Have you done the quiz yet? Don't read this until you've done the quiz!
How Much Do You Know About Catholic Teaching?
To recap, I left some seeds of truths in the wrong answers, and the correct answers didn't always include the full truth. Really the question should have been 'Which option is the closest to the truth?'
(Continuing from Part 1)
3. Are Catholics required to fast from meat on Fridays?
1. No; that rule was revoked with Vatican II
2. Yes; any practising Catholic abstains from meat on Fridays as every Friday is a special day of penitential observance
3. No; except for Fridays in Lent
CORRECT ANSWER 4. Yes; unless they replace it with another form of penance
Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Can. 1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.
So nope, Vatican 2 did not revoke the call to penitential acts on every Friday. Oops on behalf of myself and many other Catholics who assumed that. It doesn't have to be meat, but it does have to be something that the bishop's conference of your country prescribes.
So what does the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India aka the Episcopal Conference for the Latin Rite in India say about our Friday penitential practice? From a document called Complementary Legislations to the Code of Canon Law, I learned something new-
This Conference decrees that our faithful fulfill the obligation of abstinence, besides the traditional one of abstinence from meat, by choosing at least one of the following forms of prayer/penance/works of charity:
1. attending Mass or making a 15 minute visit to be Blessed Sacrament or doing 15 minutes of reading of the Bible or a 15 minute meditation on the Passion of Our Lord or making the Way of the Cross;
2. missing breakfast or any one meal;
3. taking strictly vegetarian meals (avoiding fish and eggs as well);
4. abstaining from alcohol (for those who drink);
5. abstaining from smoking (for those who smoke);
6. abstaining from beverages (like tea/coffee between meals);
7. giving 10% of one's daily earnings in charity
8. abstaining from meat for those for whom meat is part of their regular diet.
Nothing very demanding, but a small way to unite ourselves with Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross.
4. Do we need to fast before Mass?
1. Yes - For one hour before Mass starts
2. No - God doesn't care
3. Yes - Except for liquids like coffee
CORRECT ANSWER 4. Yes - For one hour before receiving Communion
I was once selling Christmas cake outside Church, and we were offering free samples. A lady was rushing in for Mass, but stopped when she saw the free samples. As she lifted the cake to her mouth, I being an incurable teacher of the faith, asked, "Aren't you going for Mass? What about your Eucharistic fast?" She laughed as she popped the cake in her mouth, "God doesn't care about that." A lot of people either seem to not know or not care. Are we being too focused on unimportant rules?
Like I wrote in my post Nitpicky Church Rules a few years ago, 'The disciplines He asks of us are out of love. When I fast for an hour before Communion, I am more conscious of what is about to happen, Who I am about to meet. I am consciously emptying myself physically and spiritually, instead of casually walking in, unaware of the Guest awaiting me.'
What does the Church say?
Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.
Now you know.
Stay tuned for Part 3.
How Much Do You Know About Catholic Teaching?
To recap, I left some seeds of truths in the wrong answers, and the correct answers didn't always include the full truth. Really the question should have been 'Which option is the closest to the truth?'
(Continuing from Part 1)
3. Are Catholics required to fast from meat on Fridays?
1. No; that rule was revoked with Vatican II
2. Yes; any practising Catholic abstains from meat on Fridays as every Friday is a special day of penitential observance
3. No; except for Fridays in Lent
CORRECT ANSWER 4. Yes; unless they replace it with another form of penance
Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Can. 1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.
So nope, Vatican 2 did not revoke the call to penitential acts on every Friday. Oops on behalf of myself and many other Catholics who assumed that. It doesn't have to be meat, but it does have to be something that the bishop's conference of your country prescribes.
So what does the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India aka the Episcopal Conference for the Latin Rite in India say about our Friday penitential practice? From a document called Complementary Legislations to the Code of Canon Law, I learned something new-
This Conference decrees that our faithful fulfill the obligation of abstinence, besides the traditional one of abstinence from meat, by choosing at least one of the following forms of prayer/penance/works of charity:
1. attending Mass or making a 15 minute visit to be Blessed Sacrament or doing 15 minutes of reading of the Bible or a 15 minute meditation on the Passion of Our Lord or making the Way of the Cross;
2. missing breakfast or any one meal;
3. taking strictly vegetarian meals (avoiding fish and eggs as well);
4. abstaining from alcohol (for those who drink);
5. abstaining from smoking (for those who smoke);
6. abstaining from beverages (like tea/coffee between meals);
7. giving 10% of one's daily earnings in charity
8. abstaining from meat for those for whom meat is part of their regular diet.
Nothing very demanding, but a small way to unite ourselves with Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross.
4. Do we need to fast before Mass?
1. Yes - For one hour before Mass starts
2. No - God doesn't care
3. Yes - Except for liquids like coffee
CORRECT ANSWER 4. Yes - For one hour before receiving Communion
I was once selling Christmas cake outside Church, and we were offering free samples. A lady was rushing in for Mass, but stopped when she saw the free samples. As she lifted the cake to her mouth, I being an incurable teacher of the faith, asked, "Aren't you going for Mass? What about your Eucharistic fast?" She laughed as she popped the cake in her mouth, "God doesn't care about that." A lot of people either seem to not know or not care. Are we being too focused on unimportant rules?
Like I wrote in my post Nitpicky Church Rules a few years ago, 'The disciplines He asks of us are out of love. When I fast for an hour before Communion, I am more conscious of what is about to happen, Who I am about to meet. I am consciously emptying myself physically and spiritually, instead of casually walking in, unaware of the Guest awaiting me.'
What does the Church say?
Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.
Now you know.
Stay tuned for Part 3.
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