Fish Fry

Ask me the first thing that pops into my head when you say the word "Lent" and I will surely respond "FISH FRY." Okay, I may say giving up chocolate or some other decadent delight, but a fish fry will definitely be up there. Why? Because I grew up in a Catholic family, in a predominantly Catholic town, and every Friday in Lent every Catholic Church you could think of had a fish fry (a very profitable endeavor for most churches I might add). Everyone would go to their home church, pay about 4 bucks or so, and you'd get the biggest, most delicious plank of fried fish you'd ever seen. Of course, the fish would be accompanied by a heaping mound of homemade mac-n-cheese, a green veggie of some sort, and a big old dollop of tartar sauce. I always loved a fish fry. Strangely though, I never fully understood why we had them, or what they had to do with Lent, easter, Jesus, or any spiritual matter...for that matter.

In my quest for the fishy truth, my well intended Catholic family members would explain that Jesus died on a Friday so we don't eat meat on Fridays in Lent to remember his sacrifice. A whosit says whatsit??? Does that mean that if I do eat meat on Friday that I am somehow connected to the death of Jesus??? A co-conspirator of sorts? Even as a Catholic school girl who faithfully attended religion class daily and church twice a week, I could never find a clear, straight answer, that actually made sense. The answers seemed like theological puzzle pieces that people were awkwardly trying to put together.

As a young adult, I still questioned the origin of the practice. At one point I heard that some pope back in the day had a connection to the local fishing industry, and declared that people eat fish to boost the local economy-and later attached spiritual significance to it, but I have never been able to find documentation verifying the clam...er, uh, I mean claim.

I really wanted to believe the fishing industry legend because it is the most logical explanation to date, and sounds so like a religious leader doesn't it? I can just see it...

Fisherman Joe: "Hey yo, Popey J...time's been tough down at the dock. People just ain't buyin these days you know?

Popey J: "Oh yeah? I'm sorry to hear that brother. Want me to say a couple hail Mary's for you tonight?"

Fisherman Joe: "You know PJ, I gotta better idea..."

(Fisherman Joe & Popey J develop a plan...)

-And there you have it... the origins of why we eat fish on Friday's in Lent.

The reality is however, that if such was the case, we'd probably be able to cite who, what, when, and where, such an exchange took place and I don't think anyone can.

As I have looked for answers regarding this tradition, I have learned once again that Catholic doctrine (Catholic beliefs that are written on the books) is sometimes very different than what Catholic people practice or understand. I think this is common of most religions where the church leaders are significantly more theologically educated than the lay people whose access to information about the religion is somewhat controlled (topic for another blog).

************Theological bore warning***************

Catholic doctrine says absolutely NOTHING about eating fish on Friday's during lent. Catholics are required to treat Fridays as a day of penitence (every Friday of the year, not just Lent) which means that they are to give up something that is a want/need in order to be reminded of their need for God and his sacrifice-this is referred to as "mortification." Prior to Vatican II it was mandated that the sacrifice be meat. After Vatican II it was determined that people could personalize the sacrifice, or make a sacrifice that was culturally/socially relevant to them. (Ex: Vegetarian Catholics wouldn't be sacrificing much if they gave up meat on Fridays!) Many Catholics have stuck with the no meat thing during Lent, but they have forgotten that penitential Fridays is a prescribed mandate 52 Fridays a year according to Catholic doctrine.

Still these questions remain: WHY NO MEAT and WHY IS FISH NOT CONSIDERED MEAT?? This is the part that continues to baffle me. I read from a Catholic encyclopedia and other Catholic resources that cite Old Testament sacrifices and views of "flesh and blood" as reasons. In other words, the amount of blood a piece of meat has, determines it's "meatiness." But the connections they draw as to why not eating meat on Fridays is significant for Christians are ambiguous and clumsy, yet Catholics often assert with confidence that the reasons make sense! This is what I have heard many times from those who are probably most informed on the matter, "Well, Jesus was the sacrificial lamb, so in honor of the sacrificial offering he made (on a Friday btw), we will abstain from eating the flesh of an animal, and that will remind us of our need for a savior."

Let me say this again, if I haven't said it already...

WWWWWWWWWWTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF???????????

Why not also say...Well Jesus was born on a Tuesday, and to remind ourselves that Jesus was a gift to the whole world we should drink a glass of water every Tuesday because water is cleansing, and Jesus is cleansing, and I want to be cleansed by Jesus, so yeah, water on Tuesdays forever.

Now just let me clarify, there is absolutely no harm in deciding to fast, sacrifice, or remember our own imperfections/needs. I gather that some people find it to be a very special discipline. I also don't want this to sound like a Catholic bashing session. I don't hate Catholics. My Grandma is Catholic and I love her to pieces. What concerns me is that people of all faiths adopt various, weird, idiosyncratic practices, and then they superimpose spiritual significance onto said practices, and then eventually those ambiguously rooted practices become ambiguously rooted dogma.

THEN you have people everywhere thinking they are somehow closer to God because they do some stupid little practice, that in the larger scheme of things is a spiritual-construct, that ends up having little significance to those who are so far removed from whatever quasi spiritual purpose the practice once had in the first place. It becomes something you just "do" and then that thing influences other people to appropriate the practices and the whole thing just gets silly.

If you think I am wrong, I challenge you to ask 5 priests, 5 Catholic lay people, and 5 non Catholics the following questions:

1. Will you be eating meat on Fridays in lent? Why? Why not?
2. Will you be eating fish on Fridays in lent? Why? Why not?
3. Will you be "giving something up" for Lent this year? Why? Why not?
4. What about the Bible or tradition supports any of the above practices?

Please report your findings, and please take note of the inconsistent answers you receive.