Talk about fasting
An Orthodox reader comments below:
I don't know how many Orthodox actually do abstain. As the other
Orthodox commenters will verify, to us, fasting and personal prayer are
private issues that are between us and our father confessors. I do
know, however, that no Orthodox who regularly attends church would ever
publicly admit to not abstaining.
What is interesting to me is that while it is very clear that we are
expected to abstain, we have no official obligation to do so. That is,
failing to abstain is not written down in a list of sins (actually, we
have no such list, as we have no mortal v. venial sins, or Sunday
obligations). And our guidelines are far stricter and create more of a
hardship, and during the year, twice, and not once, a week.
Why is it, then, that it is necessary to again put abstention on such a
list for Catholics?
Why is it that we will abstain just because the
church expects us to, but Catholics -- at least from the implications
of this article and everything I've seen -- need to be threatened with
committing a serious sin to do so? Related, why would Catholics have a
steak cookout on a Friday because the rules were relaxed?
I really do not understand this, and would appreciate any insight from
Catholics about this.
In other words - does "legal" obligation play a huge role in average Catholic spirituality...or not?
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From my experience, which is admittedly somewhat limited, Orthodox Christians are no more faithful to religious observances than are Catholics. The absence of legal presecriptions for Orthodox Christians seems to have only obvious effects. Not "making" people go to Church does not in fact make them want to go more, nor does it result in their going more. It often results in their going less.
Average church-going Catholics, again not unlike many Orthodox Christians I suspect, are like children in many ways. They will eat their spinach, but only when they are told to do so. Should they grow up to be strong like Popeye, they have sense enough to thank their parents for it.
For Catholics "legal obligation" is a beginning, not an end in itself. Maturity in Catholic spirituality brings with it the understanding of the full context of Law, which is Love.
What truly little effort we Catholics put into building up our faith! Look what Sunday has become - is it sanctifying or restful to most Catholics anymore? When was the last homily delivered on doing right on Sundays? One quick trip to mass is more than most can accomplish. I think the bishop's thought was wonderful but perhaps the building of greater devotion should be directed at the 800 lb gorilla in the room called Sunday.
Friends of mine became Orthodox about a year after I was received into the Catholic Church. Since they both have stronger faith and strong minds than me, I wondered whether I made the wrong choice. My subsequent reading up on Orthodoxy made me appreciate how essential the Church's living tradition is to the life of a Christian. If one wants to worship our Creator correctly, they will follow the example of the saints. All that to say, Orthodox and Eastern Catholic have a very different approach to tradition than the majority of Roman Catholics.
On the point about Orthodox not being any more religious than Catholics, a friend who is Greek Orthodox and who keeps the fasts also had no problem encouraging a friend of mine toward finding a homosexual partner because he's be more happy. Proof that fasting alone isn't the entirety of the Christian life.
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cheeres
liran
Like all things really worthwhile this is a complex issue. There is no such thing as an average Catholic. We range from holy saints to abject sinners. Anecdotal data would seem to indicate that in the real world the bell curve is heavily weighted toward the abject sinner side.
So while a holy saint may look forward to Sunday (or daily) Mass, the abject sinner often dreads the reminder of his own faults which he must face at Mass (especially one with a good homily calling him to be holy.) Fear of Hell can drag the sinner to Mass. Love of God is preferable, but fear of Hell will suffice for salvation.
Likewise the man (or woman) early on their journey to holiness might have little will to, of their own accord, perform fasting or other spiritual disciplines which would be to their good. An obligation set down by the Church makes it easier to practice these disciplines. Since, also anecdotally, it seems that many more of use are not that far along on our journey to Christ the imposition of obligation by the Church would work better to our salvation than the lack of obligation.
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