Roman Catholics, Where Did The No Meat On Fridays During Lent Come From?
The abstinence from meat on Fridays during Lent, is a sacrifice. Since Friday is the day Christ died for us, sacrificed himself, we are asked to make a small sacrifice to remember his very important, world changing, sacrifice. Meat is a luxury of sorts and so we are asked to give it up and remember Christ on Friday’s during Lent. The Catholic Church used to ask Catholics to practice abstinence from meat every Friday. They changed this after Vatican II and now allow Catholics to choose a personal sacrifice to make on Friday’s. The requirement to “give something up” each Friday is still asked of us but it no longer has to be meat. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter. During this time we are to “pray, fast and give to the poor.” It is a time of penance and preparation for Easter. The ashes are the burned palm fronds from the previous palm Sunday. Ashes remind us that we are dust and to dust we will return. It comes from the “sack cloth and ashes” o
