So, the 19 year comes home yesterday (Ash Wednesday) for dinner and here we are with none other than his favorite meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage! Wow what good Catholics we are...(Yes I sinned and it was delicious, had some for breakfast today also). I have to give him credit he abstained and ate only the cabbage and the carrots. This got me wondering though... what is this Lent thing all about?? Traditionally Lent is the 40 days from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday but doesn't include Sundays hence only 40 days. More current add the 4 Sundays in and you have 44 days of Lent. My take on it... it's an excuse for People to diet to get their beach bodies. There are three basic tasks involved during Lent - Fasting, Alms giving, and Prayer. I'm interested in this whole fasting idea. Don't get me wrong, I understand it's to "simulate" Jesus' time wandering in the wilderness but for some strange reason I don't feel that when I get to the pearly gates Saint Peter is going to look at me and say "Sorry pal but you ate meat during Lent your elevator goes down!" Of Course as a Catholic I will ask for forgiveness(for more than just that, I have a considerably long list) and then the big guy in the sky and I will be hanging out together. Here is how the Fasting thing works.. are you ready... only one full meal is allowed per day. That's right... you read it... ONLY ONE FULL MEAL A DAY! Oh, did I mention... that's only if you are between the ages of 18 and 59(dad you're off the hook). Friday are days of abstinence, meaning no meat or soups and gravies made with meat or from meat and of course the age requirement drops to 14. Did I mention, this is only if you are a Western Rite Catholic, if you are an Eastern Rite Catholic... well... basically you're screwed(no meat, wine, oil or dairy). Here's the catch regarding the "One full meal thingy" sort of a loop hole... you can still eat breakfast and lunch AND still eat your "ONE" meal as long as breakfast and lunch don't add up to a SECOND FULL MEAL - What???? So.. I have to "FAST" but I can only eat three meals a day as long as they don't equal two full meals. I can hear Bill Clinton now "It all depends on your definition of a meal" and in the infamous words of George W. Bush " you can fool yourself once, but you can't fool a Catholic" ??? Who is doing the math here? So, I have people arguing with me about Lent and how I shouldn't eat meat and these are the rules??? Here's another loop hole... do you know why people eat fish during Lent? Because meat is defined as "flesh meat of warm-blooded animals" key term there is "warm-blooded" yep you guessed it fish are cold-blooded. Ha and I'm the heathen. And we wondered how lawyers came about. As far as giving something up... you don't have to... you can if you want to have additional self-discipline but it is not required.
Alms giving- I am receiving if you are giving, I'll even let you say a prayer for me.
Thank you to to http://www.churchyear.net/ for the information. Enjoy your Lenten season and I'll continue to eat warm-blooded animals and my three meals that don't equal two meals a day! To my Polish friends HAPPY FAT THURSDAY!
Have a Great Day! Ask, Believe, Receive!
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