{"id":3109,"date":"2015-03-16T09:24:15","date_gmt":"2015-03-16T14:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/jenniferfitz\/?p=3109"},"modified":"2015-03-16T09:24:15","modified_gmt":"2015-03-16T14:24:15","slug":"may-you-skip-your-penance-on-st-patricks-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jenniferfitz\/2015\/03\/may-you-skip-your-penance-on-st-patricks-day\/","title":{"rendered":"May You Skip Your Penance on St. Patrick’s Day?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I have an irrational aversion to dressing matchy-matchy with the liturgical calendar, which backfired Sunday. \u00a0 I started to grab the pink sweater \u2014 nope, that won\u2019t do on Laetare Sunday. \u00a0Blue sweater. \u00a0What scarf? Purple scarves rejected, grabbed the green-print one, thought myself perfectly safe. \u00a0Not so. Apparently the Sunday before St. Patrick\u2019s day is when the die hard enthusiasts sport their green suits. \u00a0But I was okay with that, because: St. Patrick.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just nothing wrong with accidentally being mistaken for someone who has a crush on St. Patrick.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, this question came up in conversation a couple weeks ago: Can you be excused from your Lenten penance on St. Patrick\u2019s Day?<\/strong> \u00a0What with it being a feast and all?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my answer:<\/p>\n

\u00a0There\u2019s no obligation to fast or abstain on Tuesdays in Lent. What personal penances you do or don\u2019t do that day is your own business.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And that\u2019s the way it works. \u00a0All the time. \u00a0Here\u2019s the calendar of obligations for you who live in the US:<\/p>\n