Must I Give Up Something For Lent?

From the Pastor:    Must I Give Up Something For Lent?

       I am constantly asked about rules and regulations for what to give up for Lent. Must I give up something every day? What about Birthdays and Holidays? How about Sundays? If I give up something and then eat it (a food I gave up) or do it (an activity I gave up) is it a mortal sin or a venial sin? Can I get a dispensation for eating/doing something I gave up but didn’t take into account “this” particular day or circumstance? Can I exclude those times/dates/circumstances in my own determination of what I am giving up or is that cheating? I am sure that not only do you get the picture (and these questions are by no means exhaustive) but that you have probably at least thought about asking something similar even if you never actually did ask! This shows one of the problems that arise when traditions are changed instead of being held onto dearly.
       I have a calendar in front of me from The Seraphim Company, Inc. that has, on the page labeled, “Calendar Guide and Information,” a subheading of, “Fast and Abstinence.’ In this section, they list the traditional rules (1962, I am guessing) and the current rules. Should you choose to read further, where I list them, you will see that the rules changed drastically. You can find the current rules in these three documents: Pope Paul's Constitution Poenitemini, Code of Canon Law (cc. 1249-1253), and the USCCB's Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence. Without space here to quote these documents in full, I will simply reproduce for you the traditional fast and abstinence as listed on the calendar, interspersed with the current one in red, and offer a few comments and suggestions.

1. Everyone over 7 years of age (current: over 14) is bound to observe the law of ABSTINENCE.
2. COMPLETE ABSTINENCE, which forbids the eating of meat, and soup or gravy made from meat, is required on: all Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, the Vigil of the Assumption, and the Vigil of Christmas. (Current: only Ash Wednesday, Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday.)
3. PARTIAL ABSTINENCE, which permits meat, and soup or gravy made from meat, to be eaten only once a day, at the principal meal, is required on: Ember Wednesdays, Ember Saturdays, and the Vigil of Pentecost. (Current: none.)
4. Everyone ages 21 to 59 inclusive is also bound to observe the law of FAST. (Current: 18-59 inclusive.)
5. The days of FAST are: weekdays of Lent, Ember days, the Vigil of Pentecost, the Vigil of the Assumption, and the Vigil of Christmas. (Current: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday only.)
6. On the days of FAST, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. (Current: no change.)
7. Meat may be taken at the principal meal on a day of FAST except on days of COMPLETE ABSTINENCE (see above). (Current: both remaining  fast days are days of complete abstinence.)
8. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed. (Current: not mentioned.)
9. When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige, In doubt concerning FAST or ABSTINENCE, a parish priest or confessor should be consulted. (Current: no change.)
10. There is no obligation for FAST or ABSTINENCE on a Holy Day of Obligation, even though it may fall on a Friday. (Current: All Solemnities remove the obligation, too.)
11. The FAST and ABSTINENCE for the Vigil of Christmas (Dec. 24) may instead be observed Dec. 23. (These are no longer days of penance.)

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       You don’t need 20/20 vision to see that the changes have drastically changed Lent by removing most of the former Lenten penance. Yet in the Bishops’ document cited above, they state that with these changes, “we hope that the observance of Lent as the principal season of penance in the Christian year will be intensified. This is the more desirable because of new insights...”  Yes, their new insights are that Lent becomes more penitential if it becomes less penitential!
       While you may keep the traditional practices, you would be without sin if you kept the current practice of doing almost nothing penitential for Lent. But would you be benefitting to the same degree? I think not. And the majority of Catholics in this society instinctively know it. That is why they choose other penitential practices to voluntarily undergo during Lent. Giving up sweets, alcohol, TV, or Social Media, for instance, is not listed anywhere that I know of in the current regulations. So we are all left on our own to figure out how to make Lent (or any other time of the liturgical year, for that matter) more spiritual than the very basic and, dare I say, even pitiable, current penitential requirements of the Church. 
       All of that leads back to the answer to the above questions. Choose something that will make you more holy and do your best. The Church seems to have abandoned you to your own devices, so choose wisely, challenge yourself, and take on whatever penance you think will help your soul conquer your bodily impulses. That is what will allow you to have a good and holy Lent and, ultimately, through the grace of God, to help others and yourself to become Saints.

With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka

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