Thank God it’s Friday (even during Lent)

What’s for dinner?

I know I am not the only one who does this – When I got home yesterday (Friday), I realized that I had only meat in the refrigerator for dinner. So, I traipsed out to the grocery store to buy some fish.  In the express line, I noticed that the person in front of me had fish and a few spices. The person in front of him had fish and a few other items. I, of course, was purchasing the same thing.

It is like Christmas Eve – just not as expensive

When I got to cashier, she asked me, “What’s with the fish? Everyone is buying up fish like it is on super sale.” I responded, “Everyone is buying up fish because it is a Friday during Lent.” After I explained our Catholic tradition some more, she then said, “So, it is kind of like Christmas Eve at the Mall, just not as expensive.”
I have to admit that this was probably the first time I linked Lent to Christmas Eve. And I had to really ponder how this cashier came to that connection. What does grocery shopping during Lent have to do with last minute Christmas gifts?

I think perhaps in the simple act of buying fish, my fellow Christians and I were participating in a public display of our faith. The only difference is that unlike Christmas, the TV news did not have a reporter on the scene to interview last minute grocery costumers. Can you imagine a reporter asking, “Do you always wait until Friday evening to buy your fish for dinner?”

Hey everyone – I am a proud Catholic!

Brothers and sisters, Lent can be a great evangelization tool. My wife mentioned that at a lunch meeting yesterday, in the midst of a buffet of beef and chicken, the only acceptable food for her was a tuna sandwich. It was quickly surmised that everyone who chose this relatively bland meal was a practicing Catholic. And in a very subtle way, those Catholics were evangelizing their faith.

Enjoy your last minute shopping

I love Lent because it allows us to celebrate Catholic traditions such as fasting and abstinence without the secularization that encroaches on Christmas and Easter. I hope you had a wonderful dinner last night.   And, I suggest that you wait until Friday evening to do your grocery shopping. Happy Lent!