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HOW EASY IS ABSTINENCE FROM MEAT AS PENITENCE

Today it may be more penitential to eat a simple sandwich with mortadella than to order a sea bass costing eighty euros a kilo. Not because ecclesial discipline has become obsolete, but because social reality has transformed. Abstinence remains a sign, but the sign risks becoming empty if its profound meaning is not understood.

— Liturgical ministry —

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Not out of biting Florentine irony, but truth: I have sometimes wondered, with sincere curiosity - what Lenten penances can be proposed to vegetarians and vegans if they don't already eat meat themselves. Maybe abstinence from soy? Or from the organic salad? The question can make you smile, but it hides another one, much more serious: what it really means to do penance?

Abstinence from meat it does not arise from an ecclesiastical dietetics nor from an ancient theological distrust towards steak. It has its roots in an ascetic tradition that has always understood the symbolic and pedagogical value of food. In ancient societies, meat was not an ordinary food, but a sign of celebration, of abundance, of joy. Giving it up meant voluntarily taking away what was perceived as precious. It wasn't about mortifying the body, but to educate desire.

The Church has safeguarded this discipline not as an end in itself, but as a concrete sign of an interior attitude: the conversion. As Saint Leo the Great remembered, «Lenten fasting does not only consist of abstinence from food, but above all in moving away from sin" (The word is 39, 2). Christian penance has never been a punitive exercise, but a path of freedom. You give up something lawful to remind yourself that not everything that is lawful is necessary, and that happiness does not depend on possession but on the order of the heart.

With the changing times, however, perceptions also change. Today it may be more penitential to eat a simple sandwich with mortadella than to order a sea bass costing eighty euros a kilo. Not because ecclesial discipline has become obsolete, but because social reality has transformed. Abstinence remains a sign, but the sign risks becoming empty if its profound meaning is not understood.

The point is not the meat: it is freedom. Penance does not consist in changing the menu, but in changing size. It is not deprivation as an end in itself, nor an exercise in ascetic voluntarism. It is an orderly renunciation of a good to acquire a greater good. It is taking something away from consumption to return it to faith, to hope and charity. Because «where is your treasure, your heart will also be there" (Mt 6,21): penance moves the treasure to reorient the heart. And maybe, in our time, the most difficult penances do not necessarily pass by the plate. Giving up steak can be relatively simple; giving up the screen on for hours can be much less. Turn off your phone, limit the use of social media, avoid entertainment as an end in itself, preserve silence in a world that lives on continuous noise: these are deprivations that touch raw nerves.

For most, it's harder to refrain from notifications and comments that gives a bloody Florentine steak. but yet, if penance has the aim of educating desire and strengthening inner freedom, that's exactly where the challenge takes place. Saint Paul expressed it with athletic images:

«I treat my body harshly and reduce it to slavery, because when you, after preaching to others, I myself will be disqualified" (1 Color 9,27).

The Pauline one is not contempt for the body, but discipline of freedom. Christian penance is not impoverishment, but an investment. It does not produce sterility, but fruitfulness. Giving up something for the love of God means creating space for God to act. It is a gesture that reduces the superfluous to bring out the essential. And the essential, for the Christian, it is not the sacrifice itself, but communion with Christ.

Lent is precisely this: a penitential journey that culminates in Holy Week and opens to the joy of the Resurrection. It is not a period of ritual sadness, but a time of preparation. We cross the desert to reach Easter. We give up something temporary to remind ourselves that we are destined for the eternal.

Abstinence from meat, At that time, it is not a disciplinary relic nor a food formalism. It's a sign. And like every sign, asks to be understood. If it remains an external gesture, it is reduced to empty practice. If it becomes a conscious act, it turns into a school of freedom. Whether it's meat, of screens or other ingrained habits, the question remains the same: I am the master of my desires or I am governed by them? Penance serves to answer this question with a concrete act. Because true mortification is not giving up what costs us nothing, but learning to say "no" to what dominates us, to be able to say a greater “yes” to God. And that "yes" does not end in forty days. It is the anticipation of an Easter that will never end.

