No Meat on Friday

   I still write “Roman Catholic” whenever I’m asked to fill out a field named “Religion” in a form, but I’m not exactly a Church-going Roman Catholic.  I didn’t attend Ash Wednesday rites last week, and I had pork chops for lunch today.  Well, so much for Lent.

   Lent gives way to some rather… fishy, takes to meals.  A couple of years ago, my brother’s birthday fell on Good Friday: he altered the usual family recipe for spaghetti Bolognese and used canned salmon instead of ground beef.  In last year’s Panagbenga Festival, I had the rare opportunity to have Lent-friendly shawarma, which was made out of vegemeat and tuna.

   I know all about the sacrifice Jesus made to save humankind from sin, but I’m not a fish eater: I’m allergic to many kinds of fish.  Catholic practice is no longer as strict as it was before, but I still fall into that 18-59 age group who should, in the practice of their faith, observe abstinence.  Besides, nobody is allergic to tofu.

   I think that God would forgive me for being quite recalcitrant about fasting and abstinence.  Sometimes, I think that many Christians have problems with their faith because they shed their horns and grow their halos come the Lenten season.

Marocharim • February 15, 2008 • Food and Travel