So news is going around that because its the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, that we can eat meat tomorrow. This is an undisputable fact, as outlined by Canon Law in article 1251 which states:
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.
And while the church allows, I fear that many may practice this observance with a mindset that “yes, I can eat meat on a Friday!”. While its ok to rejoice in celebrations, the question is whether or not we will actually celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord tomorrow, or will we just, eat meat?
“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” Revelation 3:16
First things first, its wrong to follow parts of Canon Law that we like, and ignore the rest, since its called Canon Law and not Canon Opinion. I will now post it again with re-emphasis:
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.
In September of 1983 (which is when I was born, woohoo!) it was added that instead of fasting meat on all fridays, we may substitute it with an act of penace, as outlined in article 1253 which states:
It is for the conference of bishops to determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety
So with that in mind, lets remember that all Fridays are times when we are to observe fasting, or carry out acts of penance. As far as I’m concerned, these are the basic practices of the Catholic faith regarding Abstinence on Fridays. I add no opinion to this, since I believe Canon Law speaks for itself. But now that the letter of the law is discussed, lets discuss the spirit of the law.
As we look to what we’ll eat tomorrow, I think that we should ask ourselves one question: how will I celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord? As a solemnity, the church has outlined the Annunciation as an important event in our Church’s history that we should celebrate. The Annunciation is the exact moment the Incarnation of Christ. Although within Mary’s womb, it was the exact moment Jesus is present of earth. So how will we give thanks to the Lord for the moment that the Word was Made Flesh? The short answer is, to celebrate with the Lord.
We can celebrate liturgically, through Mass, Reconciliation, and spending time in Adoration. Through these things can come before the Lord in celebration of what He has given to us, the Word Made Flesh. We can also choose to celebrate life, since the Annunciation also points to us how precious life is, in that it begins at conception. In Toronto, the 40 Days for Life Vigil is currently underway (http://www.40daysforlife.com/toronto/). The vigil itself is a celebration of life as God sees it. So going by the vigil and saying a Rosary, or even doing this yourself at home in the name of life, and the pro-life movement, is a great way to celebrate the life that God gives us. There are many things that we could do, but ultimately if it involves us placing ourselves with our Lord, His physical presence or in prayer, its a great way to celebrate.
On the contrary, if we’re not ready to celebrate tomorrow for what it represents (or simply won’t), then the question is should we allow ourselves the privilege of eating meat tomorrow? Heres another question: would you go to a birthday party just for the food an drink and forget to greet the birthday boy? Lets remember that the purpose of Law isn’t to limit those that follow it. Rather its to encourage holiness within those who follow it. But this can only happen if were open to why the Laws were put in place, instead of trying to see what we can get away with.
In the end, let’s remember that eating meat isn’t glorifying God. Having the discipline to not do it out of observance or because you’re not ready to really participate in the fullness of the Church’s celebration is. Will you glorify God tomorrow? Or will you pick and choose our faith to your liking?
I pray we all make tomorrow a true celebration of our faith, of the Word Made Flesh
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted” Matthew 4:1
I truly believe we are to fully celebrate the victories in our life, whether its passing a big exam, acknowledging a job well done, or getting through another year of life. These celebrations are usually filled with a lot of joy, peace, and an overwhelming feeling of thanksgiving to God.
There was a time in my life when I viewed temptation, particularly rejecing it, as some sort of victory filled with joy and peace. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that temptation is part of my everyday life. Our experiences in dealing with temptation, however, I’m sure are varied and filled with many different forms of fighting temptation. Some of us may take the silent prayer approach, while others may occupy themselves with something positive to do (which is a prayer as well mind you). Either way, its a blessing from God to even have something else to do. The simple knowledge of knowing that “I could actually do something else more positive” is such a profoundly amazing thing to have, and I think its something we take for granted. And with prayer being something we can do any time, there’s no way it doesn’t apply to everyone.
No matter how we choose to fight temptation, I believe that the important first step is of course making an attempt to fight it. If we just let it happen, without a struggle, then we’re just allowing ourselves to be the devil’s puppets, ready for whatever his will commands. The desire to fight temptation is the essential first step in combating evil. Its making the decision to even step foot onto the battlefield. Resisting temptation, as outlined above, is when we fire away at the enemy. This is the battle in a nutshell.
