Already messed up Lent

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I ate turkey bacon this morning, and cussed up a storm on PMS. Couple that with an anxiety attack…not going so smooth :/. :mad: Figures it is the first time I am trying Lent.

Anyone else ever have a problem getting Lent and all that stuff off the ground?

Thanks!

Kat
 
I ate turkey bacon this morning, and cussed up a storm on PMS. Couple that with an anxiety attack…not going so smooth :/. :mad: Figures it is the first time I am trying Lent.

Anyone else ever have a problem getting Lent and all that stuff off the ground?

Thanks!

Kat
Don’t be so hard on yourself, my dear. Breath. 😉 It’s easy to forget–especially when we have our morning routine that we do without thinking. No need to cuss if you make mistakes. Mistakes merely reveal that we are fallible human beings–so join us other fallible human beings by realizing that it’s not by our strength we keep the Lenten observances. It is though the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do the things prescribed by the Church. IOW, let go and let God. It’s not a mortal sin, so simply tell God you messed us through human fallibility and move on. It’s not the end of the world. You’ll be fine. 🙂
 
:o Fasting and penance is not exactly enjoyable, so it can be a rocky road at times. As Dave said, you repent, confess what needs confessing, and move forward. I’m guessing you ate the meat because you forgot rather than because you were willfully ignoring the abstinence from meat directive. It happens, particularly if this is your first attempt at Lenten practices. The more you do it, the easier it is to remember.

The important thing is to not let it discourage you to the point where you stop trying. I think the devil uses that to trip up a lot of people. If he can discourage us out of the gate, it makes it easier for us to toss up our hands and say “Why bother?” Resist that temptation.
 
Before my kid started preschool, I often forgot what day of the week it was…like Friday.

If the week has been especially tiring I often wake up thinking it’s the day after. Or if I have a tiring weekend, I’ll wake up on Monday thinking that Sunday hasn’t happened yet.

But yeah…going through my day thinking it’s Thursday is always what gets me until I’m halfway through the burger.
 
I ate turkey bacon this morning, and cussed up a storm on PMS. Couple that with an anxiety attack…not going so smooth :/. :mad: Figures it is the first time I am trying Lent.

Anyone else ever have a problem getting Lent and all that stuff off the ground?

Thanks!

Kat
At first you do not succeed, get yourself up and try again. Try again.
 
I ate turkey bacon this morning, and cussed up a storm on PMS. Couple that with an anxiety attack…not going so smooth :/. :mad: Figures it is the first time I am trying Lent.

Anyone else ever have a problem getting Lent and all that stuff off the ground?

Thanks!

Kat
This just means you are human.

Immerse yourself in the ocean of God’s mercy and go to Confession. Just get back up and be aware that Lent is just beginning.
 
This just means you are human.

Immerse yourself in the ocean of God’s mercy and go to Confession. Just get back up and be aware that Lent is just beginning.
Confession should always be encouraged, of course, but she doesn’t have to make a special trip just for this. It’s venial at the worst. She’s obviously contrite–reception of the Eucharist at her next Mass attendance is the best remedy. There’s no need for her to be scrupulous about something as innocuous as this. 🙂
 
I’m so scared I’ll do this that I put a yellow sticky note on the fridge to serve as a reminder not to eat meat and to remember to fast. This is also my first Lent as a Catholic and while I have participated prior to being a Catholic I never fasted or abstained and so this is new to me and I know I will need to remind myself lest I forget.
 
I’m so scared I’ll do this that I put a yellow sticky note on the fridge to serve as a reminder not to eat meat and to remember to fast. This is also my first Lent as a Catholic and while I have participated prior to being a Catholic I never fasted or abstained and so this is new to me and I know I will need to remind myself lest I forget.
A sticky note is a good idea. 👍 I almost turned on the TV this morning because I do every morning (I’m giving up “sound” for Lent)–it’s all but automatic to do certain things/eat certain things. :yup:

Please don’t be scared, though. If you forget it’s okay, we all do from time to time. It’s not a sin to forget, after all.
 
It’s really difficult if it’s not something you’ve done all your life. I’m 57 and this is only my second Lent as a Catholic. I have been to Mass and tried to fast as best I can.

I diet all the time anyway and can’t go hours between meals as it makes me feel ill (and Wednesday is a busy day for me when I get up very early), so I’ve just eaten plain things between like a piece of dry bread, then later a banana, then later a little bran.

That means I’ve not strictly adhered to the fast so far, as I have eaten several small things. But it’s the best I can do. You were also trying to do your best, but you just forgot! 🙂
 
I am giving up cursing. I cuss A LOT, so I have already cussed quite a bit this morning, but it is a journey. You can’t expect an overnight change. It is a process. Just track your progress and remember it is not about perfection, it is about trying to grow closer to Jesus with each moment of each day.
 
Yeah, it’s happened to me in the past. A few years ago, on the way to an Ash Wednesday retreat, I stopped at McDonald’s because I hadn’t eaten anything. I ordered the usual thing I order for breakfast there out of habit, which was a sausage biscuit with egg. I didn’t realize about the meat thing until I started to eat it. So, sometimes people just forget.
 
Fasting has never been easy for me, either. My pious grandma used to say, “A working man needs his strength,” which was her gentle dispensation in case we inadvertently broke the fast. The trouble is, I’m retired now but my appetite never got the memo! As Scripture says, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The good news is, this Lent is only one day old. We have 39 more days to try to make a better go of it!
 
Fasting has never been easy for me, either. My pious grandma used to say, “A working man needs his strength,” which was her gentle dispensation in case we inadvertently broke the fast. The trouble is, I’m retired now but my appetite never got the memo! As Scripture says, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The good news is, this Lent is only one day old. We have 39 more days to try to make a better go of it!
Of course, persons over 60 (I believe it’s 60, someone will correct me if I’m wrong) and children under 7 (again if I’m wrong I’ll be corrected) do not have to keep the Ash Wed. fast of 2 small meals, etc. I’m a 67 y.o. type 2 diabetic. I already eat a prescribed amount of food each day, which is far below what most younger, healthy people eat ,so it didn’t apply to me. Although I refrained from eating meat, as I do every Friday of the year. 🙂 Also, Sundays are exempt from any fasting/penance in Lent because we celebrate the resurrection of Christ on that day.
 
Of course, persons over 60 (I believe it’s 60, someone will correct me if I’m wrong) and children under 7 (again if I’m wrong I’ll be corrected) do not have to keep the Ash Wed. fast of 2 small meals, etc. I’m a 67 y.o. type 2 diabetic. I already eat a prescribed amount of food each day, which is far below what most younger, healthy people eat ,so it didn’t apply to me. Although I refrained from eating meat, as I do every Friday of the year. 🙂 Also, Sundays are exempt from any fasting/penance in Lent because we celebrate the resurrection of Christ on that day.
Canon Law stipulates ages 14 and up for abstinence from meat and ages 18-59 for fasting.

When I was growing up, no one ever told me I didn’t have to fast until I was out of high school. 😛
 
Canon Law stipulates ages 14 and up for abstinence from meat and ages 18-59 for fasting.
Thanks for the info. :tiphat:
When I was growing up, no one ever told me I didn’t have to fast until I was out of high school. 😛
Oh well, just think of all the good that penance did/will do for you and for many others. 👍
 
Confession should always be encouraged, of course, but she doesn’t have to make a special trip just for this. It’s venial at the worst. She’s obviously contrite–reception of the Eucharist at her next Mass attendance is the best remedy. There’s no need for her to be scrupulous about something as innocuous as this. 🙂
I agree.
 
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