The Church is facing a crisis. Long-held Catholic beliefs are challenged as "not up-to-date enough" and therefore thrown away - a natural consequence of Modernism. One of these that has been gradually discarded, like a frog in a pot of boiling water analogy, is the necessity of rigerous periods of fasting and abstinence. The article below is supposed to be food for thought and prayer, not current official Church teaching. It is my hope that we can read this and ask ourselves:
In this video below you can learn most of the answers to these questions.
Knowing the true answers to these questions is life-changing! One of the reasons for much stricter rules for fasting and abstinence is because it helps us to grow in the - much needed (necessary) and currently very lacking - virtue of temperance. This is no small matter. There are holy priests who point out that the gradual moral decline in society and the world directly correlates to the gradual decrease in the practice of Catholic fasting and abstinence. There is a great book called The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence that gives a great explanation of the history of and reasons for all of this. It is well worth the read and very inspiring. You can also read more about this here and here and here.
Here is the article that is meant to be food for thought and prayer. FYI, the anecdote relayed in this article took place before the changes to the fasting regulations following the 2nd Vatican Council.
Kill Joy Theology: Friday Abstinence and the Danger of False Teaching
In a world where traditions are increasingly abandoned, some Catholics still strive to uphold the disciplines of the Church. One such discipline is Friday abstinence, which was traditionally observed every Friday of the year, not just during Lent.
A young man, aware of this obligation, found himself in a dilemma when December 24th fell on a Friday. Seeking guidance, he approached two Traditional Catholic priests, who both affirmed that the obligation of abstinence remained unless Friday coincided with December 25th, the solemn celebration of Our Lord’s Nativity.
However, unsatisfied with this response, the young man consulted another priest (Novus Ordo), hoping for a more lenient answer. This priest dismissed the obligation, saying:
“What will you prepare before Christmas Eve? Bitter gourd? That’s killing the joy before Christmas!”
He further advised that abstinence does not mean a complete absence of meat, but rather that one could add small tidbits of meat to meals for flavor. This reasoning, though appealing to the senses, contradicts the traditional teaching of the Church.
The Church’s Pre-Vatican II Teaching on Friday Abstinence which were in force at the time this happened
The obligation of Friday abstinence is clearly outlined in Canon Law (1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 1250-1254):
There was no provision allowing the addition of "tidbits of meat" for flavor, nor was there any exemption based on personal preference or festive celebrations. The Church, in Her wisdom, established this discipline as a means of penance in remembrance of Christ’s Passion on Good Friday.
The Sin of Gluttony: Those Who Cannot Control Their Appetite Are Under the Devil’s Influence
Belzebul (Beelzebub) is the demon of gluttony, and those who cannot control their appetite are under his influence. The saints and doctors of the Church have warned that gluttony is not merely about overeating, but about allowing the lower faculties of the body to dominate the soul.
St. Basil the Great:
"Fasting gives birth to prophets and strengthens the powerful; fasting makes lawgivers wise. Fasting is a good safeguard for the soul, a steadfast companion for the body, a weapon for the valiant, and a gymnasium for athletes."
St. John Chrysostom:
"Do not indulge the belly and you will never be overpowered by the flesh."
St. Gregory the Great:
"The belly is the teacher of all vices."
When that priest told that young man that he should compromise abstinence because it “kills joy,” he was robbing him of a significant opportunity to grow in virtue and essentially encouraging the sin of gluttony. The Church teaches that we must master our passions and not let our bodily desires rule us.
St. Thomas Aquinas: Mind, Free Will, and Passion
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that the human soul consists of three key faculties:
According to St. Thomas (Summa Theologica, I-II, Q. 9, A. 2):
"The intellect proposes, the will disposes, and the passions follow. If the passions dominate, man falls into sin, but if the will is rightly ordered to reason, man acts virtuously."
If one does not possess the virtue of temperance, and therefore, cannot control his appetite for food, his passions dominate his will, and he loses the ability to choose the good. This is why abstinence is important— it is a means to grow in the virtue of temperance as it strengthens our self-control and prevents us from becoming slaves to the flesh.
