Commentüs on: Hey, You’ve Got Something on Your Forehead…

By: A Simple Sinner

A Simple Sinner — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:09:00 +0000

all I can say is "Lousy Latin rite Catholics with your fun ashes and cool knowing looks when you see each other with black plus signs!"

This Greek Catholic (we don't do ashes) hasn't had the pleasure since sophomore year of Jesuit High school, where a somewhat impious son of Saint Ignatius seemed to certainly intend to create either a faux unibrow or an artistic rendering of the Mackinac Island bridge in ash on my forehead.

Sophomore year was the last time... Not because I quit going to Jebbie HS, but because the Jesuits from 93 onward couldn't be bothered to hold a Mass on Ash Wednesday...

Sigh.

By: bpfick

bpfick — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:36:00 +0000

My grandaughter, who is 4, claimed at pre-school that she was going to church to get her quote: black plus sign.

One proud papa

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:23:00 +0000

Try some real fasting: only bread and water all day.

Become an e5man!

http://www.e5men.org/

By: A Simple Sinner

A Simple Sinner — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:57:00 +0000

Given the severity of ancient fasting praxis, and the lenience of same today… I have to wince a little when I hear some folks complain about no meat on Fridays… “I can’t…. I’m Catholic!” (wha-wha-wha-whaaaaaaaaa)

Cheese pizza, Mac & Cheese, Filet-o-fish, PB&J for lunch, pancakes, cold cereal for breakfast… Heck, branch out and try snake. Or Muskrat if you live in the Archdiocese of Detroit! (I didn’t make that up, and BTW, its delicious!)

Really considering some older standards of no meat, no fish, no dairy, no oil, no wine, and none of what you can eat before noon…

Cheese pizza ain’t so bad!

By: David B.

David B. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Thanks Meg. I wasn’t aware Canada had different fast and abstinence guidelines for Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the Fridays of Lent, but it seems to be the case. I think the US permits penitential acts in place of Friday abstinence throughout the year, but I was under the impression the Fridays of Lent are supposed to be meatless here.

By: Meg

Meg — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Each bishops’ conference can determine how the laws of fast and abstinence are observed in their own dioceses.

In Canada, for example, we are not required to abstain on Lenten Fridays, rather we are expected to do penance of our own choice EVERY Friday of the year. It might be abstaining, but could easily be fasting, or an act of piety or charity instead. We are expected to do our Friday penance along with whatever personal penance we have chosen for Lent.

The Canadian Conference also defines fasting as “reducing the richness and the amount” of food, so I don’t think we are bound to adhere to the traditional 2 small, 1 regular, no snacks (although that is a very useful guideline for fasting).

By: A Simple Sinner

A Simple Sinner — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Today is a fast day because it is Wednesday for Eastern Catholics using the western dating of Easter who are now in their own Great fast.

In other countries where the older Eastern dating is used, it is not lent, and not a fast day for them... UNLESS, they belong to one of the Oriental Catholic Churches where fasting is widely common throughout the whole of the year such as with the Copts.

But again to answer your question, it is a fast day for us because it is wednesday, not because it is Ash Wednesday (our Lent already began)...

So yes, we are fasting too.

By: rengal

rengal — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Eastern Rite Catholics have been fasting since Monday when we begin Lent (The Great Fast). We have also been preparing for it with little semi-fasts during the two weeks prior to say goodbye to meat and cheese.