meat) but it needs to be something equivalent, and you cannot be hit-or-miss on it. Pick something and stick with it! For me and my house, we stick with the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays.
Why stick with meat?
Because 1) it is easy to remember! 2) not eating meat on Fridays USED to be synonymous with Catholicism - and ever since the requirement was modified (again, NOT eliminated) it has become less clear that Catholics still have this practice - and to be honest - many do not observe this at all anymore, but in their ignorance - they commit a mortal sin! OK, in order for it to truly be a mortal sin, you have to be aware it is a sin and choose to do it anyway... well, if you are reading this, you do not have that excuse anymore! I urge you to not merely take my word on this - research the topic, as I have, and realize and start recognizing this required Catholic tradition. Back to the count, 3) if it has to be equivalent to abstaining from meat - why struggle to find something different?! Stick with abstaining from meat!
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
Just like every Sunday is like a "little Easter," every Friday is to be thought of as a "little Good Friday." In abstaining from meat on Fridays we should think of WHY we do this - and it is to unite us, in a small way, to the Sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the Cross on that first Good Friday. Even on a "Cheeseburger Friday," we can think about Christ's suffering and death - and be thankful to Him for this great gift He gave to all who believe in Him.
In JMJ,
Scott<<<
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