Catholic Info

Traditional Catholic Faith => The Sacred: Catholic Liturgy, Chant, Prayers => Topic started by: Stubborn on December 05, 2023, 07:09:00 AM

Title: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Stubborn on December 05, 2023, 07:09:00 AM
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation and falls on Dec. 8th, a Friday this year. I'm not sure about no meat on Thursday, but I am sure that we can eat meat on Holy Days of Obligation!
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: 2Vermont on December 05, 2023, 07:16:17 AM
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation and falls on Dec. 8th, a Friday this year. I'm not sure about no meat on Thursday, but I am sure that we can eat meat on Holy Days of Obligation!
My husband just told me this.  Yes, no meat on Thursday (at least as of Pius XII).
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Kazimierz on December 05, 2023, 11:52:32 AM
As the 7th is a major vigil, just like Dec 24, yes indeed, fast and abstinence. :pray:
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Ladislaus on December 05, 2023, 12:53:07 PM
My husband just told me this.  Yes, no meat on Thursday (at least as of Pius XII).

Just for clarification, it's not that the original/normal Friday abstinence is somehow transferred to Thursday, but rather due to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception, which is a day of fast/abstinence in the United States, because the Immaculate Conception is the US patronal feast, but in other parts of the world, it would be the Vigil of the Assumption.
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Ladislaus on December 05, 2023, 12:56:28 PM
As the 7th is a major vigil, just like Dec 24, yes indeed, fast and abstinence. :pray:

You're in Canada, right?  That may not be the case for Canada, but not 100% sure.  It was in 1957 that fasting on the Vigil of the Assumption got transferred to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception ... in the United States.  Not sure if Canada followed or not.
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: AnthonyPadua on December 05, 2023, 04:25:04 PM
Anyone know the pre vatican 2 rules for Australia? Also is it fine to fast/abstain for both Thursday and Friday?
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Matthew on December 05, 2023, 04:41:04 PM
I don't know of any days with Vigils (causing one to fast & abstain) that aren't also "big enough" 1st Class feast days which override Friday abstinence.

In other words, fasting on both days would be almost as bad as fasting on neither. You're not supposed to mourn when the Church rejoices. Are you really of the spirit of the Church when you do this? We should *humbly* follow our Holy Mother Church and Her liturgy.

I think the most perfect would be to fast/abstain on Thursday and enjoy meat on Friday.

And yes, there's a time to eat meat and celebrate -- feast -- on major Feast days. What would the saints do? They celebrated the Church's great feast days.

But any time a Feast overrides a Friday abstinence, you don't have to worry about missing out, because the Vigil has you covered there. You get your penance in, just a day earlier.


P.S. This only applies to the United States and any other countries where the Immaculate Conception has the same status.
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Quo vadis Domine on December 05, 2023, 06:24:31 PM
I don't know of any days with Vigils (causing one to fast & abstain) that aren't also "big enough" 1st Class feast days which override Friday abstinence.

In other words, fasting on both days would be almost as bad as fasting on neither. You're not supposed to mourn when the Church rejoices. Are you really of the spirit of the Church when you do this? We should *humbly* follow our Holy Mother Church and Her liturgy.

I think the most perfect would be to fast/abstain on Thursday and enjoy meat on Friday.

And yes, there's a time to eat meat and celebrate -- feast -- on major Feast days. What would the saints do? They celebrated the Church's great feast days.

But any time a Feast overrides a Friday abstinence, you don't have to worry about missing out, because the Vigil has you covered there. You get your penance in, just a day earlier.


P.S. This only applies to the United States and any other countries where the Immaculate Conception has the same status.


My thoughts exactly!
Title: Re: Meat on Friday but not Thursday this week
Post by: Kazimierz on December 05, 2023, 06:53:59 PM
You're in Canada, right?  That may not be the case for Canada, but not 100% sure.  It was in 1957 that fasting on the Vigil of the Assumption got transferred to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception ... in the United States.  Not sure if Canada followed or not.
Yup, ole Kaz in Canada. I do my best to follow the older liturgical traditions and prescriptions. For example, I use the Divinu Affflatu Divine Office. 

It was not until I was older that I discovered the reason behind the Polish Christmas Vigil, the 24th being a fast and abstinence until the Wigilia meal. Still no meat until Christmas Day, but there was more than enough food. 

So for all the older venerable vigils, I follow the same. Good for the body and the soul. :smirk: :pray: :incense: