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Thursday, April 13, 2006
Seares: Catholic stomach
By Pachico A. Seares
News Sense
Dutch scholar and writer Desiderius Erasmus, whose satire “The Praise of Folly” was a bestseller, was chided for breaking Lenten rule on fasting and abstinence. His reply: “I have a Catholic soul but a Lutheran stomach.”
Typical of Catholics who dodge religious “don’ts” by argument or in banter or jest.
Searching for reasons to go around the ban can be irritating or ludicrous. Consider:
* Questioning the practice of Bantayan folk who gorge themselves with meat on Good Friday and Black Saturday and, if they really have a papal license, wanting to send experts to examine the document.
* Arguing that since fasting and abstinence are merely tests of will power, strength can be shown in other ways, such as taking Mayor Tomas Osmeña seriously or resisting the urge to text nasty messages to Customs Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang.
* Raising the “problem” of vegetarians: since they never eat meat anyway, how can not eating meat be any sacrifice to them?
Symbol
For catechism lesson, one can turn to local church experts “Mons” Achilles Dakay and Msgr. Esteban Binghay.
Like their Boss, sometimes they tend to talk in riddles. But listen long enough for this:
Fasting or abstinence during Holy Week is just symbol and ritual. More meaningful sacrifice, Lent or not, is not doing, or doing less, of what gives you supreme pleasure.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 13, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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