Fridays, Meat, And Lent

[OnlySunshine]

Any particular kind of curry, or just all kinds? I like all kinds I have tried so far, but they are all very different. Indian curry compared to Japanese curry... it is nearly a completely different food. :P (I make Japanese style curry, usually.)

 

Indian curry, I believe.  I don't know if she's ever been subjected to the smell of any other curry.  :)

[TheresaThoma]

So my two cents, last year I went to a cousins wedding and the rehersal dinner was on a Friday night in Lent. My cousin isn't Catholic so I was worried about the food options. It turns out there was a fish option for the main course but the first course it was spaghetti with meat sauce. I didn't want to offend by not eating it but there definitely was meat in it. Fortunately another cousin (who is Catholic) was sitting next to me mentioned that he couldn't have it to the waiter and the waiter offered to bring out some with non meat sauce. I asked if I could also have some like that. It ended up being ok but I think if I hadn't been able to get a non meat sauce I would have eaten the pasta with as little of the sauce as I could have managed.

So basically my opinion is that if you can gracefully get out of eating the meat then do so. But if refusing the meat would cause offense or make a lot of trouble because there wasn't another option prepared then eat it. To me in a way that can be a penance too. 

[Archaeology cat]

I just tactfully make sure that I am unavailable to visit anyone's house on Friday during Lent unless I know they are faithful Catholics and suggest that we visit on Saturday. This works better for my schedule anyway because otherwise my daughters are a terror.
 
On the other hand, my wife cannot eat soy or dairy, so our meal requests are made well ahead of time. :) I am somewhat clear about acceptable food before we accept any invitations because otherwise my daughter screams her head off for hours and hours and I want to rip my hair out.

yes, having specific dietary restrictions means I don't have to worry too much. The only meat I can eat is poultry, as Leo can't tolerate red meat. :(

[CatholicCid]

So my two cents, last year I went to a cousins wedding and the rehersal dinner was on a Friday night in Lent. My cousin isn't Catholic so I was worried about the food options. It turns out there was a fish option for the main course but the first course it was spaghetti with meat sauce. I didn't want to offend by not eating it but there definitely was meat in it. Fortunately another cousin (who is Catholic) was sitting next to me mentioned that he couldn't have it to the waiter and the waiter offered to bring out some with non meat sauce. I asked if I could also have some like that. It ended up being ok but I think if I hadn't been able to get a non meat sauce I would have eaten the pasta with as little of the sauce as I could have managed.

So basically my opinion is that if you can gracefully get out of eating the meat then do so. But if refusing the meat would cause offense or make a lot of trouble because there wasn't another option prepared then eat it. To me in a way that can be a penance too. 

 

To play devil's advocate a little, Fridays in Lent are days in which abstinence from meat are regulated by the Church. As such, we do not have the ability to simply substitute this obligation with another form of penance if we so choose. And, as the abstinence is a penance, it is supposed to be a sacrifice, which, at times, means sacrificing some comfort in a situation. If we attempt to avoid offending others by lax-ing our Lenten obligations, are we not offending the Church?

[Nihil Obstat]

To play devil's advocate a little, Fridays in Lent are days in which abstinence from meat are regulated by the Church. As such, we do not have the ability to simply substitute this obligation with another form of penance if we so choose. And, as the abstinence is a penance, it is supposed to be a sacrifice, which, at times, means sacrificing some comfort in a situation. If we attempt to avoid offending others by lax-ing our Lenten obligations, are we not offending the Church?

This is a cogent point.

 

It is clear in these cases that going without meat is an extremely burdensome penance, though perhaps for slightly different reasons than what the fast envisions. Whether or not one substitutes a different penance - which is not strictly allowed for by canon law in these cases - it seems that one is doing so precisely because it is very burdensome. Which is the point of the penance to begin with.

 

We can certainly discuss whether or not it is acceptable to break the abstinence for certain overriding reasons, but I think we have to be particularly careful to discern whether or not we are trying to avoid the penance because it is extremely difficult.

[Slappo]

To eat meat so as to not give offense makes me think of deliberately not making the sign of the cross when praying before/after meals in public so as to not give offense.

 

 

I don't typically eat meat year round on Fridays (when I do I make a proper substitution as allowed by the USCCB in line with Canon Law), and our work potlucks often happen on a Friday forcing me to abstain from all of the delicious home made meat items brought in. It has actually been a really good way to express my faith in public at a government job when I have to say "oh I don't eat meat on Friday's". Especially when there are other nominal Catholics around, or those who grew up Catholic. For my birthday last year they threw a party for me on a Friday and ordered pizza's. They specifically ordered a cheese pizza for me because they had talked with me about my religious practices. Obviously a work potluck isn't really going to be a place where offense is given, but it's still pertinent what with the whole don't hide your faith under a bushel basket thing and lenten Friday's.