Celebrating Lent with the food of poverty

The season of Lent gives us the opportunity to make changes in our lives.  We are called to pray, to give service, to turn away from bad habits, to donate generously to charities and to change our eating habits.

From early days, Christians were called to eat a simple meal - a meal of poverty- at least one day each week.  It is a reminder of how poor we would be without our Loving God and Father, and brings to mind that many in our world have less to eat than we usually have.  How blessed we are!

For many generations, the poor could always go to a nearby river, lake or stream, and with some luck, catch fish for their meal.  Fish was considered 'poor man's food,' while meat was eaten by the wealthy elite.  Over the years this has turned around.  Fish, at least here in the Upper Midwest, is much more expensive than meat!  Yet our mind-set to eat fish on Fridays during Lent sets us on a path in direct opposition to the original intent.  Dining out on Lobster is NOT a poor person's meal.  Today, Ramen Noodles are the staple for those on a tight food budget.

So, the challenge is to provide meals for our family during Lent that compliment the spirit of the season.   Once again I can turn to the 1931-33 menus my grandmother had.  It is interesting to note that they had meatless meals on Wednesdays as well as Fridays during Lent.  In addition to broiled and baked fish dishes, there are menus featuring Egg Bake dishes, Macaroni and Cheese, Vegetable or Clam Chowders, Meatless Spaghetti and Pasta dishes.

The blessing we find in Celebrating Lent with the food of poverty is that we realize we have been blessed with the resources to actually go out to dinner at Red Lobster on occasion.  Instead, we choose to eat a simple meatless meal at home and use the money we could have spent for that meal as part of our Lenten alms-giving.

This week, ground beef is in our grocery ad on sale for $1.99/lb, regularly $4.09/lb.  So, meatless spaghetti on Ash Wednesday means saving $2 to $4 from that meal alone.  Churches often encourage donating the savings from Lenten meatless meals to organizations that work to alleviate hunger like Rice Bowl, Second Harvest or your local Food Shelf.  What a great opportunity to pass along the blessings you have received to someone else in need.

We give you thanks, O Lord, for all the blessings we have received from thy bounty.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.