I Take My Lent Seriously

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on March 18, 2014. Posted in General.

For Lent, I gave up critiquing people. Well, actually I adopted a practice of launching into a critique only to pop my hand over my mouth and say, “Oh, sh!t. I gave up critiquing people for Lent.” So, in fact, for Lent, I took on cursing.
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I hate to announce my intent because, as my husband correctly points out, my creations often end up looking different than intended, but I’m gonna make a bread heart today for a bar. The heart-shaped bread is for the Love Lost Lounge in the Marigny. The bar hosts a St. Joseph Day altar tomorrow. I want to give the bar a gift because I love that a bar offers a St. Joseph altar and feast for the neighborhood. I’ve given bars gifts before. I picked the heart because the bar’s logo is a heart . . . with a stake in it. If the gift ends up looking like an olive on a toothpick, I’m giving the bar an olive on a toothpick.
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Wednesday and Fridays, until Easter sets us free, we’re eating vegan. Vegan means no animal products. No cheese, no eggs, no butter, no mayonnaise. No Greek yogurt. I have come to hate Wednesdays and Fridays. In a panic, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I eat like a glutton. This Lent, I have given a new name to Fat Tuesday. On the other hand, I will never take animals for granted again.
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“No alleluias in Lent.” That’s a staple of the Episcopal Church. To make sure we get the point, we ceremoniously bury the Hallelujah banner. (Yes, I’m spelling alleluia differently just to mess with you). We Episcopalians don’t have parties during Lent—when my first book came out and the Episcopal Bookshop wanted to give me a book launch, the Dean said “No book party during Lent.” Lent is soup and bread and DOUR. So yesterday when I jooked to the bands at the St. Paddy’s Day Parade, I did not shout Hallelujah! I take my Lent seriously.

here’s to creative synthesis . . .

bars in the Marigny, Lent, Love Lost Lounge, Marigny, St. Joseph, St. Joseph Altars, St. Joseph Day

Comments (6)

Joe Hawes

March 18, 2014 at 10:37 am

Poor St. Joseph. He tends to be over-shadowed by St Patrick, but I much prefer celebrating St. Joseph–even though there aren’t many parades for him or headline grabbing controversies either. Maybe my preference has to do with the fact that my wife’s first husband was named Patrick…
Anyway, I will give up Cuss words in support of your giving up critiques and sometime after Easter there will be a big party somewhere..

Ellen Morris Prewitt

March 18, 2014 at 11:23 am

A big post-Easter party—it should become a tradition.

Luanne

March 18, 2014 at 11:24 am

Hah, I love this. So funny and yet heartfelt at the same time.

Ellen Morris Prewitt

March 18, 2014 at 11:45 am

Thanks, Luanne. I’m off to buy ingredients for my “heartfelt” bar gift. Thanks for faithfully following, reading, and commenting. (I woke up on the pun side the bed this morning).