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.

WHAT IS OUR REACTION?

T.S. Eliot famously wrote in The Four Quartets, “The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

The reactions to John’s preaching, his unabashedly proclaiming the kingdom of God at hand at the Jordan, and speaking the truth to Herod concerning his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, sparks two distinct reactions. Herod is perplexed. Despite John’s condemnation of his marriage, and Herod being put off by John’s judgements against him, he likes to listen to John’s preaching. Herodias’ response is hatred toward John’s preaching. She seeks any opportunity to seize the moment to rid herself of John’s preaching, and she capitalizes on Herod’s rash oath.

The death of John the Baptist is marked by the noise of his absence. The herald of Jesus as the Christ known as a voice crying in the desert. How ironic, that his death occurs during a worldly birthday party with music and dancers. He is quite “present” but not in person, and he has no opportunity for final words before Herod and his guests. It seems, we can almost sense and feel Herod’s insides turning, as he finds himself caught up in the energy of the moment, cornered into having to fulfill the rash oath he is seduced into making.

Mark’s account of the death of John the Baptist takes place amid the disciples’ first mission to preach, returning with a report of how pleased they are at what they have done and taught (Mk 6:30). In their excitement and joy, they speak of the values shared in our reading from Hebrews. Values of mutual love for one another, hospitality, mindfulness of prisoners and those who suffer, and keeping marriage sacred. Yet, in the last two verses we hear a stark reminder: “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:7-8)

What’s your reaction to the preached Word? Does it leave you perplexed, confused? Because we hear it regularly does it lay dormmate or brushed off as irrelevant to your lived experience now? Maybe it angers you, you don’t understand why you listen, why you keep coming to church, because you are just angry at God.

John and Jesus are men unjustly judged, sentenced, and put to death, much like St. Agatha, whose memorial we celebrate today and so many other saints. The sequence of events leading to John’s death is a reminder of the potential cost of discipleship, the potential cost of preaching Gospel truths amid a materialistic, self-absorbed world. In the Christian tradition, all the apostles are remembered as martyrs for the faith.

Their legacy lives on, when the faithful continue to work to prepare the way of the Lord knowing “with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.” (Heb 13:6) We are all called to first hear, to be moved by the Word of God, and then we are sent in the dismissal at every Mass to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or to “Go in Peace, glorifying the Lord by our lives,” boldly to preach the Kingdom of God is at hand, in word and in deed, only to discover “the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know this place (this Eucharist) for the first time.”

JESUS’ PRESENCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

There once was a young boy who was as naughty as can be. He’d been transferred between different schools to get him any available formative interventions, but to no avail. Finally, his parents transferred him to a Catholic school, and lo and behold, on day one, the boy changed. His parents asked him, “why the sudden change in behavior?” He replied: “When I saw that man nailed on the cross on every wall of my new school, I knew they meant business, like always being told, ‘Behave or else…’” The presence of the crucified Christ changed the boy, although for a wrong reason. But if God is always before us or present in us would it mean a big difference on how do we do things?

In celebrating todays Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we are also celebrating two other occasions: The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Candelaria. The Purification of Our Lady, although she was not subject to the law of purification, she devoutly and with a zeal to honor God, obediently observes the prescribed Law of Moses ordaining that after childbirth a woman was declared unclean and was not to appear in public during the prescribed term of purification. This term was for 40 days following the birth of a son. When the term expired, the mother was to bring to the Temple an offering to God of a lamb and a young pigeon or turtle-dove. If the expense of a lamb was too great for a poor family, they were allowed to substitute a second dove. Such was the case for the Holy Family (Lk 2:24). These being sacrificed to God by the priest, she was cleansed of the legal impurity and reinstated in her former privileges.

In the image of Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus in the Temple, we have a wonderful model of husband and wife united together in practicing the faith and in raising their child in the faith. Together Jesus’ parents make the journey to Jerusalem to present their firstborn son according to the Law of Moses. This is the first time, Jesus enters the Temple, and His presence makes a difference, particularly on Simeon and Anna. Just look at Simeon, he was ready to die, not because of old age, but because of his encounter with the presence of Jesus, all his longings were satisfied, his life complete.

We also celebrate Feast of Candelaria. Candles are blessed on this day in commemoration of the words of Simeon concerning Christ. Simeon calls Jesus the Light and sings with joy: “Now my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel,” (Lk 2:30-32). The candles are carried in procession, signifying the entry of Jesus as the light of the world. The light symbolized by the candles we use at Mass, particularly the Easter Candle, the Christmas candle and the Baptismal candle. All these candles represent the love, the warmth, and the joy of Christ. We too are called to be Christ’s candles. To be His presence that makes a difference in the world.