Christians have fasted (without food) and abstained (without certain foods) since the beginning of salvation history. The Book of Genesis teaches that all the plants and animals that God created and entrusted to human beings are good, especially those given to us as food (Genesis 1:29). Jesus taught that nothing a person eats makes him or her evil (Mark 7:18). So why then do we fast and abstain?
Fasting dates back to our Jewish roots. The Bible spells out specific spiritual benefits of fasting. It produces humility (Ps 69:10). It shows our sorrow for our sins (1 Sam 7:6). It clears a path to God (Dan 9:3). It is a means of discerning God's will (Ezr 8:21) and a powerful method of prayer (Ezr 8:23). And Jesus recommended fasting, but not as a mere formality and certainly not as a burden to be imposed on the poor. Jesus recommended fasting when we fail to sense that God is near. The purpose of Lent is to help us draw closer to God.
Then there is the whole abstaining from meat thing and only eating fish on Fridays. Tradition says we do so because eating meat was viewed as a luxury. During Lent we abstain from luxuries. This was definitely true in the Old Testament period and certainly would have been true in the ancient Mediterranean world in late winter—our time of Lent. Today this hardly seems true since seafood is a luxury and hamburger and chicken sandwiches not so much. By the way, eating only vegetables is okay, too.
The practice of eating fish is related to the day we typically abstain from meat: Friday. This is the day that Christ died, so abstaining from consuming meat seems appropriate. Friday, the sixth day, was also the day that God created animals, so abstaining from meat is a symbolic “stay of execution” for cows, pigs, and sheep—just as the cross saves us from eternal death.
In the end, the Church’s intention is to encourage the faithful to offer up a sacrifice to God that comes from the heart and unites our suffering to that of Christ on the cross. Abstaining from meat is given as a very basic penance and an outward expression of our obedience to Christ and his Church. (Eating lobster on Fridays defeats the purpose.) The whole point is to make a sacrifice that draws a person closer to Christ, who out of love for us made the ultimate sacrifice a person can make.
Now back to what parish had the best fish fry. I would say that Our Lady of the Cove had the best fired catfish and fries; St. Joseph the Worker had the best fried cod and fried okra; and St. Francis of Assisi had the best baked fish and desert assortment. However, to be a clear winner, there needs to be “fried twinkies” on the desert menu. No one offered it. But there is always next year.
Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn