If you and a few Christian friends (say your whole church) agreed to observe two days of prayer and fasting (say over the financing of a new church building) and you later decided that you were a tad hungry so you had a cheeseburger... would you not believe that you had sinned?
I thought that made the point that: yes, eating meat on a Friday in Lent IS sinful for a Catholic but no, you don't go to Hell for doing it. Perhaps I should have been more explicit.
Certainly the Church has the authority to order a fast of it's members. And for centuries, we as a body have fasted together during the time of Lent (with variations as has been posted by others) and at certain other times. This is a sacrifice we make as Catholics in rememberance of far greater sacrifices made on our behalf.
My point (poorly made if your response is any indication) is that your wife's understanding was somewhat... unrefined. Catholics recognize that they have fallen short of the ideal (sinned) by not living up to the sacrifice we corporately choose to make.
Frankly, I have the seal of God, that I have eternal life, so going to hell is not an option for me or my wife
Certainly the Church has the authority to order a fast of it's members. And for centuries, we as a body have fasted together during the time of Lent (with variations as has been posted by others) and at certain other times. This is a sacrifice we make as Catholics in rememberance of far greater sacrifices made on our behalf.
You are acting as though the hierarchy came to the people and asked them if they would please fast from meat every Friday for a good cause, and they all said, we'd love to, and you know it didn't happen that way, you had the power to "bind and Loose", and it took you all those years to have mercy on your people, you should be ashamed of your selves, and that was exactly what Jesus meant when he told those who made the law, that put grievous burdens on the people then wouldn't use a finger to lift it off of them.
Lk 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Mt 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
My point (poorly made if your response is any indication) is that your wife's understanding was somewhat... unrefined. Catholics recognize that they have fallen short of the ideal (sinned) by not living up to the sacrifice we corporately choose to make.
Unrefined? Thanks again, it is you who are unrefined, my wife will be your teacher in the kingdom of God if you make it, and if God judges you by your own works standards, you have a lot ahead of you yet.
Watch your chain doesn’t come off your sprocket from back peddling so fast, it seems SD can't leave you guys unattended for a full weekend without you blowing it.