Hosting a pancake supper on the eve of Ash Wednesday has become an annual tradition in many parishes around the country. For a long time, I wrongly assumed that the day preceding Lent, infamously known as “Fat Tuesday,” was about loading up on sugar and carbs before the season for fasting began.
If it was meant to mimic the weeklong Mardi Gras celebration that takes place prior to Lent in New Orleans, I failed to see the connection. However, after reading what Pope Benedict XVI wrote about Mardi Gras or Fasching, as he called it, I’ve come to a different understanding.
While Mardi Gras is not a celebration in the Church’s calendar, the pope emeritus points out that the observance can contribute to our understanding of the Judeo-Christian faith. In his book, “Seek That Which Is Above,” he points to the origin of Mardi Gras as being significant. For Jews, the celebration recalls the biblical account of Queen Esther by whom the Israelites were freed from their persecutors in the Persian Empire.
According to Pope Benedict, the spirit of joyful abandonment represents the jubilant spirit that followed the liberation of the Jews from their captors, but it also signifies the rhythm of “creation, simultaneously ordering and purifying the chaotic multiplicity of human nature.”
Noting that our own celebration is rooted in the abandonment of prehistoric pagan deities and practices in favor of worshipping the one true God, the masquerade of Mardi Gras mirrors the Old Testament prophets who mocked the false gods, which they no longer needed to fear.
As the psalmist playfully noted, “They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell” (Ps 115:5-6).
The practice of merriment preceding the somber celebration of Lent is very much in keeping with the rhythm of life that is reflected not only in the Book of Ecclesiastes, but also in the liturgical calendar of the Church.
Imagine if we went straight from the celebration of Christmas directly into the Easter season. Even the most glorious celebrations need a time of respite in order to be better appreciated.
Every season finds its place in the whole, from the seasons of the year to the days of the week. The cycle is as old as creation and is linked to the freedom to choose between good and evil.
Life has a dark side, but as Christians, we have the light of Christ to show us the way. And so, as Ordinary Time gives way to Lent, we stand at a crossroads. Do we choose the freedom that comes in doing the will of God, or do we succumb to the false gods that litter the road to perdition?
We live in a world where human rights are threatened and ignored, where persecutions and war force millions of people from their homes, and where hunger and starvation lead to certain death.
Some days we may be tempted to ask: what can I do against so much suffering? The answer may be as simple as a saying that comes from the Talmud, which teaches: “Every good deed tips the balance of the world in favor of goodness.”
Jesus didn’t cure every person that was disabled, nor did he eradicate suffering. He took it upon himself, and in doing so, he saved world from death. We are not messiahs, but we are called to follow in the footsteps of the One who is.
Therefore, we pick up our cross daily as Jesus said we must, because like St. Paul, we believe that “in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col 1:24). As part of the Body of Christ, what I do affects the entire world. This not only gives me hope, but it makes good sense.
Next week, the sun will begin its descent on Ordinary Time so enjoy Fat Tuesday by indulging in pancakes dripping with syrup. Consider eating breakfast food for dinner a mini- Mardi Gras meant to mock modern false gods because when morning breaks, we will enter the desert with Jesus.
As we do, let’s pray for the wisdom to recognize the false gods that may be lurking in the corner of our lives. Only in eliminating them, will we help tip the balance of the world in favor of goodness, making it a better place for everyone.
Barbara Hughes is an author, retreat facilitator and spiritual guide. She lives in Virginia Beach and can be reached at [email protected].