Ever since Adam & Eve and that unpleasantness which led to the swift foreclosure on their digs in Eden, we humans have had a problem with “forbidden fruits.”
The Church modestly proposes that it is a good idea for us to abstain from eating meat on Fridays, especially in Lent. It is such a little thing to ask of us and who could have any problem observing it?
Why then did I wake up this morning with the words, “I want bacon,” already forming on my lips? On any other day of the week, I’d probably dismiss the thought as nonsense and go on with my day. On this Friday in Lent, however, driving past every diner was a struggle and I swear there was a phantom odor of fried bacon in the car…
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Maura 04.03.09 at 2:11 pm
I had an interesting discussion with my hairdresser this morning along simular lines. She belongs to an evangelical church where the 40 days of lent have been divided thus. 10 no sweets, next 10 days no media, next 10 days no red meat, final 10 days liquid diet. Apparently many of the women in the copngregation are excited about the last 10 days because it is a chance for them to drop a few pounds before swimsuit season.
I think maybe something has been lost in the translation.
But seriously I think most of us have that forbidden fruit syndrom. The only person I know who doesn’t seem effected is my Father in law whose self disipline would let him take 8 days to eat a chocolate bar one square at a time. (much to his wife’s disgust and dismay)
I wonder sometimes if its not the intentional struggle that is the point of all this behavior modification for lent. It the point to make us aware of the cravings ( i.e. ice cream for me) that sometimes take over our lives and distract us from all that is truly important in our lives.
Michelle 04.04.09 at 9:11 am
I went out to dinner last night — and the temptation to have the potato skins with bacon was huge. I imagine because I’d read this post before going!
Denise 04.04.09 at 10:58 pm
Hey Paul,
Speaking of bacon, a non-Catholic friend teased me about bacon last Friday by sending me the link to this web site….you must check it out…it’s somewhat penitential to think about eating this
http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/
Eric 04.06.09 at 1:56 pm
Denise,
I am sure that eating the bacon/sausage roll would be wonderfully delicious, but it seems the equivalent of an injection of bad cholesterol.
Eric