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Friday penance that fits your state in life
Unite small sacrifices with the Lord’s passion.
The Church prescribes penance on Fridays; abstinence from meat is the norm in many places unless substituted. Penance is voluntary weakness that strengthens the spirit.
Know the law and dispensations
Bishops’ conferences set norms. Pregnant or ill persons are not bound like the healthy; charity governs.
Substitutions
When meat abstinence is replaced by another work, choose something real—generosity, Scripture, service—not a checkbox.
Interior spirit
Link the fast to prayer for a specific person or intention. Friday remembers Christ’s death.
THIS WEEK
Try this week
- Read your diocese’s Friday norms once and save them.
- Pair skipping a comfort (food, media) with one decade of the Rosary.
- Involve children with a simple, age-appropriate sacrifice.