February 24, 2026 // Columns

On Flesh and Fish

Ken Hallenius

When I was growing up in Seattle, my family would usually go out to eat at a local seafood restaurant chain on the Fridays of Lent, and it always appeared to me that every booth was filled with another family from St. Philomena Parish. I’m pretty sure that the six weeks of Lent were the high point of the restaurant’s balance sheet each year, and I know for certain that I ate well more than the surgeon general’s recommended daily allowance of tartar sauce over those 40 days. It never occurred to me to wonder exactly why we Catholics abstained from meat on Fridays, because I genuinely looked forward to a basket of fish and chips.

One of my high school teachers once told us that when he was a teenager, he and his friends would cruise the town on Friday nights, waiting for the clock to strike midnight so they could gorge themselves on hamburgers. That’s when I put it together that this distinctive penitential practice on Fridays has been part of Catholic tradition since time immemorial, with varying degrees of observance based on local custom. In the years following the Second Vatican Council, the bishops of the United States decided that Friday abstinence from meat is binding on American Catholics during the season of Lent, while another penitential practice may be substituted on Fridays during the rest of the year.

But why do we abstain specifically from meat as a penance? The simple answer is that since Jesus sacrificed his own flesh in the Crucifixion, we give up flesh meats in His honor. Flesh meats are traditionally understood as that of mammals and poultry, such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey. Fish (and other cold-blooded water animals) have never been considered flesh meats under the law and thus are not prohibited. A secondary reason is that flesh meats throughout history have usually been more expensive than fish and thus were rarely eaten, typically as part of a joyful celebration. This also explains why if a solemnity falls on a Friday of Lent (like the Annunciation or St. Joseph’s feast day), we may eat meat at the feast.

Our mindful acts of penance on Fridays, whether by abstaining from meat or another act of sacrifice, are tangible reminders of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on that first Good Friday, the day that He suffered and died upon the cross for our sins. My choosing to give up a good thing like a hamburger is an insignificant sacrifice in comparison to the death of the Lord Jesus. But when I consciously make the decision to forego my natural desire for a hamburger, my choice is a small act of thanksgiving to the God who gives all good things, most especially the gift of Himself.

Penance, prayer, and almsgiving are the hallmarks of the Lenten season, and indeed the whole Christian life. Jesus told his disciples that whoever wishes to follow Him “must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt 16: 24). We deny ourselves when we mindfully practice penitential fasting and abstinence. We pray as He taught when we offer an Our Father. And we perform almsgiving by visiting the imprisoned, healing the sick, and feeding the poor. Through these acts of mercy for our brothers and sisters, we imitate the Lord who took flesh to visit His people imprisoned in sin, healed the blind and the lame, and fed the multitudes – first with five loaves and two fishes, and at every Mass with His very body and blood in the gift of the Eucharist.

But sacrifice might not always feel like a sacrifice. To wit: Did you know that the Filet-O-Fish sandwich was the first non-burger item added to the McDonald’s menu, specifically so that Catholics would have a fast-food option on a Friday? I was reminded of this when I saw a recent social media post from a local restaurant known for fine dining. They were announcing a special Lenten menu, which is quite praiseworthy (as well as a good business decision in a city filled with Catholics). But the ad for this particular restaurant struck a discordant note when it invited patrons to “indulge in our exclusive Lenten friendly tasting menu.”

The word “indulge” gave me pause. In my mind, if I abstain from meat only to gorge myself on lobster and scallops, I may be following the letter of the law, but I’m entirely missing its penitential spirit.

Many parishes and Knights of Columbus councils offer fish fry dinners on Lenten Fridays. In South Bend alone you can go to a different parish fish fry every week throughout the season and still not hit them all. My childhood parish hosted weekly soup suppers during Lent, where families would gather together in the parish hall to share a simple meal in common, with monetary proceeds from the evening being donated to the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl program. These and similar Lenten offerings are opportunities to deepen our practice of the faith as we break bread together, continuing the communion that flows from the Eucharist.

As we continue this holy season of Lent, let us rededicate ourselves to the daily practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, looking forward to the coming Easter Triduum and to the day when we shall all be gathered with the saints and angels to rejoice at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb!