I Ain’t No Minnow Muncher: Thoughts on the Catholic Practice of Abstinence

Let’s dig into the Catholic practice of abstinence today, shall we?

True story:

I remember talking to some fellow Catholics not long after I joined the Church about the various Lenten practices within the Church. They started in on the Catholic practice of abstinence and penance on Lenten Fridays.  The couple droned on and on about “abstinence.”

Once we had said goodbye and were safely in the car, I turned to my husband with a look of shock.

“I cannot believe they can talk so openly about their (whisper) “abstinence!” 

My husband (a lifelong Catholic) never laughed so hard!

Ummm… obviously I’ve come a long way on my Catholic vocabulary comprehension!  Catholicism really has it’s  entirely own language.

What is the Catholic Practice of Abstinence, really?

So, as you probably already know, the term abstinence ACTUALLY means refraining from meat.

While abstinence is an obligation on Fridays during Lent, some Catholics choose to abstain every Friday of the year.  This is not required, though it is encouraged as a way of making a necessary penance on Fridays of the year.

Yes, EVERY Friday we should perform some sort of Penance!  I was not aware of this until recently.  I’m thinking Friday will become our permanent meatless day.

Why do you do that?

Abstaining from “flesh” is a way of remembering our Lord’s sacrifice of flesh on the Cross.

Here it is straight from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph #1438):

The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).

This practice of avoiding meat is not about “works.” It is about stepping away from our daily routine which often prompts a more prayerful attitude.

Contrary to what some outside the Church believe, our little sacrifices are not meant to draw God to us by our “goodness” but draw us to God by the realization of our littleness. 

If you want to dig in a little more to this practice or have some questions, the USCCB has a Q&A page here.

 

So…why can you still munch on minnows?

So I’ve heard lots of different reasons for this, and after doing some research I struggled to come up with a definitive answer.  Here is the best I could come up with:

Fish is considered okay to eat because it isn’t flesh and you don’t spill blood by butchering it.  Also, historically, it was easier to come by and was a more regular part of the diet.  Meat on the other hand was reserved for feasting.  Obviously, we want to avoid feasting as we reflect on the death of Our Lord.

I’ve also seen more humorous reasons for eating fish.  The fact that the first pope was a fisherman being among them.  While I’m not among them, others say they HATE eating fish, so it really is a penitential practice.

If you have heard a better reason, I’d love to know!

Why I Ain’t No Minnow Muncher?

Let me preface this by saying there is no reason YOU have to do this.  Eating fish on days of abstinence is TOTALLY in line with the practices of the Catholic Church.

That said, my family has decided to practice abstinence in a little different way than prescribed.  I don’t share this with you in a “holier than thou” way.

Let me just say right here and now that I am the LAST person in the universe who should be talking about fasting and sacrifices!  I am truly a big ol’, sloppy Lenten failure every year!

I share it in case you are thinking along the same lines or maybe I’m just putting feelers out to determine if I really have lost my marbles!

Here it is straight up:  Our family has made the decision to go completely vegetarian on days of abstinence.

Why the heck would we do that?  There are a couple reasons.

In our area, fish is on the pricier end of protein sources.  As a thrifty minded kinda gal, I usually keep our meat purchases under $2 a pound.  I don’t think I’ve ever been able to purchase fish for under $2 a pound.  (I know you crazy couponers may be able to do that, but not me!).

We feel eating on a beans and rice budget would be a little more sacrificial for penitential days.  We look on fish as a “fancier meal” in our home. 

While much less of a reason, I also wonder how the practice of eating fish on penitential days is viewed by our Protestant brothers and sisters.  Actually, as a convert to Catholicism, I can honestly say I thought it a little strange that fish is deemed acceptable fare on Lenten Fridays.

The very least we can do is not swap in lobster and shrimp for ground beef!  A trip to Red Lobster on Fridays in Lent is not exactly how I picture we are to live this practice.

 

Don’t Save us a Seat at the Fish Fry

Guys, this part is hard.  REALLY hard!

I am a girl who loves me some good eats and a good ol’ fashion fish fry is a favorite of mine.

So why do Catholic churches hold these smorgasbord Lenten fish fries in my area?  It is almost more than a girl can take!

We went to these fabulouso fish fries a few years back.  But GORGING (yes, this girl can gorge) on all you can eat fried fish, rolls, coleslaw, beans, and dessert a couple times during Lent was enough to make us (Husband and me) stop and think.  (It’s one of those things that get us talking on Date Night.)

We started pondering what the Lord thought of our oh-so “sacrificial” abstinence when we substituted an all-you-can-eat fish fry for the run-of-the-mill meat loaf.

I’ll be very honest.  Growing up out of the Church, I saw my Catholic friends “sacrificing” at the local restaurants’ Friday fish fries.  This did not reflect well on the Church in my mind back then or now.

I’m not saying you have to get rid of these great fellowship building events (really, I’ve never seen more people in the Catholic church than at a fish fry!).  But can you just move them…pretty please?  Could we have a couple fish frys some other day of the week, some other time of the year?

Is it too much for a fish-fry-loving gal to ask?

You’ll also like:

Crockpot Beans and Burritos – a meatless and freezer friendly meal

American Pierogi – a meatless meal

Lent in Our Catholic Home

Lenten Sacrifices for the Young (and Old!)

Our Lenten Feast Table

Consider using the Jesus Tree in your home this Lent!