Friday has not always been just another day of the week.
Not
for Roman Catholics.
I recently heard it
explained that the Post V-2 back peddling came about because Roman Catholics were
thought to be mature enough in their faith to voluntarily do what was once
mandated to do.
The Pastoral Statement from the USCCB is well worth the time to
read and digest.
Mature enough?
Apparently [and not meant judgmentally] not.
It is obvious in
this pastoral statement from the USCCB that every Friday is still a day of
penance and some penitential action is supposed to be exercised. Is it an
accident that the Rosary directs us to meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries on
this day of the week? I think not.
The huge however [in the maturity of modern
Catholics] is that every Friday during the year, for all practical
purposes, is no longer a penitential day for the vast number of Roman Catholics.
Rather than hearing clearly and precisely from our bishops and priests that
Friday’s are still penitential days [and that the simplest sustainable way to honor
the day is to fast and abstain] we Roman Catholics have been left [in our
maturity] to figure it out for ourselves.
Saint Benedict tells me, Renounce
yourself in order to follow Christ, discipline your body, do not pamper
yourself, but love fasting. [Holy Rule 4:10-13]
It takes a lot of conscious effort to return to and restore fast and abstinence every Friday. The world doesn't recognize it. Sadly, the vast majority of modern Roman Catholics in this region overseen by the USCCB no longer recognize it. Personally, I discover that it helps me to maintain a thoroughly Catholic perspective by treating every Friday as a Lent. And, for me, being thoroughly Catholic, is an important priority.
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