I haven't thought about Lent in some 39 years, what with being a fallen Lutheran and all. Still, I remember the rules of Lent, and back in March I compared my memory with the dogma of the Catholic Church, pleased to find myself vindicated. Still, I've held back on this research until now, as I'm somewhat sympathetic with poor Jon's quest; but like a good agent of Satan, I want to try and sabotage his plans to do the same next year. Here's a relevant text from thecatholictelegraph.com, the monthly magazine of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, published continuously since 1831; and I quote (stress added by me):
"Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God’s gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: “Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446)."
Sorry, Jon, but in choosing to sacrifice what you view as a habit, you deprived us of your talents. You deprived us of a treasured zest of life. Some of the talents you possess are not yours, but ours. So says St. John, your own namesake.
No condemnation, no resentment. But your choice in this season of Lent was a sin, by definition.
I ask only that you add it to your confessions when the next opportunity arrives. Be well, may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
We look forward to your return.
Despite knowing exactly what you were blogging about from the first sentence, my heart skipped a beat in the middle of the second sentence! Well done.
ReplyDeleteI'm missing Blackrazor posts, too. As a lapsed Catholic, I didn't intend to give anything up for Lent. JB took care of that for me. That probably counts for some saintly intecession on his behalf.
Despite being another lapsed Catholic, I still give up something for Lent every year or two, just to test my willpower, I suppose. A few years ago I gave up soda for Lent and never looked back. I didn't really lose weight, but I felt a lot better overall. I'm not much for organized religion, but religion in general has a few things I like here and there.
ReplyDeleteThe practice of asceticism (not to be confused with "aesthetics" has existed in multiple religions going WAY back before Christianity. The Christians were late comers to the game.
ReplyDeleteAscetic self-denial separates the mind and body from material aspects of life, enabling utmost simplicity and minimal infringement on thought and self-discipline. By reducing the troublesome, scattered noise arising from wants, needs, the demands of others, the constant distractions created by one's own body and the general feeling of malaise or doubt that plagues us, we can see our way through to finding a better way to manage the world when we are ready to face it again. This is what Lent does. It separates the "important" from what's really, in fact, important. It works. It's good for us. I recommend it for anyone at any time who needs a little shakabuku - a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
Religion is extra.
Haha...touche my friend. I do intend to go to confession today (after my daughter's softball game), so I'll be sure to mention this...it's been decades since the last time I did confession, so what's one more thing to throw on the pile/list?
ReplyDelete; )
Oh. And I'm back. Just reading through what I missed. I might not get back to posting today, but hopefully in the next couple. Your appreciation of my "talent" is appreciated, man. Very kind words. Thank you.
Missed you. Had begun expecting you'd go through to Easter Sunday, tomorrow, though I read that the Catholic Church had ceased to extend Lent these extra two days after 1969. I presume you chose to respect Good Friday yesterday, which is why I'm only hearing from you now.
ReplyDeleteYes, you're talented. Of course. And characteristically self-deprecating, naturally, as fully embracing your talent can be an overwhelming responsibility. My blog's numbers went through the roof with this post, so clearly the community has been waiting with baited breath for your return. You deserve to know that, and you should recognise that your voice these days is not a small one.