Florence, 23 February 2026

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HOW EASY IS ABSTINENCE FROM MEAT AS A PENITENTIAL PRACTICE

Today it may be more penitential to eat a simple mortadella sandwich than to order a sea bass costing eighty euros per kilogram. Not because ecclesial discipline has become obsolete, but because social reality has changed. Abstinence remains a sign, yet the sign risks becoming empty if it is not understood in its deeper meaning.

— Liturgical pastoral —

.

.

Not out of sharp Florentine irony, but in truth: at times I have wondered, with sincere curiosity, what Lenten penances might be proposed to vegetarians and vegans if they already do not eat meat. Perhaps abstinence from soy? Or from organic salad? The question may provoke a smile, but it conceals another, far more serious one: what does it truly mean to do penance?

Abstinence from meat does not arise from ecclesiastical dietetics nor from some ancient theological suspicion toward steak. It is rooted in an ascetical tradition that has always understood the symbolic and pedagogical value of food. In ancient societies, meat was not an ordinary food but a sign of celebration, abundance, and joy. To renounce it meant voluntarily refraining from what was perceived as precious. It was not about mortifying the body, but about educating desire.

The Church has preserved this discipline not as an end in itself, but as a concrete sign of an interior disposition: conversion. As Saint Leo the Great recalled, “Lenten fasting does not consist only in abstinence from food, but above all in turning away from sin” (The word is 39, 2). Christian penance has never been a punitive exercise, but a path to freedom. One renounces something lawful in order to remind oneself that not everything lawful is necessary, and that happiness does not depend on possession but on the order of the heart.

With the passing of time, however, perceptions also change. Today it may be more penitential to eat a simple mortadella sandwich than to order a sea bass costing eighty euros per kilogram. Not because ecclesial discipline has become obsolete, but because social reality has changed. Abstinence remains a sign, yet the sign risks becoming empty if it is not understood in its deeper meaning.

The point is not meat; it is freedom. Penance does not consist in changing the menu, but in changing the measure. It is not deprivation for its own sake, nor an exercise in ascetical voluntarism. It is an ordered renunciation of a good in order to acquire a greater good. It is withdrawing something from consumption in order to restore it to faith, hope, and charity. For “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:21): penance shifts the treasure so as to reorient the heart. And perhaps, in our own time, the more difficult penances do not necessarily pass through the plate. Renouncing a steak may prove relatively simple; renouncing a screen left on for hours may be far more difficult. Turning off the phone, limiting the use of social media, abstaining from entertainment for its own sake, preserving silence in a world that lives in constant noise: these are privations that touch exposed nerves.

For many — perhaps for most — it is more arduous to abstain from notifications and comments than from a rare Florentine steak. Yet if penance aims to educate desire and strengthen interior freedom, it is precisely there that the challenge lies. Saint Paul expressed it with athletic imagery:

“I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Color 9:27).

Paul’s words do not express contempt for the body, but discipline of freedom. Christian penance is not impoverishment, but investment. It does not produce sterility, but fruitfulness. To renounce something for love of God means creating space for God to act. It is a gesture that reduces the superfluous in order to bring forth the essential. And for the Christian, the essential is not sacrifice in itself, but communion with Christ.

Lent is precisely this: a penitential journey that culminates in Holy Week and opens onto the joy of the Resurrection. It is not a season of ritual sadness, but a time of preparation. One crosses the desert in order to reach Easter. One renounces something temporary in order to remember that we are destined for eternity.

Abstinence from meat, then, is neither a disciplinary relic nor a dietary formalism. It is a sign. And like every sign, it asks to be understood. If it remains an exterior gesture, it becomes an empty practice. If it becomes a conscious act, it turns into a school of freedom. Whether it concerns meat, screens, or other entrenched habits, the question remains the same: am I master of my desires, or am I governed by them? Penance helps us answer that question with a concrete act. For true mortification is not renouncing what costs us nothing, but learning to say “no” to what dominates us, in order to say a greater “yes” to God. And that “yes” does not end after forty days. It is the anticipation of an Easter that will know no sunset.

