The Great Corned Beef Controversy of 2006

It all started a week ago, as Stacey and I left mass. On our way out the door, I asked Father. Norman, "What's the word on eating corned beef this Friday..." Seeing as though it's Lent, meat and Friday's wouldn't normally go together...But as we all know, this past Friday was St. Patrick's Day. Sure enough, I was in luck..."For you, go ahead and eat it. The bishop said I could give permission to anybody that asked."

In most families, this would be enough. Actually, I'm willing to bet that most families who wanted their corned beef would have gladly eaten it, and been happy. However, this was my family. When I mentioned it to my mother, she said that she hadn't heard anything from her priest. After calling her priest, and our old priest from Seymour, she insisted on calling the History Family's priest. My own mother thought I'd lie about a priest! Seriously...

But still, this did the trick, as she got her dispensation and prepared for corned beef!

What we didn't count on was what happened Thursday. Stacey sent an email to Ernie, Sara, and I, asking if we all had permission for corned beef. Sara's response was...She didn't care. Ernie's response was something along the lines of: No, I haven't gotten permission, but I don't care. I can eat it any other night of the year, it doesn't have to be on St. Patrick's Day.

My immediate response was..."You do have permission!"

His response was, "I haven't heard it from a Catholic Authority, where did you get permission?"

"YOUR MOM! And my priest..."

He argued that since the bishop hadn't said anything (which was false, there was word in the paper that day), he highly doubted that my priest had the authority to make such a dispensation...and he said Mom wasn't a Catholic Authority. This prompted Sara to ask, "What house did you grow up in?" I'd have to agree, since repeatedly, while my father yelled at me for being mean to my mom, I heard how she was a saint. ;-)

On the second count, he was wrong. But still, why would I lie about a priest? Even if he didn't have the authority, if I asked my priest, doesn't that cover my soul?! Meanwhile, I threw in a jab about how Jesus didn't say a word about not eating meat on Fridays.

Ernie, of course, took it too far, and gave me some over the top Catholic-theo-babble (ps, I'm so trademarking that term!), and I got further angered. WHY WOULD I LIE? WHY WOULD NOBODY BELIEVE ME?

Thank God for Sara, who didn't care, as long as I said it was okay, she was fine with it. Dinner was awesome...and we willed UConn past Albany...I even dominated Diesel, which is a feat unto itself regarding that dog!

But this is another example of my family taking things a LITTLE too seriously. I understand, and appreciate my Catholic faith and all, but why did EVERYONE need to get their own dispensation? Wasn't mine for my whole family? Would I have eaten corned beef alone?!

Seriously, sometimes, my family can be a bit too over the top!

For more on the ways that my family takes themselves a bit too seriously, visit Sara's blog from January 29... Conservatives vs. the Liberal