Catholics are loyal to their parish and their diocese and should follow the advice and teachings of their bishop.

But they're not - no pun intended, given the fish on Friday - entirely off the hook. If you do choose to eat meat, you're asked to perform another sacrificial act, such as refraining from eating meat on another day, or doing some service to others, or making a donation to the poor.

This will make you a better person not just during Lent, but year-round.

Those acts could be abstaining from meat on some other day of the week or volunteering or making a donation to help the needy.

Many years ago it probably was much stricter, but looking in recent years it has been common for the bishop to give dispensation.

Kirk's father was pretty good at it, and now Kirk -- they're the best, ... They give you good advice, and if you bring something back, they don't argue with you. They turn out to be your friends instead of just somebody in a store.