Mains

Here you’ll find all sorts of main dishes – some feature meat, and others are vegetarian.  Our family practices meatless Fridays, like many other Catholics.  I get a lot of questions about this from Protestant friends.  The simple reason for doing this is that it is a sacrificial practice meant to remind us, in the course of our everyday lives, about the sacrifice Jesus made for us once, for all.  It also serves to bring us into solidarity with the poor of our world, for whom we are called to make a preferential option.  The discipline is sometimes difficult to maintain, which is what makes it sacrificial.  However, we are not legalistic about it. If we have plenty of leftovers in the house which contain meat, and the larder is otherwise empty, we will eat meat on a Friday.  In that case, we are being good stewards of what we have, and not wasting resources to keep strictly to a “rule”.  In all things, we must remember to capture the heart, the spirit of a practice.