I found this gem over at Facebook on the page of Fr. Robert Cooper, Archdiocese of New Orleans. The introductory words are his, the prayer, he later told me, he found in a book about all things Mardi Gras with the author unknown:
Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday") and Carnival ("Farewell to Meat") precede Ash Wednesday and Lent not only in New Orleans but around the world. It was natural to develop a festival, a "last fling," before the prayerful fasting and abstinence of Lent. How can we give this day before Ash Wednesday some religious meaning for us?
It may be that we are going to a Mardi Gras paradaes and parities and there will be much feasting. Our city will celebrate Carnival ...with gusto.
What's important is that we let our feasting anticipate our fasting. One way to do that is to begin to focus on the meaning of the day, when we first get up. It can create a sense of anticipation all day, that something very new is about to begin tomorrow.
We can prepare for whatever we will do, no matter how purely "social" or simply ordinary our day will be. Knowing why we go to a parade or a party, or enjoying the planning or preparation for a special meal, will add much meaning to this day.
Our Mardi Gras Prayer
In these or similar words, we can pray in the spirit of this day.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for it is from your goodness that we have this day
to celebrate on the threshold of the Season of Lent.
Tomorrow we will fast and abstain from meat.
Today we feast.
We thank you for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us.
We thank you especially for one another.
As we give you thanks,
we are mindful of those who have so much less than we do.
As we share these wonderful gifts together,
we commit ourselves to greater generosity toward those
who need our support.
Prepare us for tomorrow.
Tasting the fullness of what we have today,
let us experience some hunger tomorrow.
May our fasting make us more alert
and may it heighten our consciousness
so that we might be ready to hear your Word
and respond to your call.
As our feasting fills us with gratitude
so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us
a place for deeper desires
and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.
May our self-denial turn our hearts to you
and give us a new freedom for
generous service to others.
We ask you these graces
with our hearts full of delight
and stirring with readiness for the journey ahead.
We ask them with confidence
in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen
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