Hot dog! Friday abstinence may be back, and this ‘old Catholic’ is ready to embrace it

OSV ^ | November 25, 2012 | Greg Erlandson

[Mike Darancette]

But now that I have a better understanding I'll have a much better attitude.

There is always spaghetti with marinara.

[Mike Darancette]

Why not just eat pasta and cheese pizza?

That was not an option in 1960 grade school cafeterias. Only fishy fish and horrible Tartar sauce.

But H. Salt Fish and Trader Joe's Cod is really good.

[EEGator]

Okay, well I’m sticking to pasta and pizza. Fish is nasty.

[married21]

Don’t like fish? I wonder if homemade macaroni and cheese is a suitable gesture? I’m also a huge fan of eggplant parmesan, and Michelangelo’s vegetable lasagna. Trader Joe’s lentil soup is also good for lunch.

[johngrace]

Ver. 3. Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, &c. Here says St. Chrysostom[1] are foretold and denoted the heretics called Encratites, the Marcionites, Manicheans, &c. who condemned all marriages as evil, as may be seen in St. Irenæus, Epiphanius, St. Augustine, Theodoret, &c. These heretics held a god who was the author of good things, and another god who was the author or cause of all evils; among the latter they reckoned, marriages, fleshmeats, wine, &c.

The doctrine of Catholics is quite different, when they condemn the marriages of priests and of such as have made a vow to God to lead always a single life; or when the Church forbids persons to eat flesh in Lent, or on fasting-days, unless their health require it. We hold that marriage in itself is not only honourable, but a sacrament of divine institution. We believe and profess that the same only true God is the author of all creatures which are good of themselves; that all eatables are to be eaten with thanksgiving, and none of them to be rejected, as coming from the author of evil. When we condemn priests for marrying, it is for breaking their vows and promises made to God of living unmarried, and of leading a more perfect life; we condemn them with the Scripture, which teaches us that vows made are to be kept; with St. Paul, who in the next chap. (ver. 12) teaches us, that they who break such vows incur their damnation.

When the Church, which we are commanded to obey, enjoins abstinence from flesh, or puts a restraint as to the times of eating on days of humiliation and fasting, it is by way of self-denial and mortification: so that it is not the meats, but the transgression of the precept, that on such occasions defiles the consciences of the transgressors. "You will object, (says St. Chrysostom) that we hinder persons from marrying; God forbid," &c. St. Augustine, (lib. 30. contra Faustum. chap. vi.) "You see (says he) the great difference in abstaining from meats for mortification sake, and as if God was not the author of them." We may observe that God, in the law of Moses, prohibited swine's flesh and many other eatables; and that even the apostles, in the Council of Jerusalem, forbad the Christians, (at least about Antioch) to eat at that time blood and things strangled; not that they were bad of themselves, as the Manicheans pretended. (Witham) ---

St. Paul here speaks of the Gnostics and other ancient heretics, who absolutely condemned marriage and the use of all kind of meat, because they pretended that all flesh was from an evil principle: whereas the Church of God so far from condemning marriage, holds it to be a holy sacrament, and forbids it to none but such as by vow have chosen the better part: and prohibits not the use of any meats whatsoever, in proper times and seasons, though she does not judge all kinds of diet proper for days of fasting and penance. (Challoner) --- We may see in the earliest ages[centuries] of Christianity, that some of the most infamous and impure heretics that ever went out of the Church, condemned all marriage as unlawful, at the same time allowing the most unheard of abominations: men without religion, without faith, without modesty, without honour. See St. Clement of Alexandria, lib. 3. Strom.

[johngrace]

http://haydock1859.tripod.com/id230.html

[Einherjar]

“Other students fornicate on Saturday and go to church on Sunday.”

Saturday night they sow their wild oats and Sunday they are in the pews praying for crop failure.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

Agreed!

[leaning conservative]

I had a feeling it had something to do w/ making it more populist. When I was young there was a very large Catholic family across the street from us. I would be invited to go to church w/ the twin girls who were my age. I always loved how silent and serious the atmosphere was and the incense. It was just a very holy place. I remember being in awe. I did love those times. This was back in the late 60’s.

