Benefits/gifts from lenten practices

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puzzledtoo

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If you would like to share some of your Lenten experience here I would love to read about it. Were your Lenten practices easier for you to maintain than you thought they would be or were they more difficult? Do you or did your at one point believe you took on too much and how did you deal with this? Are you still processing the events or have you moved on? In advance thank you for sharing as little or as much as you do. Blessings to all.
 
I didn’t take on that much this Lenten season. I read the Bible or a Catholic book for 1 hour every night and fasted every Friday (also on Ash Wednesday). The fasting was a little difficult but I’m happy to say I made it without breaking.

I’m going to try to fast every Friday throughout the year because when I was fasting during Lent (the first time I fasted every Friday) it made me realize how much God has blessed me. I was so thankful that I contributed to our parish’s food bank for the first time.
 
I attempted to give up yelling for Lent, but failed miserably due to having a 12 year old son.
 
It came to me in my mind, that “The reason for observing Lent is to free up time for closeness to God.”

Lamentably, this didn’t become clear to me until Spy Wednesday. 😦

ICXC NIKA
 
For the past few years I’ve focused more on giving things up for lent such as Chocolate, chips, cookies, etc. I’ve always been able to do this but right after lent ends I go back to the old ways. I read here on caf that doing something extra instead of giving something up is another way to observe lent so this year I thought I’d give that a try.
I decided to say 10 our fathers each day in addition to my regular prayer/meditation practice. Even though this really wasn’t much it seemed I still did not accomplish 10 every day. Most days yes but a few I finished anywhere from 7-9. Didn’t beat myself up about it just noted it that I needed to be more diligent the next day.
After lent I let go of the our fathers and changed the practice a bit but I’m still keeping the added time in the practice so I believe they were helpful. I’ve even been able to ease up on the snacks which are an issue for me and that has been without really trying. So overall even though I wasn’t perfect with my Lenten practice I feel it has been beneficial to the practice overall as have each of the times I’ve participated in the past.
Thank you for sharing and I hope you all have good fortune on your journeys.
 
Modern_Revert said:
I attempted to give up yelling for Lent, but failed miserably due to having a 12 year old son.
Click to expand...
I did something similar last year, before I was baptised. I gave up kvetching about someone I was angry with. Mostly I succeeded. Fell a few times, got back up. And ya know, I don’t have the ugly feelings like I did before Lent last year.

:o
 
This year, I gave up caffeine. It was haaaaard. I did it. Fell a couple of times, and got back up. I feel like a lot got accomplished. It was interesting when people would offer me chocolate, and I had to beg off. Or go to the store, looking at yummy chocolate, and then remember, “Oh yeah, no caffeine.” Now, I eat a little caffeine, but I’m more mindful of the effects, and I drink less soda.
 
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