I do like the idea of Lent. My Luthern grade school had us give up one thing for 40 days to see our lack of need for it and our need of God. But too bad St. Pat's turned into a beer fest rather than a thoughtful study of the trinity (the original symbolism of the clover).
There was a great article on Slate, which I now can't find, talking about how the modern "beer fest" was invented in America (as a show of new-found Irish politcal power) and re-imported into Ireland (as a kick-off for the tourist season). Origianly it was a simple feast day during lent on which Catholics would eat fish (a celebration since there was no meat, fish, dairy, alchohol* or oil* allowed during all of lent. Oh, how far we've come. I asterisked alchohol and oil because traditions vary between no wine or olive oil and no alchohol or oil, depending on whether you follow the letter or spirit of the ancient canons. I'm not sure what pre-20th century Irish catholics would have done off the top of my head. Either way, a beer-fest is hardly in the spirit of lent. Oh, and St. Patrick was Roman, not Irish. And he didn't chase the snakes out of Ireland, there never were any. And I don't think he ever used the clover as an illustration for the trinity. But he did bring Christianity to the Celts. And the Eastern Orthodox do venerate him as a Saint. We don't have beer-fests or anything, we just pray to him.
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I do like the idea of Lent. My Luthern grade school had us give up one thing for 40 days to see our lack of need for it and our need of God. But too bad St. Pat's turned into a beer fest rather than a thoughtful study of the trinity (the original symbolism of the clover).
Lutheran's probably come at it better. I am guessing it is not a sin if you do not participate?
There was a great article on Slate, which I now can't find, talking about how the modern "beer fest" was invented in America (as a show of new-found Irish politcal power) and re-imported into Ireland (as a kick-off for the tourist season). Origianly it was a simple feast day during lent on which Catholics would eat fish (a celebration since there was no meat, fish, dairy, alchohol* or oil* allowed during all of lent. Oh, how far we've come.
I asterisked alchohol and oil because traditions vary between no wine or olive oil and no alchohol or oil, depending on whether you follow the letter or spirit of the ancient canons. I'm not sure what pre-20th century Irish catholics would have done off the top of my head. Either way, a beer-fest is hardly in the spirit of lent.
Oh, and St. Patrick was Roman, not Irish.
And he didn't chase the snakes out of Ireland, there never were any.
And I don't think he ever used the clover as an illustration for the trinity.
But he did bring Christianity to the Celts. And the Eastern Orthodox do venerate him as a Saint. We don't have beer-fests or anything, we just pray to him.
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