Fridays are such beautiful days.
Rain or shine makes no difference; though today does happen to be a bright sunshiny day.
The beauty of the day is aptly discerned in looking back to that Sorrowful Day; a beauty that is difficult to look upon … a beauty that we must fix our focus upon lest we grow cold and develop a pattern of taking for granted the events of that dark day in the life of our Lord Jesus.
The Sorrowful Mysteries[1] that we meditate upon today draw us into Christ’s sufferings and makes us close companions with him, his Mother, and his beloved disciples as we watch him willingly suffer for our sins.
Discovering [or perhaps rediscovering] every Friday as a penitential day … a day of prayerful fasting and abstinence honoring the sufferings and sacrifice of Christ ... is full of significance.
Weekly Friday Observance really is not an option for Catholic’s despite the lack of instruction that has left Catholic believers confused and in the dark on this significant matter.
Most readily admit that Friday Observance is still a part of Lent, whether they practice it or not. Pitifully few realize that Friday Observance is still in effect the rest of the year. Read what the USCCB says about this matter of significant importance in the life of every soul that professes to be Catholic.
There really is no legitimate room for argument or dissension when you read the statement in its entirety [28 short paragraphs]. The matter, then, is one of willingness to choose and perform a form of penance every Friday.
The simplest and most easily sustained form is to simply prayerfully fast and abstain.
The early believers had it right. Their practice of prayerfully fasting and abstaining on Fridays has been one of the devotional norms of the Church throughout the centuries. It has only been over the course of the past fifty years that neglect and confusion have robbed the Catholic masses of the beauty inherent in this weekly practice that unites us, both physically and in spirit, with the saints of all ages.
[1] The Sorrowful Mysteries : [1] Christ’s Agony in the Garden – Matthew 26:36-46 [2] Christ’s Scourging at the Pillar – Matthew 27:25-26 [3] Crowning Christ with a Crown of Thorns – Matthew 27:27-30 [4] Christ Carrying the Cross – John 19:17-18 [5] Christ’s Crucifixion and Death – Luke 23:44-47
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