How goes YOUR Lent?

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This is a thread where you can share, vent, advise OR
encourage other pilgrims on our common Lenten journey!!

Are you Progressing, Roller-coasting or struggling?
Can you share some insights on HOW to be victorious,
what is YOUR secret?
What are some regrets that you have on your journey,
either this Lent or previous Lents?
 
I keep my expectations extremely low. So, no disappointments yet.
 
It’s worked quite well for me. At times, I come close to expecting nothing at all. That way I’m always pleasantly surprised when things work out.
 
Start on January 1 as the N90 group did, and Lent won’t be any big change when it rolls around.

When this all comes to an end I’m gonna have a joint New years and Easter blowout.

Edited to add, I have to say, as usual, the huge plethora of programs, offerings, meditations, blahblahblah being pushed for Lent on every parish website seem to me to be overload to the point of blowing a fuse. I still can’t figure out the point of something like “Best Lent Ever”…I guess I am a traditionalist in the sense that I think you should just do penance, go to Stations, perhaps read some scripture (Stations these days usually include a scriptural reading component) and skip all this pop psych life improvement stuff.
 
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I read that as “I’m gonna have a joint, New Years and Easter blowout.”
 
No, strangely enough considering all of the rock musicians, artists and general underground types I hung around for decades, I have never once indulged in “a joint” and have zero desire to ever do so. Those smell very bad to me, plus it’s essentially smoking and I never smoked and if I did I would prefer a good cigar.

If I ever found myself in a state where pot was legal and I decided I wished to try some, I would have it in the form of one of those Alice B. Toklas brownies made famous by Peter Sellers in that old movie…my friends call them “kookies”. But I have not even done this yet.

My “joint celebration” will consist of me cooking my favorite New Years’ family tradition dish which I couldn’t have this year because I didn’t want leftovers around on Jan 1…“pigs in blankets” cocktail weiners wrapped in Pillsbury dough.
 
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Not actually missing alcohol as much as I thought (this is what I gave up for lent as I do enjoy a wee dram). Fasted more than originally planned thus far too. The online Lenten retreat I signed up for I have been very inconsistent with getting each reflection daily done. And work commitments are interfering with making it to 8am weekday mass some days which is quite irritating.
 
Good to hear that you are fasting, it is humbling
but WORTH it!!
 
Actually doing well to date at least from a Catholic perspective of obligatory abstinence from meat. On Ash Wed I had nachos with cheese, sauce and beans and a bean burrito. On Friday the 16th a crabcake dinner with fries and slaw and hushpuppies, and a week later a crabcake sandwich with cheese, tomato and tarter sauce along with a brownie. And I’m no longer obligated to what Catholics call a fast.
 
Thanx, Sy-Noe for telling us you no longer
PRACTICE the faith. But a Fast in the Catholic
perspective is at the least: 2 small meals that
do not add up to a full meal and 1 full meal.
 
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Very well, but I have no secret. There is just something that hit me right in Galatians. I am going through the New Testament in big chunks. While studying Scripture is useful, so is seeing the big picture. I am using CD’s produced by various well-known actors. It gives the feel of actually being the audience, especially if you know the history and background of each book or letter.

But back to Galatians, it is strange how truly great literature, which Scripture is, will always bring out something new with each reading.
 
As usual, I haven’t been praying and reading enough scripture. Ever since i have started cold showers, I have never disliked showering more. Parents get irritated when they know I’m fasting and sleep on the floor. Speaking of fasting, I’m trying to do the Orthodox type of fast which is beating me up right now, no dairy, eggs, fish (shellfish are permitted), and meat. I just ate a veggie burger that had dairy and eggs 'cause of the eggs. EDIT: I mean bread… What the heck… I had a couple of my dad’s onion rings with ranch… eggs and dairy. This is hard.

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Probably the most fruitful and devout Lent of my entire life so far.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
If I ever found myself in a state where pot was legal and I decided I wished to try some, I would have it in the form of one of those Alice B. Toklas brownies made famous by Peter Sellers in that old movie…my friends call them “kookies”. But I have not even done this yet.
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Wouldn’t getting high off a pot brownie fall under the sin of drunkness because it impairs your senses?
 
I don’t consider being mildly under the influence of alcohol to be a sin if I do not drive. At my age, I know I will not commit other sins when I drink, I know I will stop after a maximum of 3 drinks with food, I drink maybe 1 or 2 times a month and some months not at all. I would not want to get more than mildly under the influence of anything.

Catholics generally do not frown on a little social use of alcohol by people of legal age who have demonstrated that they can drink responsibly. My current pastor is happy to have a social drink with his parishioners from time to time, and so did our long-time pastor when I was growing up. Churches often also hold events where alcohol is served. There was a “Biblical wine tasting” at one of the local parishes a couple weeks ago, for example.
 
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I managed to keep my daily prayer that we are said to say during Lent - penitential - that I plan to say every year before Easter and I remember about it half way. It’s St. Isaac the Syrian prayer . This always helps me to overcome any situation in which I might get angry but it’s a prayer dedicated for Lent. It’s supposed to “work” better now.
I’ve been nicer to people I think I mean less agitated. Sometimes I’'m nasty just because I am too slow on figuring out what the situations is exactly like and then I am not sensitive enough and then bam! and then - regrets.
 
Well, let’s see: it took roughly 72 hours for all my Lenten plans to go out the window (except Stations every Friday - that’s still on track), but I have been pleasantly surprised by what the spiritual journey has had to offer so far. Had I kept to my intended Lenten preparations, these surprises might never have come to light. So I’d say all is well.

One thing I’ve been struggling with for years has finally been put in its proper perspective. Turns out I should be embracing it instead of exhausting myself trying to end, change, or run away from it. Instead of being monumentally complicated, I now see that the situation is actually quite simple. Golly. 😊
 
We can ALL benefit from seeing Lent as
a period as Spiritual WORKOUT period
where Faith is strengthened.
 
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