Right from the outset I want to state that by this series I am not trying to tell people how they should be living their life. I do however want to present some aspects of my life, the thought processes behind them and how they fit into my Roman Catholic faith.

My New Year’s Resolution for 2016 was the most drastic I’d ever made, and I think the only one I’ve ever stuck to. In January 2016 I became a vegetarian. Giving up meat on Fridays had proved far easier than I had expected, and I was never much a fan of fish. I started off with a lot of Cheese & Broccoli pasta sachets and Margherita pizzas but after discovering meat substitutes and gelatine-free jelly, things got much more interesting.

But why go vegetarian in the first place?

Penance – If I could extend my Friday penance to everyday, surely that would be a good sacrifice.

Conscience – Eating meat had never sat quite right with me and now I could end that strange feeling of guilt.

Death – I’m generally not ok with death, especially the intentional killing of any of God’s creatures for pleasure or a sense of comfort.

The Environment- I know the arguments from science that vegetarianism and veganism are better for the environment and are more sustainable ways of living. Land and water can be more wisely used when directed towards the cultivation of plant-based food sources.

None of these reasons came from an intense study of theological ideas but none contradicted what I understood to be the teachings of the Church. I also found out that, according to some sources, some saints (including St Genevieve and St Martin de Porres) were vegetarian so it can’t be a barrier to Heaven!

It’s coming up for a year now since I went vegetarian. The change was a marked move from my previous habits but there have been positive side effects I didn’t expect.

Trying new things – when you are face with a set menu that has one vegetarian option, one fish option and one meat option, you inevitably find yourself trying new things that surprise you! In my case things like sweet potato and couscous.

Conscious decisions – when I do have a choice of dishes, I automatically consider my options much more closely. I check packaging labels and think more about the effects of what I eat on myself and those around me.

That last side-effect, combined with ideas from a particularly interesting TED Talk led to an idea for a potential 2017 resolution, but more about that next time!

Until then I recommend having a look at this video by Sr Margaret Atkins OP: Green… because I’m Catholic?