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Myqyl
Guest
Count the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Sunday’s were never a part of the 40 days of Lent. This is neither regional nor new…
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MissRose73
Guest
I will certainly make suggestions for my niece/nephew (aka my GodChildren) for things that they can do that are simple as they split time between several places as their parents are divorced.
My mother reminds their parents about no meat on Ash Wednesdays and all Fridays during Lent. The parents respect that, and the kids have no issue with having meatless pasta or fish & chips on Fridays as an example (in fact, my nephew enjoys the fish meals).
I practice my Lenten sacrifice on Sundays too. Even if I don’t have to, and Sundays during Lent don’t count towards the 40 days I will also do my Lenten sacrifice. In addition to my chocolate and junk food sacrifice, I will clean out my closets and chest of drawers, and donate unneeded items to a local charity store. Also, I will do my best to avoid unnecessary shopping beyond the necessities of food as an example during this time with the exception of my birthday day which always falls during Lent.
My mother reminds their parents about no meat on Ash Wednesdays and all Fridays during Lent. The parents respect that, and the kids have no issue with having meatless pasta or fish & chips on Fridays as an example (in fact, my nephew enjoys the fish meals).
I practice my Lenten sacrifice on Sundays too. Even if I don’t have to, and Sundays during Lent don’t count towards the 40 days I will also do my Lenten sacrifice. In addition to my chocolate and junk food sacrifice, I will clean out my closets and chest of drawers, and donate unneeded items to a local charity store. Also, I will do my best to avoid unnecessary shopping beyond the necessities of food as an example during this time with the exception of my birthday day which always falls during Lent.
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paperwight66
Guest
No, it’s certainly not new. It was well-known during my childhood, and that’s over 50 years ago. Nor regional, unless by ‘regional’ you mean the Western Hemisphere, as I live in the UK.
I don’t know about elsewhere in the world.
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horselvr
Guest
puzzleannie said:
“This is a good time to encourage them to look through toys they loved but no longer play with to give to charity. You would be surprised by what courage and sacrifice children can show when invited to consider.”
WOW! I can’t believe you brought this up and I am so very glad you did.
Just the other day I had a memory of my Mom having us kids line our toys up down a walk path through the house and then she invited over the 7 kids from upstairs to come down and choose what they wanted. I was never opened to this as I didn’t want to give up anything especially a little rearing horse that was a wind up toy and I actually pulled him from the toy line. I was very young and so this memory was always very sketchy. Right around this time we would also have to go to the grocery store and fill up 2 carts and I saw her one time giving bags away to women with children. THIS is what SHE was doing!!! I never understood why we had to fill another cart with food. It was so much to carry and I always complained about it. We didn’t have that much ourselves so she must have saved all year to feed others. WOW!
puzzleannie you have jogged my memory back to a wonderful memory of my MOM realized some 50 yrs later. Thank you so much. She was the best!!
“This is a good time to encourage them to look through toys they loved but no longer play with to give to charity. You would be surprised by what courage and sacrifice children can show when invited to consider.”
WOW! I can’t believe you brought this up and I am so very glad you did.
Just the other day I had a memory of my Mom having us kids line our toys up down a walk path through the house and then she invited over the 7 kids from upstairs to come down and choose what they wanted. I was never opened to this as I didn’t want to give up anything especially a little rearing horse that was a wind up toy and I actually pulled him from the toy line. I was very young and so this memory was always very sketchy. Right around this time we would also have to go to the grocery store and fill up 2 carts and I saw her one time giving bags away to women with children. THIS is what SHE was doing!!! I never understood why we had to fill another cart with food. It was so much to carry and I always complained about it. We didn’t have that much ourselves so she must have saved all year to feed others. WOW!
puzzleannie you have jogged my memory back to a wonderful memory of my MOM realized some 50 yrs later. Thank you so much. She was the best!!
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Catholic90
Guest
Counting Ash Wednesday as Day 1 and the Saturday before Easter as day 40, there are exactly 40 days. Adding the Sundays, there are 46 days. There are 40 days of Lent…not 46!
It is not recent. You mom pulled on over on you!
Sundays are “Little Easters”; therefore, not Lent.
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Gordon_Sims
Guest
I still find it a bit annoying/disingenuous. When I was a kid, if I gave up chocolate, I gave up chocolate. It gave me something to look forward to Easter morning. Now my mom gives up chocolate (or whatever) and goes without it six days a week, but goes into a chocolate coma on Sundays (not quite that bad, but still…). I’ll stick to sticking to my guns through the whole Lenten season.Counting Ash Wednesday as Day 1 and the Saturday before Easter as day 40, there are exactly 40 days. Adding the Sundays, there are 46 days. There are 40 days of Lent…not 46!
It is not recent. You mom pulled on over on you!
Sundays are “Little Easters”; therefore, not Lent.
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debfab
Guest
Definitely not a new innovation. When I was in 3rd grade (1983) I called the rectory to see if there were any rules or loopholes concerning lent that I was unaware of. The woman at the rectory kindly told me that on Sundays, you are allowed to partake in whatever it is you’ve given up. LOVE
Gordon- it sounds like you didn’t question things enough as a kid. Your mom was clearly hiding the facts from you. Not cool.
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heart4home
Guest
Today, just like last year, I pasted a huge brown construction paper cross on our kitchen window. Think 6 sheets high by 5 sheets for the across section.
