It is not by bread alone that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3
Circa 2007 my college roommate exclaims, “I love Lent!” Baffled, I ask her, “Why? You’re not Catholic?” She responds, “No, but I love fish fries!” and we both laugh.
I mean what’s not to love? Battered fish, coleslaw and French fries = perfection! In fact, I love fish fries so much I feel guilty because it’s such a contradiction as to why we are eating them in the first place. Wait, why are we eating them in the first place?
Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays in Lent as Christ died on a Friday. Ok, so now we know about Fridays, but why no meat? One reason is simply representative of Jesus’s death by not shedding or consuming blood from a warm-blooded animal. The more known rationale is for Penance in thanks for Jesus’s sacrifice as meat is typically viewed as a luxury food. Another reason I think is important to touch on is gratitude. Anytime we limit ourselves or deny ourselves of something we tend to appreciate it more when we do have it. Many Catholics will also fast in between meals on Fridays in Lent as well.
For me, I view a Friday fish fry as a celebration of my family’s tradition and religion. It reminds me of what unites us and is a good excuse for coming together for a meal. When you enter a Church-sponsored fish fry it’s all about community. Everyone working there is a volunteer, and all the proceeds go back to the Church. You see the Knights of Columbus and 8th graders working towards their service hours for confirmation. People drop off baked goods to sell as well and you say hello to people you haven’t seen in a while. In short, you come for the food, stay for the company!