Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Holy Water, Abstinence and Mimes
ROME, MARCH 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Related to our Feb. 24 comments on the Lenten fast, some readers asked for specifications.
A New York reader asked: "In your article on abstinence you said, 'This is why people who are sick, very poor or engaged in heavy labor (or who have difficulty in procuring fish) are not bound to observe the law,' but I think you missed one category, those who are allergic to fish. Following this I was wondering what degree of obligation was put on those who are allergic or cannot easily obtain fish, to use other protein sources (beans, nuts, cheese, eggs), before resorting to meat? My mother is allergic, so Fridays in Lent meant bean casserole in our house."
Here we must distinguish a little. Abstinence for Catholics means to abstain from flesh meat -- not an obligation to eat fish.
Once again, circumstances play a part. In the developed world there are many nutritious and delicious alternatives to bean casserole, so that it is fairly easy to provide options that require neither meat nor fish.
At the same time, one does not have to go to extraordinary lengths to substitute fish, and an allergy to fish could be classed as an illness that exempts from the obligation to refrain from meat. I therefore think that while it is spiritually better for someone in this condition to try to avoid meat during Lent, they would be able to take it with a clear conscience if this causes a significant burden.
A Michigan reader asked: "On Sundays during Lent are Catholics allowed to continue their sacrifices? For example, if someone gave up television for Lent and he did not want to watch television on Sundays either, would it be canonically incorrect for him to continue abstaining from this amusement? Or by the laws of the Church, should he make a point of watching television in order to show the observance of Sundays as not being days of fasting and penitence?"
Again we must distinguish. One thing is that historically the Church never classes Sunday as a penitential day; another thing is the range of healthy and wholesome voluntary sacrifices that many Catholics offer during Lent. Among other reasons, these sacrifices prepare for Easter, make reparation for failings and constitute an act of inner freedom from the attachments toward worldly things.
Because of the voluntary nature of sacrifices, a Catholic is under no obligation to leave them aside on Sunday and may freely observe them during the entire Lenten season.
Indeed, ascetically this is often the best thing to do, since interrupting these sacrifices can weaken the resolution to make it to the end. Some people, however, especially those imbued with a more liturgical spirituality, might find a Sunday interval to be helpful in living the spirit of Lent. It very much boils down to what each person considers as being most spiritually beneficial to his soul and for the good of others.
Related to our Feb. 24 comments on the Lenten fast, some readers asked for specifications.
A New York reader asked: "In your article on abstinence you said, 'This is why people who are sick, very poor or engaged in heavy labor (or who have difficulty in procuring fish) are not bound to observe the law,' but I think you missed one category, those who are allergic to fish. Following this I was wondering what degree of obligation was put on those who are allergic or cannot easily obtain fish, to use other protein sources (beans, nuts, cheese, eggs), before resorting to meat? My mother is allergic, so Fridays in Lent meant bean casserole in our house."
Here we must distinguish a little. Abstinence for Catholics means to abstain from flesh meat -- not an obligation to eat fish.
Once again, circumstances play a part. In the developed world there are many nutritious and delicious alternatives to bean casserole, so that it is fairly easy to provide options that require neither meat nor fish.
At the same time, one does not have to go to extraordinary lengths to substitute fish, and an allergy to fish could be classed as an illness that exempts from the obligation to refrain from meat. I therefore think that while it is spiritually better for someone in this condition to try to avoid meat during Lent, they would be able to take it with a clear conscience if this causes a significant burden.
A Michigan reader asked: "On Sundays during Lent are Catholics allowed to continue their sacrifices? For example, if someone gave up television for Lent and he did not want to watch television on Sundays either, would it be canonically incorrect for him to continue abstaining from this amusement? Or by the laws of the Church, should he make a point of watching television in order to show the observance of Sundays as not being days of fasting and penitence?"
Again we must distinguish. One thing is that historically the Church never classes Sunday as a penitential day; another thing is the range of healthy and wholesome voluntary sacrifices that many Catholics offer during Lent. Among other reasons, these sacrifices prepare for Easter, make reparation for failings and constitute an act of inner freedom from the attachments toward worldly things.
Because of the voluntary nature of sacrifices, a Catholic is under no obligation to leave them aside on Sunday and may freely observe them during the entire Lenten season.
Indeed, ascetically this is often the best thing to do, since interrupting these sacrifices can weaken the resolution to make it to the end. Some people, however, especially those imbued with a more liturgical spirituality, might find a Sunday interval to be helpful in living the spirit of Lent. It very much boils down to what each person considers as being most spiritually beneficial to his soul and for the good of others.
posted by Chipi Buenafe at
1:37 PM
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