So, it’s that time of year again. We can’t say alle… wait, you completed that word mentally? Sinner.
You must be asking yourself, since you’re reading my blog, what did Jim give up for lent? You probably didn’t think that, but you are here and reading this, so let’s go down this road a bit, shall we?
I have given up purchasing things online. Naturally, because I am a political person, I have built in a few caveats.
- I cannot buy things online.
- Woot.com and its affiliate sites are exempted.
- Webdesign related purchases are exempted.
- Golf club purchases are prohibited.
I am Catholic, thus the reason for this post, but I do not abide by the “do not eat meat on Fridays” custom.
On a side note, enjoy this Catholic forum discussion on sacrifice and lent.
Just like a good government, religions should not pick winners and losers. Seriously, why fish? (I don’t ask this question because I absolutely hate seafood and have for nearly all of my life.) Fish frys are a great event for a parish and all, especially if they have mozzarella sticks and hush puppies, which the crew of the St. Dominic Parish fish fry would let me oversee as a child, but in this day and age, can’t you pick a different sacrifice that doesn’t involve wasting food? Why my parish let a 10 year old near a deep fryer is a different matter. I just don’t like that the church is picking the fish industry over the meat industry. I don’t have this gripe because the Swifts are a meat family — they’re related, but I am not descended from them. I get it that “Jesus was a fisher of men” but there are a bunch of shepherd references in the Bible. Let’s play fair, guys.
I think the church should come up with a new tradition. In addition to giving something up for lent, you should come up with your own personal sacrifice for Fridays. It could range from economic decisions made by individual actors, like “no liquor Fridays” to something of a more personal nature that doesn’t involve economics.
My batting average for church attendance hasn’t been stellar recently (let’s just say some NL pitchers hit better than my attendance record). I went on Sunday and for the Bishop’s lenten appeal, I didn’t have any cash, so I gave the only money I had. 5 Euros. Is that horrible or what?
Filed under: Announcements, Lent |
