Fridays as Days of Penance & Abstinence

Until very recently, I was never fully exposed to the idea of Friday penance and abstinence, a practice described by US bishops as a "special penitential observance by which [the faithful] gladly suffer with Christ that they may one day be glorified with Him" ("Pastoral Statement of Penance and Abstinence").

As Catholics, we hold the truth of Christ's death and Resurrection close to our hearts, remembering how He suffered and died on a Friday, and rose in glory on Sunday. While this feast is emphasized during the seasons of Lent and Easter, our faith demands we recognize this mystery during all weeks of the year.

In recent history, all Catholic communities recognized this practice by fully abstaining from meat every Friday of the year. While this idea has faded from society and has lost popularity, an act of penance is still not only recommended but required of us.

So, what exactly is this form of penance? And what does it look like in a practical and tangible sense?

While giving up meat is a reputable and respectable form of Friday abstinence, it is not the only way to humble oneself on Fridays. According to the statement hyperlinked above, there are many practices that can be taken to express this love for Christ. Here is statement #27 from the usccb.org:

"27. It would bring great glory to God and good to souls if Fridays found our people doing volunteer work in hospitals, visiting the sick, serving the needs of the aged and the lonely, instructing the young in the Faith, participating as Christians in community affairs, and meeting our obligations to our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our community, including our parishes, with a special zeal born of the desire to add the merit of penance to the other virtues exercised in good works born of living faith" ("Pastoral Statement of Penance and Abstinence").

We see here that in modern society, the Church has afforded us this luxury of utilizing our creativity and our own spiritual needs to determine what is best for us to do on Fridays. Say, for instance, that fasting or giving up something like coffee only makes you crabby and likely causes you to upset your neighbors.....this might not be the practice for you in such a case. Instead, you might find it more fruitful to journal about God's love for you, pray a rosary for a special person, or even do something as simple as treating someone to lunch. Whatever it is, make your practice genuine in such a way so as to bring you closer to God. I personally recommend daily mass, confession, or adoration on such days, especially if these practices are not regular for you.

You may see this practice as an extra burden. Or perhaps you may think that due to its unpopular nature in today's world that it is not necessary. Though this thought may be tempting, I---as your sister in Christ---urge you to prayerfully consider this observance as a way of thanking Christ for all He's done for you. Trust me, nothing is as difficult as living out a seemingly-unusual lifestyle in the modern world (especially in a college setting!). But please, don't be afraid to be bold. And remember, we---as the Body of Christ---are all in this together!

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"[...]let it be proved by the spirit in which we enter upon prayer and penance, not excluding fast and abstinence freely chosen, that these present decisions and recommendations of this conference of bishops will herald a new birth of loving faith and more profound penitential conversion, by both of which we become one with Christ, mature sons of God, and servants of God's people."

~"Pastoral Statement of Penance and Abstinence"

Additional Resource: Code of Canon Law