Today is Friday… it’s also Lent. Even though (because of our age) we’re “exempt” from the rule to abstain from eating meat on each Friday of Lent, we usually don’t have meat on those Fridays.
But, in addition to being Friday, today (March 19) is also St. Joseph Day. The feast of St. Joseph is celebrated annually on March 19th in honor of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and stepfather of Jesus. The holiday takes place during Lent.
St. Joseph’s feast day is a “solemnity,” the highest order of liturgical feast — meaning that Catholics are to observe it similar to a Sunday. But what happens when a feast day lands on Friday during Lent?
According to the Code of Canon Law, “Abstinence from meat… is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday.” St. Joseph Day is a day of celebration, meaning any type of fasting or abstinence from meat is temporarily lifted on that day.
I’m not sure what we’re having tonight, but whether we have meat or not, we’ll observe the “spirit” of the law and celebrate the life of St. Joseph.
Happy St. Joseph Day.
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