Jenny’s letter 6th April
Dear Friends,
When I decided that we would offer bacon and sausages at our Messy Church on Good Friday, I did not realise the kind of furore I would cause. I thought that the best thing to do was to take a bit of time here explaining why I do as I do.
As all of you will know, Lent is often marked by traditions such as fasting and abstaining from certain foods. Fasting and abstaining are rooted in biblical tradition and can be of great value in our spiritual growth.
A well-known custom is avoiding meat on Fridays, particularly Good Friday. I learned about it while I was at my Catholic secondary school but it was not something we generally did in my protestant Christian household, nor was it emphasised by our Church of England parish church.
It has never been observed by all Christians and has changed over time too. If we explore these customs, we see a complicated picture that has been shaped by cultural, religious, and political influences.
Fasting during Lent dates back to early Christianity. Early Christians adopted fasting to prepare for Easter and to commemorate Jesus’s 40 days in the desert. The exact rules varied, with some practicing severe fasting and others being more lenient.
In the 6th century, Pope Gregory I (c.540 – 604) changed the length of Lent. Originally lasting 36 days, Lent excluded Sundays as fasting days. Gregory added four days, ensuring the fast lasted 40 days, symbolizing Christ’s time in the wilderness. This adjustment shaped modern Lent.
By the medieval period, the Catholic Church had formalized many Lenten practices, including prohibiting meat on specific days as a form of penance. Instead, fish became the preferred alternative, leading to the tradition of eating fish on Fridays.
Avoiding meat on Good Friday and other Lenten Fridays was not always universal. Earlier Lenten dietary rules were stricter, banning not just meat but also dairy, eggs, and certain fish. Over time, these restrictions relaxed.
The Catholic Church modified fasting rules, particularly after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, reducing mandatory fasting. Today, while Catholics are encouraged to abstain from meat on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday, practices vary by region and denomination. Eastern Orthodox Christians follow a different Lenten fast, often avoiding meat, dairy, and oil throughout the season. Protestants, however, have diverse practices, with many denominations not emphasising Lent at all. The Reformation distanced itself from Catholic rituals and, today, many Protestant communities focus on personal devotion and scripture rather than on a structured Lenten observance of abstinence and fasting.
Lenten traditions, including avoiding meat on Good Friday are intended to assist with our spiritual growth in preparation for Easter. Be sure, however, that for us as member of The Church of England they are traditions and not a matter of doctrine. Whether following strict fasting rules or taking a personal approach, Lent is ultimately about sincere efforts to grow in faith and devotion.
For many in our community, the only Easter observance they will make is to come to visit St Barnabas on Good Friday morning. During that time we will talk about Jesus’s sacrifice of love, made for us. But I also want those who come to meet with God’s generous abundant grace in the form of our welcome, our hospitality, and generosity.
No one will be forced to eat meat and there will be alternatives. I respect that some of you may wish to observe this day in a quietly reflective day of abstinence. I look forward to joining with you for reflective serices on Good Friday afternoon and on Easter Eve.
