It's lenten season again, and as full-blooded, practicing, traditional Roman Catholics, Filipinos have this practice called abstinence. For you non-Filipino, non-Catholics out there, abstinence is what you call not eating "karneng katihan", or more simply put, meat of the land.
In other parts of the world, this practice is also evident in the South Americas as "Carnival", coming from the italian term "Carne Lavares" which means to remove/lavage meat.
Abstinence is actually part of Canon Law of 1253, though not all major regions of the Roman Catholic countries practice it - even though the law states if you violate this law and not repent, God will get mad and burn you in hell like the meat you were eating because eating meat during days of fasting is classified as a mortal sin.
I seriously think abstinence is one of the traditions we ought to trash already. There is no sacrifice in eating seafood and vegetables if the seafood will cost more and even taste better than the meat we're not supposed to be eating.
And it's not like anybody's life will be better if we keep on practicing abstinence. All we're doing is starving out the meat vendor's family. Can you carry that in your conscience?
Maybe it was applicable before, back when seafood was actually cheaper than normal meat because hey, we're surrounded by seas and oceans. Unfortunately this aint the case now. Abstinence becomes no more meaningful sense than eating Queso de Bola during Christ's birthday.
All abstinence ever does is self-reassurance that you're following God's will (which unfortunately isn't even clearly stated in the bible other than a certain ambiguous line from 1 Timothy 4:1-5. )
If you want to change something this lenten season, go make a real sacrifice and not just a symbolic one that's lost essence throughout the years.
Like maybe donate half of your salary to the Redkinoko Foundation for the Empoverished Redkinoko.
I bet if you donate more than half you'll be sent to heaven after your death so fast, St. Peter will have to give you a speeding ticket.
SRLSLY.
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6 comments:
well.. if it makes you this bothered not to eat meat on fridays for 5 weeks (that's just 5 days or so), isn't that small enough a sacrifice? ;)
i agree with the commenter above.. as for me, i get soooo cranky when i get deprived of meat.. but that's my sacrifice..lol
Sacrifices are supposed to do one of two things:
- make you a better person.
- give somebody a better lot.
Since not eating meat does not fall under those categories, im not so sure I can call it a sacrifice. ^^
Abstinence isn't all about meat. It's the act of resisting the good things we like and thus, we make some sacrifice. It is to prove that our spirit is stronger than our body, to turn away from temptation, just like what Jesus did when He was being tempted by the devil in the desert.
Abstinence/Sacrifice isnt all about food. Like partying, too much internet or even masturbating (Yes, masturbating is a sin).
Or from a whole cup of rice, try going for a cup of rice.
True, it's not all about the food. But why do we have to prove anything?
If we're going to sacrifice, wouldn't it be better if somebody will be getting something of off it? Like isntead of just abstaining from meat, purchase the meat youre going to eat anyway and then give it to some hungry street kid instead (make sure he still has teeth).
Now that's something more meaningful.
if you don't think it is enough sacrifice to give up meat, why don't you just fast? And try to see if your spirit is stronger than your body.
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