Where in the Bible does it say not to eat meat on Fridays?
Apparently the Bible doesn’t matter. Penance isn’t biblical in the first place. A man’s standing before God is found wholly in Christ, not in rule-keeping and moralism. Christ Himself said, “unless your righteousness EXCEEDS that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Emphasis mine)
Christ fulfilled the law and set believers free. True born again Christians are firmly fixed and complete in Christ. Their standing before God doesn’t waver because they are in Him.
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2:9-10)
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Ephesians 2: 16-17)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)
Fish on Fridays for Catholics is in the chapter immediately after the chapter commanding Wednesday night Bible study for Protestants.
Dear friend, have you ever sacrificed something you wanted in order to demonstrate your love for someone else? That is the concept behind a Friday abstinence. It is a personal discipline, that rises from the heart, out of love for the One who gave His life for us, on a Friday.
At one time, the church mandated this form of abstinence for precisely that purpose. Midway through the 20th century, the Catholic church, acknowledging that some catholics, due to societal constraints, found themselves in situations where such a sacrifice was no longer possible, proffered the notion of substituting another form of personal sacrifice on Fridays. Sadly, most Catholics heard "okay to eat meat on Fridays" but not the part that followed.
Abstinence should come from the heart. I choose to abstain on Fridays, for that very reason, not because it is mandated or in the Bible. In so doing, it becomes a personal journey with our Lord that draws us closer together. Given the increasing number of Americans who consider themselves "vegetarians", mandating a meatless Friday has no effect on them.
What could you sacrifice for one day each week, as an act of love for Jesus Christ?
it doesn't, however the church has Christs' authority to make its' own institutional rules. If you want to be a Catholic, there are rules to follow. This was a pretty easy penance to engage in, and it reminded you, every week, that a little penance went a long way. The Bible does, however, say that we should keep holy the lord's day....do you attend church services EVERY week?