It has never been mandatory to give up chocolate during Lent, at least for Roman Catholics. I think it can be a good Lenten sacrifice especially for the young, but once we know more about true sacrifice, perhaps there are ways to deepen that experience during Lent.
Frankly I believe you have committed a sin by making such an outrageous and untrue statement. Its good we believe and obey the Church and not people spouting nonsense.
I’m not quite sure where the author derives this statement:Personally, for me, giving up chocolate and sweets is pure torture - makes sense for me to give it up during Lent.I somehow got in a conversation about eating right/healthy and weightloss and a priest said, “Well, Lent fasting is coming up so that will help!”
In all seriousness, fasting and abstinence is peninential in nature - but there are many other acts of penance - prayer, acts of self-denial, almsgiving and works of personal charity. Attending Mass daily or several times a week, praying the rosary, making the way of the cross, attending the parish evening prayer service, teaching the illiterate to read, reading to the blind, helping at a soup kitchen, visiting the sick and shut-ins and giving an overworked mother a break by baby-sitting—all of these can be even more meaningful and demanding than simply abstaining from meat on Friday. See americancatholic.org/features/lent/faqle9902.asp
Naturally, merely forgetting isn’t serious, but if one who falls withing the age requirements, is not sick, etc. knowingly disregards the rule? The author seems a little wishy-washy on that.
Joe provided me with a more apt one above. I apologize if I have offended you with my simile. I will pray Mt 7:1-5 for you. :byzsoc:
I would be careful to compare only fasting twice a year and abstaining on the Fridays of Lent to someone who irregularly goes to Sunday Mass. Missing Sunday Mass is a mortal sin (provided the conditions for mortal sin are met, of course). It is not a sin- mortal or venial, to only fast as your Rite obliges you to do- unless you have taken a vow of obedience and have been told to fast further by those you are required to obey.
I would be careful to read the rest of the thread. Joe helpfully provided a more suitable analogy. Please go back and read his insightful post.
I agree completely Centurian. Personally I focus on positive things during Great Lent, like more prayers, more devotions, more services, going to the litiurgy of the Pre-Sanctified on Wednesdays.Not to be insensitive with anyone but every year when the season of Lent rolls along people always speak about favorite foods, desserts and candies they give up. Good intention I suppose since it does tempt one of the (“more obvious”) lower natures of the flesh.
Being a Diabetic I have to constrain myself to a certain diet anyways so sweets are not on the top of my taboo lists. Besides even when I wasn’t Diabetic I always had a cringe-like sweet button that hit a crescendo if I did by chance over indulge.
Shrove Tuesday or Shrovetide: newadvent.org/cathen/13763a.htm as the Church calls it seems to get out of hand IMHO. I mean many people (Catholics too) use it as a day to over-indulge deliberately. I’m not being a prude here cause I used to well (“sin”) in indulging on that day if you really look at it seriously. Is Shrovetide really a feast day?
In growing spiritually I see Lent more as taking something up in spiritual practice rather than necessarily giving up just sweet food temptations. There are more ways to mortify the weaknesses of denying the ways of the flesh than giving up favorite food cravings.
Maybe it just me but this never seems to be exemplified or taught enough in the Church in Homilies during Lent.
old.usccb.org/movies/c/chocolat2000.shtml
You’ve given me a great idea! If I had any programming prowess at all, I would design a Lenten app that would send people messages at time intervals of their choosing (daily, hourly, three times a day, etc.). They might choose to enter what they are giving up and have the app remind them. Or perhaps they might have the app send them suggestions in the categories of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.and i thought giving things up is becoming outdated way of handling lent. Church of England had an excellent project going the other year. People received text messages and were encouraged to do them. Simple things like, giving your place up in the queue to the person behind you. Smile at a stranger etc. Little things that we don’t actually do but make a difference in the world of others.
Thankfully in my parish we have a wonderful priest who speaks of this issue every year in the weeks leading up to Lent. His message is: Lent shouldn’t just be about giving something up; it should also be about doing more. Last year he focused on how we should be looking for ways to help those around us. This year his focus seems to be on adding a spiritual practice (e.g. daily rosary or LotH) to our lives during this time.In growing spiritually I see Lent more as taking something up in spiritual practice rather than necessarily giving up just sweet food temptations. There are more ways to mortify the weaknesses of denying the ways of the flesh than giving up favorite food cravings.Maybe it just me but this never seems to be exemplified or taught enough in the Church in Homilies during Lent.
You might know someone who does though. The Church of England Live Life Love Lent is up and running this year but can’t find if they’re doing the texts any more… You might like to browse and see what there is and if they can help you get something going perhaps?You’ve given me a great idea! If I had any programming prowess at all, I would design a Lenten app that would send people messages at time intervals of their choosing (daily, hourly, three times a day, etc.). They might choose to enter what they are giving up and have the app remind them. Or perhaps they might have the app send them suggestions in the categories of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Too bad I don’t know how to do such a thing.
It has been very very common for Catholics to give up chocolate, but never obligatory. Chocolate is an indulgence that is relatively easy to give up, but a penance nevertheless since most people love chocolate.
