I have to swipe 'dul's digital camera next time I go to the Western Beef...

[conuly]

The signs there are so bad, it's not even funny. Except that it is. I don't know what it is about that store, but they're completely unable to get anything right on their signs. Wanuts, indeed! (and that's hardly the worst of it)

So, I went to the Western Beef today, I laughed at their signs... and got to observe the following message at the nearby White Castle: "For Lent, Enjoy A Fish Fillet" (I'm not sure what fish-food they were advertising, so I just filled in a name)

I'm not sure if that ad is clever or sacriligious. Or possibly both - is one *supposed* to enjoy their substitute for whatever they're giving up on Lent? Isn't that the purpose of giving something up?

And here's a question. Recently, I was informed that most modern Catholics don't go into a little booth with a screen to confess. They just talk to a priest. Face to face. And then, when I exclaimed in (mock) shock over this, my mother told me that most Catholics don't use rosaries anymore! (What's next, they'll stop saying the Mass in Latin? :P)

Honestly, it's like the foundation of my world is crumbling all around me. But still, I persevere. Tell me truthfully: Do many/most/some Catholics (still) give up meat for Lent? I know it's not done on Fridays anymore (world, crumbling), but, not actually being Catholic (if infant baptism counts when done by people who are inherantly anti-organized religion counts, that'd be Jenn. And I suppose that makes me Episcopalian. Whatever *they* believe) I don't actually know. I'm kinda scared to ask my mom. Our conversations about religion always end with somebody making really sacriligious jokes, and then my mother getting scared for my safety and requesting that I move at least 50 feet away from her at all times....

Comments

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

The parish here in England, confession is done from behind a screen, so it's more or less anonymous. But at home, yes, we do sit face to face and talk to the priest, though. Although there is an option to sit behind the screen and I like that better.

Catholics do use rosaries (I just got an e-mail from Newman Club at home about praying the rosary on Tuesdays) just not during Mass. That pretty much ended during the Reformation. You have to participate in Mass now, so you can't really just sit there and pray the rosary. But I actually pray it on pretty much a weekly basis.

I wish we still said Mass in Latin. :/

And we don't give up meat for all of Lent anymore (unless that's what you're giving up), just on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays. I wasn't aware that it "wasn't done" on Fridays anymore. I'm pretty sure that the Church's regulations say "no meat on Fridays" and my church always has a fish fry on those days.

[carlanime.livejournal.com]

Chiming in from Canada: this sounds pretty much like what happens here, too (am non-practicing but have some v. Catholic family members). They do still use the confessional screen in some parishes around here; most people I know aren't giving up meat for all of Lent, but a few still do, and most still give it up for Ash Wednesday and all Fridays. And every Catholic I know still uses the rosary, but I'll try to remember to check with the youngest, most-recently-attended-confirmation-classes ones to get a sense of what they were taught.