Fishy Fridays?

'Nichols rallies faithful to Lenten observance'

Ever wondered why it's common to have a fish and not a meat dish on Fridays? An article in the Tablet - An international Catholic Weekly - dated the 5th March 2011 explains.

His Grace, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster (the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) called the faithful people during Lent this year to take up this 'ancient tradition' not just blindly, but with reason and prayerfulness.

Traditionally, Catholics practice 'prayer, self denial and almsgiving' during Lent, but on all Fridays we are to fast or at least 'abstain from meat, or another favourite part of our diet' as an act of our humility to God.

The Bishops Conference has urged Catholics to be proud (but not too proud as pride is a deadly sin) of their Catholic faith, and do what we can to share it with others by means of simple gestures such as fasting and making the sign of the Cross more often.

In modern times, fasting isn't practical. We got out to eat, some of us eat what is provided for us by others - it doesn't always work out. Abstaining from something, anything, for the day shows prayerful consideration.

But why Friday? Good Friday, of course, is the day Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and humbled himself to death on a Cross. In memory of this, Catholics humble themselves in a small gesture.