The Danger of False Teachings Even More Prevalent Today
This scenario highlights a grave issue within the Church today: even priests, who are supposed to be shepherds of the faithful, can lead souls astray through false teaching and unfortunately, this happens frequently. I am not sure why but, in my experience, this is commom in the Novus Ordo and all in the name of modernism and the spirit of Vatican II. I am not against the Novus Ordo. I am a Catholic who regualarly attends the New Mass and have all my life. My father is a permanant deacon. I worked at a Catholic parish for 14 years and have been volunteering for almost 25 years. I am not speaking from the outside. I speak out of frustration. I have rarely heard a preist ever even mention mortal sin at all and definitely not the mandate of Fridays as a day for penance. But I have frequently heard stories of the laity seeking the advice of a priest and given false teaching on Catholic moral issues - for example on artificial contraception, IVF, same sex sexual activity, pornography, missing Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation without a valid reason, etc. The lack of moral teaching is evident in our world today. The Church is called to be the soul of the world, to elevate it to the supernatural level for the eternal salvation of souls. Instead, the focus is much more on this world and mostly social justice issues, not sin, penance or growing in virtue at all.
This is a fulfillment of what the prophet Hosea warned about:
“My people have been silent because they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me: and thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6, Douay-Rheims)
How many Catholics, for example, know that every Friday is a day of penance with abstinence from meat holding primacy of place? By failing to teach the faithful the true discipline of abstinence, these priests not only mislead their flock but also undermine the authority of the Church. Their reasoning follows along the same lines —choosing joy over discipline—and reflects the modernist mentality that sacrifices truth for comfort. Yes, there are a few preists who encourage doing a work of mercy on Friday in place of abstaining from meat, but rarely in the context of penance for sin. We are so desensitized to sin as a Church and the priests and bishops are largely responsible for this. They seem to be way more concerened with receiving government funding than preaching and teaching the truth about morality.
St. Alphonsus Liguori warned:
"Many priests go to Hell for failing to preach the truth and for excusing sin instead of condemning it."
REFLECTION
The Joy of Obedience
True joy does not come from indulging in meat on a day of abstinence but from obeying the will of God and the laws of His Church. Abstinence is not meant to "kill joy" but to unite us with the sacrifice of Christ.
Our Lord Himself fasted and suffered for our redemption—can we not make a small sacrifice for Him in return?
This event serves as a lesson for all Catholics today: not every priest faithfully upholds Church teaching. We must be vigilant, study the Faith, and ensure that we follow the teachings of the Church as they have been handed down through Sacred Tradition.
As St. Paul admonishes:
“For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, Douay-Rheims)
Restoring True Catholic Discipline
To remain faithful to Catholic Tradition, we must reject compromises that dilute Church teachings. Abstinence is a form of penance and a reminder of Christ’s suffering. It is not something to be modified for convenience but something to be embraced out of love for God.
St. Augustine reminds us:
"What is a little suffering in this life, compared to eternal happiness in Heaven?"
If Belzebul, the demon of gluttony, tempts us to put our bodily desires first, let us remember that Satan was defeated by Christ’s Passion and our own acts of self-denial.
May we always seek the truth, remain steadfast in the Faith, and never trade holiness for human comfort. Let us hold fast to the traditions that have been passed down to us, for in them lies the path to eternal joy.
Source: BimbyMacbs
Catholic Tradition & Evangelization
I am a daughter of the Most High and of His Catholic Church. I introduce myself that way because I am so grateful for that! I have been married to Dan for 36 years and we have three young adult children - Brett, Nicole and Eryn - and three grandchildren - Cash, Bowie and Indy. I was employed as the Adult Faith Formation Coordinator at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City, Georgia for 14 years from December of 2008 to January of 2023. I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Catholic Distance University and a certificate as a Catholic Spiritual Mentor from the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program.
I left fulltime ministry in the parish to concentrate on organizing events. I would like to extend my outreach to other parishes and organizations who would like to host a wonderful Adult Faith formation event but might not have the experience or confidence to do that on their own. I offer various services including but not limited to (fees are charged hourly for most services):
+ Event Planning: event planning from start to finish,
+ Consultation: consultation about an event,
+ Consultation about running a successful Adult Faith Formation Program.
+ I also offer different Adult Faith classes and courses that can be accessed by an individual or a group or can be taught by me via zoom or locally in person.
Website https://www.catholiceventplanning.com/ or www.redemptivesuffering.net