I also remember that when I had dinner w/ them on Fridays they ONLY had fish!

Thank you for the explanation. Were the majority of Catholics happy about the change or unhappy w/ it? To be honest, all of the Catholics I know (including my husband, his father remains the only practicing Catholic in their family) are lapsed Catholics.

[lacrew]

“Were the majority of Catholics happy about the change or unhappy”

I’m too young to know for sure...but based on how poorly we catholics adhere to the rule during lent, I’d say alot were already violating it anyway, and were happy to see the change.

I grew up in the 1970’s; and, our catholic church had some long-haired hippy types playing acoustic guitar and tambarines. The new building was very modernistic...and the decision was made to use ‘chairs’ instead of pews (no kneelers!). So the church was definitely in flux at that time (at least in the US).

Today, the church has lost the hippy band, and the building has been quadrupled in size...and its now a catholic version of a southern (Alabama) megachurch. Quite a departure from the traditional catholic model.

[leaning conservative]

Thanks for your reply. Some things should NEVER try & be trendy & a church is one of them.

[presently no screen name]

When the Church, which we are commanded to obey,

Yes we know but Christians hear and obey God's Word. God tells us where some rules come from - not St. Chrysostom.

[crosshairs]

Just hope that those who are Bible based Christians do not get into a fit saying that what the Lord did on the Cross took of the need for sacriface out of penence.

Thats what the Bible says, and the Bible is God's breathed Word. Sorry can't re-write God's Word to fit a man made tradition.

[RBStealth]

Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless (nisi) they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can understand a national conference of bishops having the power to loosen, but having the power to bind additional things or different food items goes against my grain. Especially since the weakness and Democratic party leanings of the Bishops have brought us to our present circumstances. In our present reality, I am for the Vatican stripping the National Conference of Bishops(our USCCB) of pretending to any significance. One or more popes thoughts and words have lent credence to this.

[RBStealth]

Actually your no Bible expert, perhaps your taught view of the Bible does not encompass all of it. Just saying!

Col 1:24

http://bible.cc/colossians/1-24.htm

[crosshairs]

I am a Southern Baptist but if I saw a Catholic family praying and making the sign of the cross, it would make me think more of them as they clearly take their religion seriously.

How do you feel about Islamists taking their religion seriously?

[allmendream]

Reminds me of a joke my grandmother told me.

A Protestant moved to a Catholic neighborhood and would fire up the BBQ and throw on some steaks every Friday evening.

His neighbors were having trouble enjoying their fish while smelling the scent of sizzling beef. So they got together and came to him and convinced him that the thing to do would be to convert to Catholicism.

He went to a Priest and the Priest pronounced over him “You were born Protestant, you were raised Protestant - but now you are Catholic.” Everyone was happy.

Then next Friday they all smelled sizzling beef from his place again, they gathered around as he was smiling at his BBQ just in time to see him pull a steak off the grill and say...

“You were born a cow, you were raised a cow - but now you are a FISH!”

[johngrace]

The history is being presented .

[A.A. Cunningham]

Thats(sic) what the Bible says, and the Bible is God's breathed Word.

Parts of the Bible you've obviously never had read to you:

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for His body, which is the church:" Colossians 1:24

"Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God, commend their souls in good deeds to the faithful Creator." 1 Peter 4:19

Sorry can't re-write God's Word to fit a man made tradition.

You no doubt are referring to the KJV which showed up over 12 centuries ater the original.

Here's a few more for you to ponder, madame:

"But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written." John 21:25

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle." 2 Thessalonians 2:14

"And we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us." 2 Thessalonians 3:6

[RBStealth]

Look at Crosshairs who calls Catholics pagan and ignorant of the Bible. Throw a Bible verse(in context)Col 1:24 at him which unveils his ignorant taught ‘theology’ and he goes deaf and dumb.

BTW, Crosshairs I’ve read the Bible OT-NT front to back , 3 times over in the last 2 years...and much more. But, in your mind that probably doesnt match up to the anti-Catholic content sermons you get on Sundays and tapes.