Lent Promises. When do they start?

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TactiKat

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Do they start on the ash wednesday or as soon as you take ash?

For this Lent i have decided to ditch online gaming and most online addictions i have.

Thing is, yesterday i had some unfinished business and stood in one of these online portals way past midnight to finally call it quits… I knew i was going past the hour but i needed to give it closure to be ready for lent.

Have i somehow failed this intention? Am i obligued to confess a failure to adhere to them? Given that is only one day… I dont know
 
Personally, I would say it starts on Ash Wednesday. After all, it’s not a day of obligation, and not everyone receives ashes.

That said, abstinence you take on during Lent is voluntary. It’s not a sin that you failed, but maybe it’s a good thing to pray about.
 
I wish to keep doing my Lent promise tho… I feel really bad about failing in such a miserable way
 
Keep after it! It’s just one day, and you can only go up from here. Use it as a baseline for growth, focus your prayer on the spirit behind the abstinence, and use it to draw closer to God. Pray about how you feel, let him draw you in and comfort you.
 
I felt a bit depressed not only because i have a certain problem with scrupulosity but also for getting legalistic and spending some hours past midnight trying to cater to other peoples needs rather than my own spirituality. I was really looking forward for lent and as you said it is only one day but, cant seem to shake the feeling
 
Practices that you’re undertaking or skipping for Lent are purely personal. The only requirements the Church makes (in the US) are to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent and to fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. What you do beyond that is up to you.

Perhaps your feelings right now are a good reminder that this won’t be easy, but it will be strengthening.
 
Sunrise on Ash Wednesday is a good time to start. It doesn’t sound like you went until sunrise? If we were Jewish, it would start sunset the night before, but we’re not. Sunrise is fine. Good that you are dedicated to your promise, even though it’s a personal undertaking and not under punishment of sin. Good luck and God bless with your endeavor, and with your Lent altogether.
 
they start when you want them to. they stop when you want them to. they aren’t promises. they aren’t obligatory. they are pious practices.
 
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