Well, it's that time of year again, when my teenage children decide to question our Lenten disciplines. It's always a joy. “Why do we have to eat fish, Dad?” “Is eating salmon or crab really a sacrifice? So, why not beef?” “I think I am giving up school for Lent, Mom… or at least homework.” That's the spirit, kids!
Even as a theologian these are not always easy questions to answer. My response is usually, “Well, if there's no difference between fish and beef, then just eat the fish and stop complaining. It must be a sacrifice if you feel the need to argue about it.” The biggest reason for the resistance to Lenten practices is the simple fact that we are told we have to do it.
And that really is the rub, isn't it?
The particular disciplines of the Church are the result of a long historical process that date back to a cultural context that makes little sense today. Yet these disciplines unite us as a certain kind of people around a unique identity, which, while rooted in the past, has the power to convey a deeper mystery about the human condition even today – we don't like being told what to do and that creates a lot of trouble in the world. We prefer to follow, well, our own preferences. We like that kind of freedom, even if it harms others. So even if a nice trout filet is pretty amazing, we can still bristle at the fact that we are not permitted to have the hamburger instead.
Someone once said to me that during the liturgical year in general, Catholics are given the opportunity to act in unison as one body, one people, united in a common faith. So, let's face it: fish, fishing, etc. is a pretty significant Christian motif. Eating fish on Friday is thus a fitting practice for us-and it's okay to enjoy the fish; it doesn't have to be smelly tuna fish or freezer burned fish sticks from last year.
The point of eating fish is that we have to subject our will to a reality much greater than ourselves – the universal Church. We are commanded to choose our free participation in a communal body that exists to bear witness to our faith, that human beings are sinners in need of redemption. When we do this together, we make a bigger impact. Together, as one body, we have the power to discipline our wills, quell our passions, and learn how to serve others better. Receiving ashes, eating fish on Fridays, abstaining from meat, giving alms, giving up something we enjoy – these are communal disciplines that strengthen our spirits and help us to live more authentic lives as Christian disciples in the world. So, suck it up, kids, we have 40 more days!