"Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you." Ps 55
Though Mardi Gras is not celebrated in Northeastern United States with the same vigor as one might find in New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro, it ought to be. Mardi Gras reminds us that while Lent challenges us to abstain from meat, especially on Fridays, and fast throughout the forty days, we do this, not because meat and food is bad, but because we sometimes take the simple joy of eating for granted.
More important, we often take faith for granted until we are tested. Mardi Gras reminds us not only to enjoy the delights of the palate, to savor them and to create a world in which everyone eats, it invites us to ready ourselves for the great pilgrimage of Lent when we plunge more deeply into the mysteries of faith.
As the colors of Mardi Gras, purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power, remind us, Christ came to establish justice for all, to deepen our faith and remind us that God is the source of all our power. Eat heartily today, enjoy the delights that God places before you and let us recommit ourselves to shaping a nation and world that demands clean water, adequate food, decent housing,and dignified work for all.
Today, take your time eating and be grateful for whatever you have.
Is there a Mardi Gras custom that brings you delight and challenges your faith?
What follows is from an old friend, Fran Sternhagen, from my days at the College of New Rochelle. She gave me permission to publish her email.
ReplyDeleteIf you remember Edna McCallion from CNR Masses (I"ll be driving her tomorrow And then we'll have lunch.) I was complaining to her at one point about all my various inabilities, and she said, "Frances, we just have to ask God for
the grace to accept our diminishment." Not easy, though, is it? She's
always positive. She has a couple of helpers now, and said to me, "Frances, this is what you save your money for!"
Bless you, Jack, in all you do. Frannie Sternhagen Carlin