Penance in place of not eating meat on Friday

[zunshynn]

What is a suitable penance in place of not eating meat on Friday. Cause the thing is, it's more of an annoyance for my mother than it is a penance because I don't really like meat anyway. But I don't know what to do instead.

[Cam42]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='Sep 23 2005, 06:17 PM']What is a suitable penance in place of not eating meat on Friday. Cause the thing is, it's more of an annoyance for my mother than it is a penance because I don't really like meat anyway. But I don't know what to do instead.
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Canon Law, which dictates this says of the issue;

[quote name='CIC 1249']The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.[/quote]

[quote name='CIC 1250']The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.[/quote]

[quote name='CIC 1251']Abstinence from eating meat or some other food according to the prescripts of the conference of bishops is to be observed on ,of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year of age. The law of fasting, however, binds all those who have attained their majority until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors of souls and parents are to take care that minors not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are also educated in a genuine sense of penance.[/quote]

[quote name='CIC 1253']The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.[/quote]

Those are the pertinent canons. With that being said, the USCCB is currently debating whether to rescind the determination and require all Catholics to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. The Bishops are considering that a return to meatless Fridays for all Catholics would be of benefit because:

1. It is an expression of one's Catholicity; and
2. In reparation for the grave sin of abortion.

So, I would say that the short answer is that you should still abstain from meat on Friday, however, [b]IF[/b] that is not a trial or an penitent action for you, then you are [b]OBLIGED[/b] to engage in some form of penance that is commisurate with your state in life and maturity level, while remembering that if you are between the ages of 16 and 60, you are still bound to the laws regarding fasting and abstinence.

If you are unable to determine that, I would strongly suggest that you contact either your priest or your spiritual director and dicuss with him just what is the most appropriate action for you.

I hope this helps.....