St. Pat’s Lenten Debacle

So, what’s the deal with the dispensations to allow the breaking of the traditional Lenten fast and abstinence in order to eat corned-beef and cabbage? Whispers In The Loggia has been keeping count of those dioceses that grant the indult/dispensation.

Personally, I don’t see what the big deal is about granting the dispensation. It seems good to keep the Lenten observances, despite the “traditions” that have arisen around St. Patrick’s Day. Terry Mattingly, at
Get Religion, speaks about the Corned-beef Catholic crisis. The media, and some other Christian denominations, think the Lenten observances are silly.

But, as I said, I think there are good reasons for the Lenten fast. It is intended to recall the death of Christ Jesus on the cross — which is why, for many years, every Friday was a day of fasting and abstinence. Relaxing that over the years, it was made only a Lenten observance, in preparation for Easter Sunday — although, every Sunday was considered a commemoration of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Our identification with Christ should be greater than our ethnic identity, and the practice of our Lenten observance seems good to the reflection on our Christian identity.

And, in the US, St. Patrick’s Day has mostly become an excuse for drinking and partying. In such a culture and climate, it seems prudent for us to set ourselves apart from such things by keeping the fast; recalling what Lent is for, and Who Lent is about.

3 Responses to “St. Pat’s Lenten Debacle”

  1. Do only the Irish get this special exception clause or can the Italians lay claim to it as well (at least for the day)?

    Adam Miller said this on March 17th, 2006 at 3:05 pm

  2. Personally, I think corned beef and cabbage is silly. I remember this same thing happening about six years ago, the last time St. Patrick’s fell on a Friday. Nobody seemed to be making a big deal over it at that time, one way or the other. My reaction then was that even if eating corned beef was a “tradition” for the Irish, NOT eating it on Fridays of Lent was an older and more important tradition for them, which Irish Catholics should be used to by now.

    Zenas said this on March 18th, 2006 at 7:53 am

  3. [...] St. Pat’s Lenten Debacle So, what’s the deal with the dispensations to allow the breaking of the traditional Lenten fast and abstinence in order to eat corned-beef and cabbage? [...]

    CatholicSphere » Retro CatholicSphere: One Year Ago said this on March 16th, 2007 at 7:55 am

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