Some pockets of the Catholic social media world have dubbed this day ‘Meat Island Thursday.’ This is because this Thursday comes right after Ash Wednesday and right before the first Friday in Lent – both days in which the Church requires its able bodied members to abstain from meat. For many it is 24 hours of relief, especially since it may be the first time all year that they have spent any time fasting or abstaining for spiritual reasons.
These two of three days of abstinence can lead to some asking the question, ‘Why do we do this?’ But for most, it is just an accepted part of being Catholic. We give little credence to it other than we know that it is Lent, and this is just what we do. But the Church never asks something of us without a reason. And for a Church that is dwindling in active members in western society, it is imperative that we regain the ‘why’ behind what we do.
It may seem like an arbitrary thing to abstain from meat. Or that the decision was made long ago, by old men of a different age who were trying to determine a difficult sacrifice for the faithful. But there is wisdom behind the lenten/friday sacrifice of meat, and if we regain it, it may reignite our love for the sacrifice of the cross.
As the Church prepares for Good Friday, the day we remember the death of our Lord, we are called to meditate on His passion. This was the sacrifice of His beaten body and blood; Or more gruesomely put: His meat. His flesh was torn, and His blood was spilled for our salvation. This sacrifice is the eternal sign of God’s love for us, and the key to our justification. Eternal heavenly communion with God was given to us. What a gift! Thus, we refrain from eating animal flesh and blood on Fridays in order to remember His flesh and blood that was lovingly given for our salvation. The abstinence of physical meat in our diet unites the spiritual body of Christ during lent as a loving sign of unity and penance for our savior. Additionally, the Lenten idea of fasting and abstinence allows us to train our body in self control, aiding us in conquering sin. The wisdom of the Church’s sacrifice leads us to love for our God!
So as we enjoy this Meat Island Thursday in a momentary reprieve from our abstinence, we need to remember that all of our sacrifices are to be about love. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was a sign of His love, and our abstinence should mirror this love. The difficulty of the sacrifice has little meaning if its motivation is solely duty. What transforms sacrifices from a stoic achievement to a salvific event is love. Love is the ‘why’, and we must reclaim this love if the Body of Christ is going to grow again in western society. Jesus gave His flesh lovingly for us. Let us meditate on that each time that we enjoy a meaty meal or abstain in unity with our Catholic brothers and sisters.
