I'm not sure about all the denominations, but being raised in the Episcopal Church, we always "gave up" something for Lent (which usually meant that the Girl Scout cookies got put into the freezer until after Easter). We also didn't eat meat on Fridays during Lent. Because of work schedules, we haven't found a parish here, so I've slipped a little this year.
Maybe Catechism has changed, but isn't the point still to sacrifice something? Meat was the main event at meals, so not having bacon at breakfast, ham in your sandwich as lunch, and pot roast for dinner meant that you were eating like a poor person. That practice replaced fasting on Fridays during Lent, because people kept keeling over at work. At any rate, many families donated the money they saved by not eating meat to the Church to help feed the hungry.
Every supermarket flyer this year has included Lenten specials like jumbo shrimp, crab, lobster, and salmon fillets. Today, the Republic did a review of restaurants for Lent; the cost of dinner for two at some of them could feed a family of four for a month.
Usually, things like this don't bother me, but, for some reason, this seems sacrilegious. For those of you who are Christians, doesn't ignoring Lent make Easter feel like less of a celebration? Or is Easter really turning into an occasion to buy a new outfit and gorge on chocolate bunnies?
I am not Catholic but yes I
I am not Catholic but yes I agree with you. If the original meaning was monetary then going out and feasting on lobster might not be what the original purpose was.
Our society has secularized every Christian religious holiday. Kids are growing up thinking they are christians because the easter bunny or santa comes even though their parents have never taught them anything about the christian faith. I call them default christians. They are white caucasians born in the US that think they must be christians because they put up a christmas tree and fill an easter basket. To be a christian you must be a follower of Christ.
It's sad to see Christ's gift watered down to eggs and bunnies.
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I was raised Methodist, and
I was raised Methodist, and giving up something for Lent was never even mentioned in our church. When I was a teenager, it was mentioned in bible study as a personal thing, that you could do optionally, give up something that would be personally difficult for you to do, as a method of focusing on your faith. But it was never mandatory and I never did.
Further, meat was never verboten on Fridays, except on Good Friday, and even then, I was never sure why (we also had liver on Holy Thursday, and I really disliked that as a child).
So lent is by no means universal for all Christians. Many Protestant denominations don't do it. I never felt that my faith was any less sincere than others because we didn't do lent, and other people eating lobster and paying too much for dinner doesn't bother me. Although I personally don't like lobster and don't like to spend a lot for dinner. I don't think the lack of celebrating lent cheapens the Easter Holiday. The Quaker faith believes that you should not celebrate religious holidays at all, because you should keep those lessons with you everyday. Although most Quakers also realize that a reminder every year is not a bad thing.
So don't worry about what the supermarkets are putting on sale. Do what is comfortable for you and realize that others may do it differently. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the important thing, and everything else is just window dressing.
I am not Catholic but
I am not Catholic but attended a Catholic school as a child and yes the actual meaning of Lent, just like Easter and Christmas, has gone right out of the window.
I agree with the other comments. Christmas, is about the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. If one chooses to put up a tree and buy gifts, that fine as long as His birth is the focal point of the celebration. Easter (or as my church family calls it Resurrection Day) is the same. It is to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Not a time to buy frilly, lacy dresses and chocolate bunnies. Again, if one chooses to give "Easter" baskets to their children, fine. But let us remember the purpose of Resurrection Day (Easter) and celebrate it accordingly.
"The Lord is great and greatly to be praised." Ps 96:4