9 Responses to “Mardi Gras”

1. 1 Clara Feb 20th, 2007 at 11:01 am

   Just a note on the small meals mentioned by Ambrosius: the way the Baltimore Catechism describes it, they’re sort of supposed to be optional, depending on one’s needs. If you don’t need them, you can leave them out. I’m one of those women who commented to Ambrosius that eating three meals a day, even if small, would probably increase my caloric intake. Obviously calories per se aren’t the point, but one wishes to be penetential… so for my Lenten fast I’ll generally have just one very small meal (maybe a granola bar or an apple), and one normal meal. If I’m doing something unusually physically strenuous some day (i.e. hiking), I’ll add the second small meal.

   Of course the danger is that this deliberate diminishment will lead one to pride, but I don’t really think so in this case, since the adjustment is merely intended to put me on a level with my larger, hungrier brethren who are doing the same thing. Just a thought.

2. 2 Joe Six Pack Feb 20th, 2007 at 11:23 pm

   Here is an excerpt from a book by Fr. Faber, about the “Devotions which are often performed by souls loving God, on the days of the Carnival, and at other times when worldly men usually sin against God more than usual.”

   1) To abstain at that season with more than common care from some particular fault which ordinarily besets us.

   2) To increase our time of prayer by adding at least half an hour to it.

   3) To read longer than usual, say for an hour, some spiritual book, not one which will feed curiosity, but one which will excite pious affections toward God, such as the Confessions of St. Augustine, the Imitation of Christ and the Lives of the Saints.

   4) To afflict our bodies with some new penance, or to prolong some customary penance beyond its usual time.

   5) To visit the Blessed Sacrament more frequently on those days; and when we have finished our usual devotions, to excite in ourselves a feeling of compassion for our offended God, just as we visit our friends to console them and show our love to them in times of sorrow; also to shed tears, or at least to weep in our hearts, for the sins of this season, especially for the sins of those who either by reason of their condition, or of the many benefits they have received from God, ought the more scrupulously to abstain from offending Him.

   6) Every time the clock strikes, to make a brief but affectionate act of sorrow for the sins of the season: this may be done in any way, walking, or at meals, etc.

   7) At least three times in the day, with a most profound genuflection and with great feeling, to adore the Divine Majesty toward the four quarters of the world, in which God is at this time being so grievously offended, desiring in some sort of way to compensate by this loving adoration for the sins which are then being committed in those regions, grieving for them, and asking for their remission and for the conversion of sinners, and for that end offering up the Precious Blood and merits of Jesus Christ, which are most dear to God and most profitable to sinners. It was thus St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi obtained the conversion of many sinners.

   8) To do our ordinary good works on these days more perfectly, diligently and fervently, especially those which relate to the immediate worship of God. For, as at these seasons worldly men and the servants of the devil are more diligent and fervent in offending God, it is but right that souls loving God should be at least in the same proportion more diligent and fervent in well-doing and diving worship.

   9) To make an additional Communion in order to appease God, and to worship Him by our loving reparation.

   10) As God is especially offended on these days by excesses in eating and drinking, to mortify our appetite somewhat more that usual either in quantity or quality.

   11) As God is also especially offended at such times by immodest conversations, to agree with some pious friend to meet and spend a short time daily in spiritual conference, simply to give pleasure and consolation to our good God.

   12) As men are especially guilty at such times of sinful idleness, to take more that common care about the spending of our time, so that apart from innocent and proper recreation, no part it of should pass in idleness and inutility, but rather to be more industrious that usual.

   13) Those who are under any vows should on these days renew them with fresh acts of love to God, a devotion suggested to us by Our Lord’s fixing the Thursday before Quinquagesima for espousing St. Catherine of Siena.

   In England the place of the Carnival would be, of course, supplied by the days following the three feasts of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. There are none whose work lies among souls who do not know by painful experience the horrors of these seasons among us; and it is so difficult to speak strongly against cheap excursions, railway trips, and such like miseries, that no remedy seems left but prayer and reparation. To pray for rain on such days sounds ill natured, yet it may hinder multitudes of sins. Many a ruin of modesty and innocence dates from a cheap trip, and many a soul has been shipwrecked on the harmless river between London Bridge and Rosherville.

3. 3 Joe Six Pack Feb 20th, 2007 at 11:26 pm

   According to the current regulations of the Church: Under the pain of mortal sin, all those who are 14 on up have to abstain from meat, (and soup or gravy made from meat,) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent. All those from 18 to 60 have to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, also under the pain of mortal sin.

   On days of fast, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless collations may be taken, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not allowed; but liquids such as milk and fruit juices are allowed.

   Traditionally during Lent: all the days of Lent (excepting Sundays) are days of fasting. Meat (and soups or gravy made from meat) is allowed once a day, at the principal meal, except on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, and Holy Saturday.

   When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the fast does not oblige.

4. 4 Clara Feb 21st, 2007 at 12:53 am

   With all due respect to Fr. Faber, I’m not sure this approach would necessarily be healthy. Having a super-Lent before Lent actually begins seems like it would skew the sensibilities that the Church is trying to develop. It might also easily become a temptation to pride: “other men are reveling, so I will set myself apart with particularly great spiritual feats.”

