Lenten sacrifices

[Cheveyo]

Being that I’m learning a lot of new things, what are some different things one can give up for Lent?

 

[GLam8833]

Spending money needlessly for restaurant food,
delivery pizza and giving from the money saved
to charities and the Poor.

 

[Vico]

Being that I’m learning a lot of new things, what are some different things one can give up for Lent?

IT really depends upon your economic situation, either unworldliness (asceticism) and charitable donations, or social justice and prayer. Anything that leads us away from love and God needs to be eliminated that we may become true images of Christ.

H.H. Pope Paul VI wrote in 1966 "in our time there are special reasons whereby, according to the demands of various localities, it is necessary to inculcate some special form of penitence in preference to others.60 Therefore, where economic well-being is greater, * so much more will the witness of asceticism have to be given in order that the sons of the Church may not be involved in the spirit of the "world,“61 * and at the same time the witness of charity will have to be given to the brethren who suffer poverty and hunger beyond any barrier of nation or continent.62
on the other hand, in countries where the standard of living is lower, it will be more pleasing to God the Father and more useful to the members of the Body of Christ if Christians* —while they seek in every way to promote better social justice* —offer their suffering in prayer to the Lord in close union with the Cross of Christ.”

Therefore, the Church, while preserving—where it can be more readily observed—the custom (observed for many centuries with canonical norms) of practicing penitence also through abstinence from meat and fasting, intends to ratify with its prescriptions other forms of penitence as well, provided that it seems opportune to episcopal conferences to replace the observance of fast and abstinence with exercises of prayer and works of charity.

1. Cf. Constitution on the Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium of 1963), no. 110.
2. Cf. Romans 12:2, Mark 2:19, Matt. 9:15; Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 37
3. Cf. 1 Cor.16:1; Romans 15:26-28; Gal.2:10; 2Cor.8:9; Acts 24:17; Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 88.

ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/P6PAEN.htm

Sacrosanctum Concilium:

1. During Lent penance should not be only internal and individual, but also external and social. The practice of penance should be fostered in ways that are possible in our own times and in different regions, and according to the circumstances of the faithful; it should be encouraged by the authorities mentioned in Art. 22.

 

[dshix]

Penance can split into three categories: mortification, prayer, and almsgiving. The first is the one most people talk about, but the others are important too.

Here’s a few random suggestions for all three:

Mortification:

• Take a cold shower instead of a hot one, or if that’s too long, turn on the cold at the end of the shower for the space of 2-3 Hail Marys.
• Give up meat on another day of the week, such as Wednesday.
• Give up use of the internet except for work/study.
• Say a decade of the Rosary with your arms stretched out horizontally. Exhausting!
• Give up TV, radio, news, or other media that you enjoy the most.
• (Hard) Give up all condiments for your food. No salt, pepper, salsa, extra oils, lime, sweetener, etc.

Prayer:

• If you don’t already, start saying the rosary every day.
• If you already say the rosary every day, try adding on a Divine Mercy chaplet or a Seven Sorrows Rosary.
• Go to mass more days of the week than you ordinarily do now.
• Commit to pray a morning offering every day before the day begins.

Almsgiving:
In general, this refers to gifting your time and money over and above what you ordinarily do already.

• Spare some of your spending money for a charitable cause.
• Give your time to your Church for some sort of volunteer work. Make sure this is value time, and you are really doing your best to bring about good effect, not just trying to “clock in” some number of hours.