Lent

I promised a post on Lent, but I can't do better at explaining the basics than Fish Eaters has already done, so I'll share some links from there that are appropriate to the occasion:

On fasting and abstinence
On Ash Wednesday
On Lent, generally

The custom of "giving something up" for the season of Lent is excellent, so long as one remembers the reason for doing so: we're uniting ourselves to Christ during his Temptation, better to prepare ourselves to enter into the commemoration of His Passion. We focus on these so that Easter may have meaning. There is no Resurrection without Death, no Easter without Good Friday. The feast is that much more joyful when it comes on the heels of a great fast.

My own Lenten penance this year is taking the form of an extra two days per week abstaining from meat. We keep meatless Fridays throughout the year, since this is still the universal law of the Church (the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has said that one can substitute another suitable penance for the Fridays outside of Lent, but this is hard to put into practice. Going without meat is just simpler).

Reconciling eating fish or other non-meat foods that I like with the spirit of penance I'm supposed to have throughout Lent has been one of the most interesting struggles of thought that I've had since my conversion. I've come to the following conclusion that satisfies me:

First, you have to think about the question historically. Meat--other than fish that could be caught locally--has not been available to all people for very long, when thinking of the big picture. Only the very rich had access to beef, pork, etc. Even today in poorer areas of the world people tend not to have access to such foods. In former times, fish would have been “peasant food,” and so eating it instead of meat could have been humbling.

For us now, remembering to keep Fridays meatless (whether just in Lent or throughout the year) is a reminder of our Catholic faith and heritage. During Lent in particular, it’s something that we all (are supposed to) do together. It sets us apart. When I reach into the freezer for fish instead of chicken on a Friday, I try to remember to offer up a little prayer of thanksgiving that I am a part of Holy Mother Church. I remind myself that we do this for a reason. So even if I’m really enjoying a yummy piece of salmon, it’s still a reminder of Christ’s Sacrifice.