In this episode of the Hey Brother Podcast, Mitch and I dive into a powerful and often-forgotten Church teaching — the 1966 U.S. Bishops’ pastoral statement on penance and abstinence. Most Catholics think Vatican II “got rid” of Friday fasting… but the truth is, the bishops were calling us deeper.🔻 In this episode:→ The history of Friday fasting and what changed after Vatican II→ Why the bishops challenged us to go beyond meatless Fridays→ How Friday penance prepares us for Sunday — our “weekly Easter”→ Forgotten practices like Advent austerity and Ember Days→ Practical ways to live Friday penance today without falling into scrupulosityIf you’ve ever wondered how to make your faith more intentional — or if you’ve felt like Friday penance is just “a Lent thing” — this episode will change your perspective.🎧 Watch now and subscribe to join the journey.💬 Join the Hey Brother Community on Discord — a place for Catholic men to find brotherhood, encouragement, and accountability in living out virtue and growing in freedom. We share resources, have weekly live discussions, and walk alongside each other in the fight for chastity and authentic masculinity: / discord 🔗 Read the USCCB Pastoral Statement: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wors...—"Don’t settle for mediocrity and just getting by in life. Become the man God made you to be!"📖 Learn more about Catholic mentorship for men: https://www.craftedformore.com/#CatholicMen #HeyBrotherPodcast #FridayPenance #CatholicFasting #VaticanII #CatholicPodcast #Masculinity #Discipleship #CatholicFaith #Penance