Chocolate during lent?

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bekind

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I have given up chocolate for lent every year since I was a child. Someone told me the other day that I can still eat it on Sunday’s during lent, because that is like a “day off”. Is that true?
 
bekind said:
I have given up chocolate for lent every year since I was a child. Someone told me the other day that I can still eat it on Sunday’s during lent, because that is like a “day off”. Is that true?
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It’s true that Sundays aren’t counted as days of Lent – if you count from Ash Wednesday you’ll find that if you include Sundays Lent is much longer than 40 days. Even 50 years ago my parents allowed us treats on Sundays during Lent.
 
I’ve never heard of breaking Lenten abstinences on Sundays but it’s possible. From my perspective, Lent is a season…and while Sunday’s aren’t counted in the 40 days, the season still runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday…so I would stick with it for the entire season.
 
Yes it is true.
Q: Since Sundays are not counted in the forty days of Lent, does the custom of giving up something apply to them?
A: Customarily, no. However, since the giving up of something is voluntary to begin with, there is no official rule concerning this aspect of it. Nevertheless, since Sundays are days of celebration, it is appropriate to suspend the Lenten self-denial on them that, in a spiritual and non-excessive way, we may celebrate the day of Our Lord’s resurrection so that that day and that event may be contrasted with the rest of the days of Lent and the rest of the events of history. This heightened contrast deepens the spiritual lessons taught by the rest of Lent.
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ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/LENT.HTM
 
it has nothing to do with “are sundays part of Lent?” of course they are, but it has to do with Christ saying we do not fast when the Bridegroom is present, and that all Sundays are a little Easter when this is so. your penance is voluntarily so you may lift it or not for Sunday, as you please. If eating chocolate becomes a hinderance to the purpose of the penance, don’t do it. If it is a reminder of joys to come, go for it. Don’t make up rules the Church does not impose.
 
It doesn’t matter. It’s completely up to you, since it’s a voluntary abstinence. You can even decide to discontinue it altogether.

What are non-negotiable are the Friday abstinence from meat and the Ash Wednesday and Good Friday fasts.
 
We give up chocolate for Lent, too. All Sundays, included. Not easy… is it? :crying: lol.

Hang in there, Lent is almost over! Then… we won’t want our chocolate so much. :o It’s in the “giving it up” that it becomes so attractive. That’s why Lent is so good for our human nature. We’re learning to deny our passions.
 
Not just Sundays, but all Solemnities. Every Sunday is a Solemnity, but so is next Saturday: The Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of Mary. It was moved from Holy Week so we could celebrate the day. (no Solemnities are allowed in Holy Week or the Octave of Easter).

To properly celebrate a Solemnity (ie how they did it in the old days) you would fast the day before (not just abstain, but fast) so to prepare yourself spiritually and physically for the Solemnity.

Should a Solemnity fall on a Friday of Lent, the requirement of abstaining is lifted.
 
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