   Of course one should not observe Mardi Gras, or any day, by setting out to sin. But there are any number of more wholesome and innocent pleasures which might be enjoyed. I ate a particularly large amount of ice cream today, and enjoyed the evening by watching a basketball game with Robertus, Iosephus, and Catherina Oxoniensis.

5. 5 Tobias Petrus Feb 26th, 2007 at 2:29 pm

   ” It might also easily become a temptation to pride: “other men are reveling, so I will set myself apart with particularly great spiritual feats.”"

   Well, the same thing could be said about any fast at all. One could easily say that the traditional fast is an occasion of sin since it is not required by the Church any more.

6. 6 Clara Feb 26th, 2007 at 3:05 pm

   Well, it’s possible, but I think there are relevant differences in the cases. You have to exercise phronesis to separate out those penances that will lead one to greater humility from those that will lead to greater pride. One of the things I like about the traditional fast is that it’s traditional. If I were to impose a rigorous fasting regimen on myself I’d be more likely to feel secretly boastful about it, but with this one, when I start feeling too good about myself, I can just remember, “Well, Catholics everywhere did exactly this for centuries, so it’s not like you’re anything special.” Which is manifestly true. When my other trad friends are also keeping the fast, that furthers my realization that what I’m doing is really pretty minimal under the circumstances.

   On the other hand, the passage from Fr. Faber seems to be deliberately playing off the idea that you should mortify yourself with particular force BECAUSE other men are reveling and enjoying themselves. If you’re a very holy person already, maybe you can do that without feeling smug and superior, but for more prideful people like myself I think that would be hard. So I think it’s just as well to enjoy my Mardi Grad pleasurably (but non-sinfully) and to fast with everyone else when Lent comes.

7. 7 Tobias Petrus Feb 26th, 2007 at 11:38 pm

   Okay, here’s another try: I sometimes get haughty thoughts when I see others receiving Holy Communion on the hand. I have two options: stop receiving on the tongue myself, or stop associating this good action with proud thoughts. The obvious answer is that I should keep receiving on the tongue, but quit judging others for not doing so.

   My primary motivation for this point isn’t Fr. Faber’s situation, but rather a LOOOONNNGGG time ago when the question of wearing veils in Novus Ordo parishes came up. Your position, as I recall, was not to do so if it caused pride. By the standards you’ve given here, wearing a veil shouldn’t cause pride — everyone else has done it for so long, and it is the least one can do. I would add that is a divine mandate, and St. Paul says that women should wear veils in Church on account of the angels. So if a womann gets proud on account of wearing chapel veils? That woman should keep the veil, and lose the pride.

   Heck, I’ve gotten proud over the fact that I wear [slightly] better clothes than others to Church. So should I wear sloppy stuff? No, I should just stop judging others, and focus my attention either on the priest at the altar or on the nearest Station of the Cross rather on what the other parishioners happen to be (or not be) wearing.

   From my own perspective, I’ve been giving something up for Lent since as long as I can remember. If I started doing the traditional fast instead (and I am not currently doing so) I assure you that I would in fact become proud of the fact that I was pulling it off. Since I am not bound by the old rule, I’ll rest content with the types of privations I’ve become accustomed to suffering without pride. For me to avoid all sweets is just a pain, and it gives me no feelings of glory. On the other thand, if I went so much as a single day on the old fasting regimen, I’d be saying, “Look at me, God! I’m fasting!”

8. 8 Clara Feb 27th, 2007 at 12:41 am

   Tobias Petrus,

   Very well, abide by your own Lenten practices. Your reasoning seems sound to me, and this is precisely my point: different sorts of mortifications will have somewhat different effects on different people. You must exercise phronesis to decide which are best to practice. So, Fr. Faber’s suggestions might be good for some, and if I read of St. Francis doing such things I would certainly not second-guess him. But I suspect for many or most people, that kind of mortification would create a severe temptation to spiritual pride.

   I happen to be pretty tolerant of hunger in general. The year before I became a Catholic I actually imposed rather more severe fasting regimens on myself during Lent, so the Trad one works out fine for me and doesn’t leave me feeling particularly holy or virtuous, and as I said, the weight of tradition makes it seem even more non-special. But if it doesn’t have that same effect on others, fair enough.

   I believe I stated on the chapel veil thread that I was quite ready to praise women who can wear their veils in Novus Masses without a second thought. In that case, by all means, wear them! For me, it feels like a rebellion, perhaps because I know it is perceived that way by many, and also because, in all seriousness, that is often the way Trad women want it to be perceived, or so it seems to me. It’s difficult or impossible to go to Mass feeling like a rebel without getting corresponding feelings of either 1) shame, or 2) superiority and pride.

   It’s easy to keep fasting a personal matter because I really don’t keep tabs on other people’s daily habits anyway, so I have no idea what sacrifices they are or aren’t making. I honestly don’t think much about it. But when you’re standing in Mass with lace on your head, flanked on all sides by lots of women without any such lace, and people are glancing at you askance… well, the contrast is pretty obvious. I may reach a point where having a veil on my head at Mass is so naturally associated with worship, that I’ll be able to do it without feeling self-consciously rebellions. Not there yet.

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