FAT TUESDAY

“Mardi Gras” is French for Fat Tuesday has its origins in medieval Europe. What became a legal holiday in Louisiana in 1875 was a Christian holiday with roots in ancient Rome. Where, instead of abolishing certain pagan traditions, religious leaders incorporated them into the new faith. Historically, people would spend Fat Tuesday, and sometimes the weeks leading up to it, indulging in the foods and behaviors they would abstain from during Lent. The holiday is also known as Shrove Tuesday, from an old English word meaning, “to confess”. Some would use the day as an opportunity to confess their sins to a priest before the start of Lent. Beyond the fun of it, there was a practical reasoning behind Fat Tuesday feasts—meat and dairy products would go bad before Lent was over—so the occasion became one big celebration, sometimes known as Carnival, a word derived from a Latin phrase meaning “to remove meat”.[1]

Alas, as is often the case over time, the original intent of things and events gets blurred, even lost, when “the indulging” becomes a year-round attraction and/or habit. Much like the bread metaphor Jesus uses to warn his disciples of the untrustworthiness of the Pharisees and Herod. Their teaching is like yeast that silently ferments the dough and spreads throughout the entire batch. The disciples miss the point of his warning, even after witnessing the miraculous feeding of thousands. “Do you still not understand?”

Noah’s story today follows a similar human unawareness and decline in moral living: “When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil,” God rethought his creation. Many people find this story troubling, as it sketches an angry and unforgiving God who destroys even those creatures seemingly innocent of any offense. Yet, Noah finds favor in God’s sight; therefore, hope is born anew. This has been and is the pattern of human existence. This mythic story speaks of the human struggle to be faithful, of hope, and of salvation in the waters of the flood.

Just as the waters of the flood cleansed the earth and saved Noah and all creation, in preparing for Baptism, catechumens are reminded that these waters cleanse them from the destruction of sin. It doesn’t remove temptations nor forgetfulness, but this baptismal focus is primary for them and us during Lent: death to sin (indulging) and self in order to rise to new life in Christ.[2]

While some of the practical reasoning behind Fat Tuesday feasts has lost its relevance, we cannot be unaware that the regular practice of indulging in Fat Tuesday foods and behaviors have NOT lost their influence on the human family, to distract, distort, or even block an awareness of our baptismal promise, this nourishment that is the Bread of Life, and our proclamation to know and to love God & our neighbor.

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[1] Refinery29.com “What’s the Religious Meaning of Fat Tuesday?” by Erika W. Smith, March 5, 2019.

[2] Weekday HomilyHelps. Homily Suggestion by Leota Roesch.