Lent

[seanom]

Hello I was just recently thinking of giving up coffee for lent. Aswell as that I’m going to give a few other things. I rise early to do meditation and prayer and I really need a coffee or a strong tea to keep me awake. I’m afraid that if I give it up for lent I wont be able to function. I don’t drink coffee everyday and when I do I’ll probably have 1-2 max daily. Any thoughts on whether I should give it up or not?? Thanks and God Bless.

P.S. I would also encourage others if they can to give up tv and computer for lent aswell.

 

[CatholicZ09]

If it’s not a big factor in your life, then I don’t see the need to give it up. Why not give up something more meaningful to you?

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I agree that we might want to challenge ourselves to something that really means something.

Probably the most challenging – and rewarding – thing I’ve done for Lent was last year. I took a hit where it hurt the most; being right. Since I was a little kid all I ever wanted to do is be right. So I fasted from my need to be right, in particular on these forums, on practically any given issue.

Note I wasn’t fasting from being right, but from the need to be right. That hugely different. Instead of saying “I disagree” I’d say “I haven’t seen it that way before.” Instead of correcting someone, I’d draw them out to try to really hear what they were saying. It’s funny how people get friendlier when I was trying to listen than when I was trying to preach.

Of course I was not completely successful, but it did wonders for my soul. I still like being right; I just don’t see being right in any given thread or on any given topic as something I need in order to feel good about myself. And don’t get me wrong; nothing wrong with being right – and of course if a thread strayed into error there were always other posters who’d steer it back inside the boundaries.

Alan

 

[Leegal]

Hello I was just recently thinking of giving up coffee for lent. Aswell as that I’m going to give a few other things. I rise early to do meditation and prayer and I really need a coffee or a strong tea to keep me awake. I’m afraid that if I give it up for lent I wont be able to function. I don’t drink coffee everyday and when I do I’ll probably have 1-2 max daily. Any thoughts on whether I should give it up or not?? Thanks and God Bless.

P.S. I would also encourage others if they can to give up tv and computer for lent aswell.

If the coffee is not that important to you, then you have given up nothing. However, if given up in conjunction with getting up earlier in order to pray and/or other sacrifices then I see no reason not to include it. It just seems that the coffee is not that important.

I too drink 1 or 2 cups a day – it’s not much of a sacrifice for me not to have coffee.

 

[AllSeasons]

Hello I was just recently thinking of giving up coffee for lent. Aswell as that I’m going to give a few other things. I rise early to do meditation and prayer and I really need a coffee or a strong tea to keep me awake. I’m afraid that if I give it up for lent I wont be able to function. I don’t drink coffee everyday and when I do I’ll probably have 1-2 max daily. Any thoughts on whether I should give it up or not?? Thanks and God Bless.

P.S. I would also encourage others if they can to give up tv and computer for lent aswell.

Are you giving up coffee or caffeine? There’re a lot of substitutes for coffee.

 

[Thomas31]

I love love love coffee and drink it atleast 2 times a day, and I am giving that up for lent as well as not having anything to drink except for water. They money that I am going to save from spending it on coffee or any other drink I will then put aside and give it to the Lord at church as a special offering. I hope I can do this. But remember, whatever we give up for lent, we can have on Sundays, since Sundays are not part of the 40 days of Lent. So, I will make sure I enjoy my coffee on Sundays

 

[jreilly]

@Seanom, I’d probably pick something else if I were you. Unlike you, I am a coffee fiend - by the end of the first day of Lent one year my co-workers were bringing me caffeine in all forms! They said they didn’t agree to this…hmmm… anyway, this year I am getting away from my computer at home; and only getting on Facebook at work to post stuff on our work page (which is going to be difficult, but I will do it!).

With my extra, new-found time I will be studying the lives of many different saints; spending time reading scripture; and enjoying time with my dog outside.

Blessings to all as we begin this Lenten journey.

 

[TiggerS]

I agree that we might want to challenge ourselves to something that really means something.

Probably the most challenging – and rewarding – thing I’ve done for Lent was last year. I took a hit where it hurt the most; being right. Since I was a little kid all I ever wanted to do is be right. So I fasted from my need to be right, in particular on these forums, on practically any given issue.

Note I wasn’t fasting from being right, but from the need to be right. That hugely different. Instead of saying “I disagree” I’d say “I haven’t seen it that way before.” Instead of correcting someone, I’d draw them out to try to really hear what they were saying. It’s funny how people get friendlier when I was trying to listen than when I was trying to preach.

Of course I was not completely successful, but it did wonders for my soul. I still like being right; I just don’t see being right in any given thread or on any given topic as something I need in order to feel good about myself. And don’t get me wrong; nothing wrong with being right – and of course if a thread strayed into error there were always other posters who’d steer it back inside the boundaries.

Alan

Thank you for this post. I have been thinking about - and thinking about - what to give up for Lent. Identifying how the ego most expresses itself (and mine is a very big needing to be right too) and then mortifying that is a really good penance in the best sense of the word. Penance comes from “metanoia” and means “to change direction”. I also am drawn to the way it is not only denial but movement in a positive direction through becoming more listening and accepting - open to the ideas and concepts of the other and in a spirit of Charity. Not only denial, but affirmation and in the very best of spirits “There is Faith, Hope and Charity - and the highest of these is Charity” (St Paul). This denial is also in line with our Ash Wednesday Liturgy “I will take your hearts of stone and give you hearts of flesh”.

I can stop thinking about my Lenten penance and now make a firm decision and am quite sure too that I will fail now and then and hopefully immediately renew my original resolution. I decided to see if there was a thread on CA about what people are doing for Lent and came across this thread and post above. Thank you once again.

On the opening post: I’m a big coffee drinker too. Around 3pm I switch over to decaffeinated and have acquired a taste for it but personally it took a while before I stopped screwing up my nose at 3pm and putting the caffeine asside in favor of decaf. But then penance is about changing one’s direction and I do not find change easy - rather quite challenging. My original direction prior to 3pm cut off point was that of a true caffeine addict and my decision re 3pm was necessity.