Lenten Parish Happenings
Click here for ways to improve your Lenten Experience
Stations of the Cross in English
Every Friday during Lent at 6 pm
Via Crucis en Espanol
Todos los Viernes de Cuaresma
a la 7 pm acabando con Misa
Fish Fry Fridays
Feb 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
March 7th, 14th, 21st
5:30 pm to 8 pm in the cafeteria
Fasting
Everyone between the ages of 18 years completed and 59 years completed is bound to observe the laws of fasting.
The days of fasting are two: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these two days only one full meal is allowed. Two other meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs, but together they should not equal another full meal.
Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed.
When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige. In doubt concerning fast or abstinence, a parish priest or confessor should be consulted.
Abstinence
All members of the Church 14 years of age or over who have the use of reason are obliged to observe the abstinence days of the Church, unless they are excused or dispensed.
The days of abstinence are: Ash Wednesday and each of the Fridays of Lent. The general law (Canon 1251) designates all the Fridays of the year as days of abstinence. By special exception this observance of Fridays outside of Lent is left optional for American and Canadian Catholics. The law of abstinence forbids the eating of meat, and soup, gravy or sauces made from meat.
Why refrain from meat and not some other food on days of abstinence? The reason is probably the fact that historically meat was always considered something of a special food--as it is today-- and giving up this food is consequently something significant. Abstinence from meat has value to the extent that it is an act of self-denial, of giving up of something pleasurable. If one is to reach any kind of emotional maturity, self-denial is a prime necessity. What the Church has in mind, however, is not simply human maturity, but likeness of the Christian to Christ whose life was one of habitual self-denial. For the conscientious Christian, the period of abstinence is also a time of more intense awareness of his dependence upon God and his obligation of sharing the world's goods with his fellowmen. With this in mind, he will not fall into the trap of simply substituting expensive seafood in place of meat, pharisaically observing the letter of the law while dodging the self-denial which is its spirit.
Christ died for our salvation of Friday. From time immemorial, Catholics have set Friday for special penitential observances by which they gladly suffer with Christ that they may one day be glorified with Him. Even when Catholics are obliged to abstinence only on Fridays of Lent, they are exhorted to make each Friday of the year a special day of penance.
Courtesy of Catholic Information Network (CIN)
Copyright © 2007 St. Matthew Catholic Church. All rights reserved