To the Band of Brothers: February 24, 2023

Two days into Lent and all is well. Today is Friday, so it is the first of several meatless Fridays. Some may wonder what the big deal is with not eating meat. Why this one particular practice? I mean, of all the possible things the Church could have done to mark certain days of Lent, why pick on the meat-eaters? And since we are asking, why pick on Fridays? Why not go with no soft drinks on Wednesdays? Why not target the sweet tooth and cancel sugar on Saturdays? I would be perfectly fine with saying no to liver. Actually, for all I care, you can ban liver every day of the year. And why ban a food item? Can’t we propose a “no-exercise” period during Lent? How about no tests or quizzes, or no ties, or how about telling Alexa not to wake me up at 5:00 a.m. on Mondays and force me to get a couple of extra hours of sleep?

Meatless Fridays during Lent is a very old tradition in our Church. Since time and memorial, the Christian community singled out Fridays as a day of penance or abstinence because it just so happened Jesus died on a Friday. Of the seven days of the week, Friday seemed to make the most sense because it gives us a chance to join our little bit of suffering to the suffering of Jesus on the cross. Actually, it’s that same logic that gives rise to Sundays being a day when there is no abstinence or fasting because the resurrection of Jesus happened on a Sunday. This is why the 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays (count the days until Easter yourself if you don’t believe me).

You guys may not know this, but years ago it wasn’t simply meatless Fridays during Lent, but actually meatless Fridays every Friday of the year! That’s right, our grandparents and great-grandparents didn’t have meat on Fridays… ever. A change came shortly after the Second Vatican Council (1965) when the dietary rules were loosened and it was decided to make the practice only applicable during Lent. It may have been a delegation of cowboys and cattle ranchers who lobbied to go easy on the “no meat’ rule. Either way, I am sure Ms. Ruth Chris, Mr. Fleming, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Wollensky were ecstatic with the change.

But the question still remains, why meat? This answer can be found in the Bible. On many occasions throughout the Scriptures, we read that when it was time to celebrate something important they would “kill the fatted calf.” Take a look at the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The story tells us that when the young son who had abruptly left home and hadn’t been seen for a long time returned, his father was so happy he ordered the fatted calf to be slaughtered and cooked to celebrate. We do the same now. On Marian feast days at Belen we celebrate by serving churrasco. On the Fourth of July we cook hamburgers and hot dogs, for Christmas we have lechón, and on Thanksgiving turkey.

Meat has always been associated with celebrations and festivities. During Tombola there is not a fish sandwich booth. I mean, I would have to drink several mojitos before I ate one of those instead of a pan con bistec. No sir, bring on the meat and bring it on in large quantities. Because that is the case, then no meat means we take a more somber, less festive approach to our diet. I think the world understands this because if you sit and watch television, all the Popeyes, Arbys, and Burger King commercials are promoting their fish sandwiches. How often do you see Ronald McDonald recommending a Filet-O-Fish over their Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (para-pa-pa-pa)? Only during Lent.

One more thing, there are over a billion Catholics all over the world found in every single country on the planet. Isn’t it amazing to think there is a universal penance the universal Church adheres to, uniting us all in this one sacrifice? Let me tell you, if there is one thing that brings people together, that unites us in a powerful bond, it's not so much moments of celebration, but moments of suffering. Think about 9-11 or Hurricane Andrew and how much a nation and community came together. The beauty of brotherhood becomes much more powerful and real when we suffer together. This one truth simply adds to the greatness of this one practice of abstinence.

So my brothers, the next time you complain on a Friday of Lent that you have to serve yourself a spoonful of egg salad or tuna on a slice of white or rye bread instead of feasting on ropa vieja or picadillo, remember you are a member of a massive community of faith practicing an ancient tradition that has marked us for thousands of years. When you order a pizza from Domino’s or Papa John’s and consciously (or reluctantly) leave out the pepperoni or sausage, remember you are uniting in a small way your suffering to the suffering of our Lord. Trust me, it’s well worth it.