Florence, 23 February 2026

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HOW EASY IS ABSTINENCE FROM MEAT AS PENANCE

Today it may be more penitential to eat a simple mortadella sandwich than to order a sea bass that costs eighty euros per kilo. Not because church discipline has become obsolete, but because social reality has changed. Abstinence is still a sign, but the sign runs the risk of becoming empty if it is not understood in its deepest meaning.

— Liturgical pastoral care —

.

.

Not because of sharp Florentine irony, but in truth: sometimes I have wondered, with sincere curiosity, What Lenten penances can be proposed to vegetarians and vegans if they do not already eat meat?. Maybe soy withdrawal? Or organic salad? The question can bring a smile, but it contains another much more serious: What does it really mean to do penance??

Abstinence from meat is not born from an ecclesiastical diet nor from an ancient theological distrust of steak. It has its roots in an ascetic tradition that has always understood the symbolic and pedagogical value of food. In ancient societies, meat was not an ordinary food, but a party sign, of abundance and joy. Giving it up meant voluntarily withdrawing from what was perceived as precious.. It was not about mortifying the body, but to educate the desire.

The Church has preserved this discipline not as an end in itself, but as a concrete sign of an inner disposition: the conversion. As Saint Leo the Great remembered, «Lenten fasting does not consist only of abstinence from food, but above all in turning away from sin." (The word is 39, 2). Christian penance has never been a punitive exercise, but a path of freedom. You give up something lawful to remind yourself that not everything lawful is necessary., and that happiness does not depend on possession, but of the order of the heart.

With the passage of time, however, perceptions also change. Today it may be more penitential to eat a simple mortadella sandwich than to order a sea bass that costs eighty euros per kilo. Not because church discipline has become obsolete, but because social reality has changed. Abstinence is still a sign, but the sign runs the risk of becoming empty if it is not understood in its deepest meaning.

The point is not the meat: it's freedom. Penance is not about changing the menu, but in changing the measurement. It is not deprivation in and of itself., nor exercise of ascetic voluntarism. It is an ordered renunciation of a good to acquire a greater good.. It is subtracting something from consumption to return it to faith, to hope and charity. Because "where is your treasure?", "Your heart will also be there." (Mt 6,21): Penance moves the treasure to reorient the heart. and maybe, in our time, the most difficult penances do not necessarily go through the plate. Giving up steak can be relatively easy; Giving up a screen on for hours can be much more difficult. Turn off the phone, limit the use of social networks, refrain from empty entertainment, guarding silence in a world that lives in constant noise: These are deprivations that touch sensitive nerves.

For many — perhaps most — It is more difficult to abstain from notifications and comments than from a good Florentine steak. However, If penitence aims to educate desire and strengthen inner freedom, It is precisely there where the challenge is played. Saint Paul expressed it with athletic images:

«I punish my body and enslave it, lest, having preached to others, "I myself was disqualified." (1 Color 9,27).

The Pauline is not contempt for the body, but discipline of freedom. Christian penance is not impoverishment, but investment. Does not produce sterility, but fertility. Giving up something for the love of God means creating space for God to act.. It is a gesture that reduces the superfluous to bring out the essential. and the essential, for the christian, it is not the sacrifice itself, but communion with Christ.

Lent is precisely this: a penitential path that culminates in Holy Week and opens to the joy of the Resurrection. It is not a period of ritual sadness, but a time of preparation. You cross the desert to reach Easter. Something temporary is given up to remember that we are destined for eternity.

Abstinence from meat, so, It is not a disciplinary relic nor a dietary formalism. It's a sign. And like every sign, asks to be understood. If it remains an external gesture, is reduced to an empty practice. If it becomes a conscious act, becomes a school of freedom. Whether it's meat, of screens or other ingrained customs, the question remains the same: Am I master of my desires or am I governed by them?? Penance serves to answer that question with a concrete act. Because true mortification is not giving up what costs us nothing, but learning to say “no” to that which dominates us, to be able to say a bigger “yes” to God. And that “yes” is not exhausted in forty days. It is the preview of an Easter that will never end..

Florence, 23 February 2026

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