April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
LENTEN REFLECTION
Lent, part II: Why abstain from meat?
• the use of ashes,
• the liturgical flavor of Lent,
• abstaining from meat,
• "giving up" things and
• all the special things of Holy Week - the palms of Palm Sunday, veneration of the cross on Good Friday, the blessing of water at the Easter vigil Mass.
The very fact that we have all these signs or marks - visible, tangible things - is significant in itself. It reminds us that, as human beings, we live and communicate in a physical world and that this also includes our faith.
For example, in a way we pray with our bodies: The postures of standing, sitting or kneeling at Mass carry with them a deeper meaning. In the sacraments, God uses physical and tangible things such as bread and wine, water or oil to be the vehicles of something divine and intangible. We believe not just in the resurrection of the spirit or soul, but also of the body.
The same is true of those marks or signs of Lent: We have these things not as an end in themselves, but rather to help us enter into a deeper, spiritual reality.
What about the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent: Where did this come from, why do we do it and who should do it? First, we need to make sure that we distinguish between fasting and abstinence. Both are ascetical practices to help bring about spiritual benefits and growth. Both involve food or drink, as well as other things, too - the TV, the computer or even the cell phone!
Strictly speaking, fasting involves reducing and even eliminating what we eat, but abstinence means avoiding or restricting our intake of certain foods. Catholics from the age of 14 to age 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (except where there are health concerns), but all Catholics over the age of 14 are required to abstain from meat on those days and on every Friday during Lent.
This practice of abstaining goes back a long way. Older Catholics remember when the "no meat on Fridays" rule applied on every Friday, not just during Lent. Interestingly, in England, the practice of Catholics abstaining from meat every Friday, even outside of Lent, was reintroduced in 2011.
At one stage, Catholics abstained not only from meat, but also from dairy products and shellfish during the season of Lent. This is the origin of having a feast on "Shrove Tuesday" or "Fat Tuesday" (the day before Ash Wednesday): to use up all the forbidden food before Lent began.
Why do we do this? After all, we read in the New Testament that the previous dietary laws have been abolished and that all food is declared "clean" by God (Acts 10: 9-16). Well, there are many reasons suggested for this practice of abstaining from meat. The most frequent reason offered is that it reminds us of how Jesus gave up Himself (or gave up His flesh) for us on the cross on Good Friday.
It is also, like fasting, an ascetical practice or discipline where we voluntarily abstain from something in order to have a spiritual benefit. Abstinence then acts as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice for us, but also of our dependence on God as our true food and nourishment.
A number of people also offer their day of abstinence as a sort of prayer for particular intentions. As one writer has put it, we may say that, while absence makes the heart grow fonder, abstinence makes the soul grow richer!
One last thing: Have you ever had that sudden panic when you sink your teeth into a burger or other meat product on a Friday during Lent? If you go to the website of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, www.usccb.org, you can register for a text message for your phone that will remind you each Friday during Lent that the day is one of abstinence from meat!
(Father Barratt is pastor of St. Ambrose parish in Latham. He holds a doctorate in theology and was a professor at St. John's Seminary in England before coming to the U.S. in 2004.) [[In-content Ad]]
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