Beside it on the side windows I have cut out and taped up the words, FAST, PRAY, GIVE ALMS and SERVE in purple of course…
By the end of Lent that plain brown cross will be transformed into a beautiful flower filled cross. The children will put a flower on it for every act they do. Whether it’s fasting from something for a day, saying extra prayers, serving another family member or giving up something for the poor.
As a family we have decided to give up all sweets for Lent and we of course follow the no meat on Fridays.
I think it’s very important to include children, as it is their faith too, and just like lovely Advent and Christmas traditions, Lent and Easter need some too. So many Catholics grow up today not understanding their faith. We have to live it with them, for them to grow up and continue to live it.
Also as Mother Angelica says, if we can’t give up these small things for Lent how much harder will it be when we need our Will to give up something much worse that is jeopardizing our eternal salvation.
Beside it on the side windows I have cut out and taped up the words, FAST, PRAY, GIVE ALMS and SERVE in purple of course…
By the end of Lent that plain brown cross will be transformed into a beautiful flower filled cross. The children will put a flower on it for every act they do. Whether it’s fasting from something for a day, saying extra prayers, serving another family member or giving up something for the poor.
As a family we have decided to give up all sweets for Lent and we of course follow the no meat on Fridays.
I think it’s very important to include children, as it is their faith too, and just like lovely Advent and Christmas traditions, Lent and Easter need some too. So many Catholics grow up today not understanding their faith. We have to live it with them, for them to grow up and continue to live it.
Also as Mother Angelica says, if we can’t give up these small things for Lent how much harder will it be when we need our Will to give up something much worse that is jeopardizing our eternal salvation.
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maryjk
Guest
Just know that your children will later question why you never told them that Lent was only 40 days, not 46, and that Sunday didn’t count.
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Catholic90
Guest
Yes, be honest with them. Honestly, I would teach them the Catholic teaching (Lent is 40 days, and Sundays are not counted in those days), explain why YOU personally give up something for the 46 days, and allow them to choose if they want to do the 46 days or the 40 days.
Once they find out the truth, they may not be too happy with you.
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vera_dicere
Guest
As far back as I can remember my parents always encouraged us to give up something we really liked. It was usually lollies.
I told my parents I loved school and wanted to give that up… didn’t beleive me though.
I told my parents I loved school and wanted to give that up… didn’t beleive me though.
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Kaizmom
Guest
How old should children be to start making Lenten promises? I have a 2 and 3 year old and while that is young, how should I introduce this idea and at what age should they make their own?
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Sunbreak
Guest
Of course children should give something up for Lent. We were taught in Catholic grade school to do this as first graders. The children should choose their own something to give up or do for Lent.
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12345678
Guest
Is Holy Saturday part of Lent?Counting Ash Wednesday as Day 1 and the Saturday before Easter as day 40, there are exactly 40 days. Adding the Sundays, there are 46 days. There are 40 days of Lent…not 46!
It is not recent. You mom pulled on over on you!
Sundays are “Little Easters”; therefore, not Lent.
I was told that it was 40 days of Lent (including Sundays) until Holy week. I have never been able to find an answer that convinces me completely of the skipping Sundays, but I do find it kind of odd that Holy Week would not be part of the 40 days.
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Kaizmom
Guest
No, Lent does not include the Sundays and they are the Lord’s Day. This was actually covered in depth on an episode of Catholic Answers. Sundays and Solemities (March 25th) are actually Lenten “loopholes”. However, Jesus gave so much for me I keep my Lenten fast all the way to that glorious Sunday!
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Vico
Guest
In the Latin Church, lent ends before Holy Thursday Mass. At various times and places it was 6 weeks of 5 days a week for 30 total fast days (Milan), or 6 weeks of 6 days a week for 36 total fast days (Rome), or 8 weeks of 5 days a week for 40 total fast days.“In the early Middle Ages Lent throughout the greater part of the Western Church consisted of forty weekdays, which were all fast days, and six Sundays.”
Thurston, H. (1910). Lent. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm
In the eastern Church Great Lent ends on the Friday before Lazarus Saturday (which is before Palm Sunday). The original calculation of 40 days was from the start of Great Lent to the Friday before baptism of the catechumens on Lazarus Saturday.
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white_sheep
Guest
Our 3 and 5 year old are giving up candy. And tv. Well, sometimes. It may not be strictly enforced, but there are definite times that I say it is Lent, no tv. Then I put the purple sticky note with the cross drawn on it on the tv.
That said, it is the parent’s job, not yours. I don’t want people telling me what to do with my kids. I’ve never been one to show my work on math tests and sometimes the reasons I have for doing things are going to be difficult to explain. It just isn’t your business.
That said, it is the parent’s job, not yours. I don’t want people telling me what to do with my kids. I’ve never been one to show my work on math tests and sometimes the reasons I have for doing things are going to be difficult to explain. It just isn’t your business.
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Melancholic
Guest
That is too young, IMO, to have them give up something – I’d wait until the children begin to grasp the concept of what sacrifice means, and associating our small personal sacrifices with Christ’s. The Church defines the age of reason as 7, but I know our kids were becoming aware of these things at 5/6, and that’s about the age that they could come up with ideas for their own promise.
An easy, small thing that really young ones can do now is just to add a prayer to the day. If your little ones are familiar with the Our Father or Hail Mary, say an extra one in the morning, or a free form prayer for a relative or friend, etc. It’s not deprivation, it’s adding something, which little kids are less likely to resist.
Edit: we do generally enforce no dessert and no meat on Fridays for everyone, but the kids are eating what I prepare and I just don’t make those dishes on those days.
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