Now war, although portrayed gloriously in movies, is far from glorious. In war, lives are lost, brothers may come to blows with their brother, and ultimately when the battle is over, you’re sore, tired, and seek a break from the fight. Knowing that there’s another battle coming the next day, there’s no time to celebrate, or even let your guard down since the enemy can attack again at any time. Its definitely not a time to celebrate.
Saying no to temptation once, although a victory for yourself and for God, is no reason to celebrate. Neither is saying no twice, or three times, or any number of times. In times of war, you don’t celebrate until the enemy has been absolutely erradicated. If the enemy is totally gone, then there’s no threat of attack from him, and you can celebrate knowing that you’ve won the war. You can celebrate because the enemy; his ways, his attacks, his influence, his army, and his claim on your territory, is gone. But until that time comes, we have to keep fighting.
So looking at the times when we say no to temptation, should we expect feelings of joy and peace? Yes, but not in the most obvious ways. Joy is the happiness that God gives, and peace is the rest that God gives. Its up to us to first acknowledge it, and then accept the form it takes. The kind of happiness and peace God gives us, may not take the form we may like at all times, but ultimately its what’s best for us. Knowing that the enemy still exists in and around our lives, we can’t celebrate his defeat until he is actually defeated. We may have won a battle or two, but we haven’t won the war yet.
I’ll see you on the field.
Sometimes life is difficult to figure out, and sometimes it seems so simple. Sometimes God speaks quietly, and sometimes He speaks loudly. Sometimes, His voice just keeps getting louder over time, and the message becomes more evident the louder He gets.
As I sit here and contemplate what’s happening in the world (Japan, Libya), and also in and around my life, I can see how God is reaches out to me, an also to others in their own personal journey’s. His methodology is simple to understand: God speaks through absolutely everything. Everything, no matter how big or small, whether earthquake or shiver, has divine significance. Finding out what he divine significance is for every moment of life is the journey in itself. And how beautiful life is when we see the divine significance of the stories within our lives. The revelation of divine truth is the spice of life, the reason why life is so beautiful. I live for these moments, and I know they’ll continue to happen, provided I’m looking out for them. In my experience, I find that its not difficult part to see what God is saying. Gods messages for us are pretty much straightforward, easy to accept, and even easier to embrace. I find the message is actually the easiest part, provided I get through the most difficult step first: getting over myself.
Getting over myself. Considering the chapters of my life, I’ve probably spent most of my time in this stage. The reason why is because of the cross God has given me to carry: my pride, my doubts, my fears, me. But one truth God has shared with me is that, I am not alone in this. If you think about it, Jesus wasn’t some sort of super-athlete. He wasn’t the strongest, fastest, or toughest. Although people think highly of Jesus (rightfully so), sometimes we forget that He was human. If Jesus was the strongest, fastest, and toughest person to ever walk the face of the earth, then carrying the cross would have probably been easy. But it wasn’t, because Jesus wasn’t any of those things. He fell under the weight of the cross 3 times. He needed Simon to help Him at one point. It was a difficult task for a man of His physical capabilities. The fact that Jesus was so human is what makes this story so beautiful.
Now looking at myself, I find that even though there’s a reason why God puts me through certain things, exposes me to certain realities, and ultimately fills my heart with certain dreams. It’s so that He could say something profound that I need to know, which I feel is a reality that we all share. As I carry the cross of my personal pride, doubts, fears, etc, the important thing is that I remember that there is significance in what I am going through, so I need to carry my cross until the end of my journey. Being faithful to this fact in the past (even though I’ve fought it many times), I’ve been able to experience the true fullness of life that God wants me to live. Im still on many journey’s right now, and I know I’ll there’s a divine truth behind all of them, but how long that takes (or if I even get there) is another story. Jesus knew why He had to carry the cross, which is exactly why He didn’t let His own physical incapability’s get in the way of actually seeing it through until the end.
There is a divine reason for everything in life, and its up to you if you want to either know what that reason is, or give yourself another one.
