What are some possible penances for Lent?

[QuestioningAll]

A big one for us is giving up tv, mainly because that’s our one thing we do each day (for about 40mins to an hour) to relax before going to bed. In that time we substitute some spiritual reading, prayer and then free time.

We also, as a family, drink water only and we require that the kids decide on one small thing that they will personally give up. As a child, even just giving up a small amount of food during Lent, has helped me to be less attached to food as an adult.

 

[Hailz]

This blog post has a good list:

• Abstaining from all meat

• Abstaining from all alcohol

• Abstaining from all sweets and desserts

• Having only one or two meals per day

• Eating little or no food of Fridays – the weekly remembrance of the crucifixion

• Cold showers (or turning the hot shower cold at the end)

• A pebble in your shoe

• Sleeping without a pillow

• Sleeping on the floor

• Waking up for a night vigil of prayer

• A hair shirt, course rope or other unseen article of discomfort

• Abstaining from television, music, radio, and/or movies for all of Lent

• Daily Mass

• Weekly Confession

• Daily Rosary

• Daily Divine Mercy Chaplet

• Daily or Weekly Stations of the Cross

• Attending a parish mission

 

[MarjannaS]

I haven’t commented on anything for awhile, but this one is interesting. It seems to me to be important to remember that, with Lenten penances, our PURPOSE is to work within ourselves for inner change so we may become closer to Our Savior. Giving up candy or trying to lose weight may be hard – but are they going to bring us closer to Jesus? If we ADD some positive penance – change – to our lives, we may become better sooner. So then, what we need to try to do is to CONTINUE the practice we’ve started during Lent. If we add some additional time before the Blessed Sacrament, we have 6 weeks to make it into a habit. We don’t want to quit abruptly at Easter. We don’t need to get closer to Jesus ONLY during Lent – we want to get closer to Him for eternity. So, make a real effort; consider something which will bring you closer to Him, and work at making it a part of your daily life. If we can do that, Lent will have been well-spent.
God love you. God bless you too.

 

[ampridgen]

I’m still working on it this year. I need to make an appointment to go over some ideas with my priest. Here’s what I did last year though, and have really tried to maintain it still.

I gave up anger. When I felt angry with a person, or situation, I immediately asked forgiveness AND asked God for a true blessing for that person. I will be honest. During the first two weeks, I was in confession every or every other day. By Easter, it became nearly second nature, and it has become much easier throughout the past year.

Another thing that I added to it was to try to flip the perspective on things. If something didn’t make sense, hurt or upset me, I tried to find a good thing in it. ie when I found out my husband was not only cheating, but living with another woman, the first thing that my priest said was, “You can now go to confession (we were not married in the church) and return to full communion with the church.” Instead of focusing on my hurt/pain/anger, he helped me find a positive in a very ugly situation. I still work at that daily.It requires a great deal of time with God if I do it conscientiously.

Many blessings,
Anne Marie

 

[agnes_therese]

My suggestion is don’t try to overstretch yourself. You know where you are, spiritually. I know it sounds noble to go the extra mile for God, but you don’t go an extra mile if you have enough trouble going one mile in the first place.

Exactly. Sometimes people have the misconception that more penances automatically equals more holiness. But that may not be the case at all. One small penance, done for the love of God, is far better than a dozen done for the pride of doing a dozen.

 

[liturgyluver]

Well actually, in a way you would still be giving something up because you be giving up time on whatever it is you would be doing to more reading etc.

But instead of general reading or prayer why not be specific about what you are reading or praying for/with? then you will know if you have achieved/learned something. Its nice to have measureable targets to help you stay on track and stay with God.

I agree with you. There are some excellent Lent books that help give a spiritual focus. One is based on the film the King’s Speech, and there are many more that expand on the Lent lectionary readings. In my view this, combined with alms giving can be far more productive than self-denial which sometimes triggers feelings of superiority.

 

[virtueseeking]

Okay so I know that for Lent we are supposed to give something up but what if we promised to do more of something instead or in addition to giving something up? An example of what I am talking about is maybe reading the bible or praying the rosary every day?

Lent is a liturgical season. One is to be in the spirit and live it. I did a research on Mardi Gras once and it became a study of Lent. Ever since my family lives Lent.

No bright colors, no jewelry, no nail polish, we don’t eat out (not even fast food), no extras or anything of extravagance, don’t go to the movies, no social events, except maybe a benefit and only for that reason, and or prior commitments, no shopping except for absolute necessities. These things or other penances or sacrifices are not to be obvious to others.

We attend penitential services, daily mass, stations of the cross when possible.

With the extra time one should have one can visit the relative in the rest home, or homebound more often, fix Granny‘s leaking sink, or/and say the rosary with her, etc., and with the extra money purchase that case of diapers and drop off at the local pregnancy center, or extra bag of groceries to the local food pantry, etc.

I give my children the choice of what we can do, with this much time or this amount of money.

You will find that you continue them after Lent. They bring you closer to the Kingdom of God, and that is where your soul is at peace.

Blessings…

 

[rhiannonh]

It be good too if it something you don’t do regularly for Lent. If you do it regularly in Lent then there is no real extra miliage in the challenge to aiming at understanding the pain that Jesus suffered.

Me, I think like at Christmas when Christmas came early for me via confessional, I think Lent has almost come early too. That was partly me because I really felt as though I couldn’t hang on till Ash Wednesday, for confession but had it last week. (We go any time so have an unwritten pattern as such). For my penance I was given a book to read and am slowly reading it and trying to practice it. That is I think my Lent project. Two weeks longer than others in that I couldn’t just sit and wait till ash wednesday.

 

[jacobhalo]

Okay so I know that for Lent we are supposed to give something up but what if we promised to do more of something instead or in addition to giving something up? An example of what I am talking about is maybe reading the bible or praying the rosary every day?

I’m giving up watching the news or reading the news, excepts sports. This way I can stop being aggravated, and not have to watch all the negative news.