What are you giving up for Lent this year?

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angelic06 said:
How can you give “examples” or encouragement without showing…examples of what is actually being done?

Someone can give all the examples in the abstract all they want, but for me, I actually want to see in real life that something is actually workable before I try it out myself.
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“Workable”???

You are a grown man, accepting the Holy Spirit, His Church Teaching, and Scripture! No?

Why is it difficult to know how to deny yourself something good, but carnal/material for a spiritual offering between you and the Father?
 
All of us are still growing, regardless of physical age, until we reach the Beatific Vision. I am in my mid-30’s, Catholic my whole life, but did not take seriously the fasting component of Lent until a few years ago.

It is for people such as me that this thread is created. If you cannot profit from it, then fine, move on to something more interesting, but leave the rest of us alone. I will answer nothing more from you.
 
There is a Dairy Queen by my office, and I really enjoy Blizzards. I’m giving up DQ, but also extending the spirit of it to any treats during the work day.

I also have it in my mind to try to obtain indulgences for souls in purgatory. If anyone has a good source I can look to for available indulgences (partial or plenary), I’d be greatly appreciative.
 
Oh I profit from it.

I learn that many Catholics like to make public their fast for recognition, and get offended when a fellow Catholic encourages to follow Jesus’ instruction to keep it secret.
 
Okay, I lied. I will respond just this once more. You do not see into others’ hearts.

How do you judge that people do it only for “recognition”?

How do you know that they are not helping people like me out, who are new to fasting?
 
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Fast food, my guilty pleasure. I’m also going to attend daily mass.
 
rcwitness said:
I learn that many Catholics like to make public their fast for recognition
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And I learned that judging another’s intent and heart is also warned against by Jesus.

We gave up some random vegetable, food, drink, etc. No one even thought about getting “recognized” for it, as if we performed some heroic task or became anemic due to kale-spinach diet.

If you don’t want to share your experience, then don’t share it.
 
rcwitness said:
I learn that many Catholics like to make public their fast for recognition, and get offended when a fellow Catholic encourages to follow Jesus’ instruction to keep it secret.
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I expect no recognition for anything I give up, and I don’t think others here do, either. Jesus was talking about the “holier than thou” Pharisees. None of us is acting “holier than thou.” We’re just sharing, not judging. I actually get ideas from others.
 
angelic06 said:
Okay, I lied. I will respond just this once more.

How do you judge that people do it only for “recognition”?

How do you know that they are not helping people like me out, who are new to fasting?
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If they were trying to help you, they would not be making their private fast public. They would encourage you to pray about it, learn what fasting means, and provide some generic examples.

We sometimes act like children unable to listen to the Spirit guide us in Spiritual things.

Do you ask how you should pray also?
 
rcwitness said:
Do you ask how you should pray also?
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The apostles did: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples’” Lk 11:1).

If the apostles, why not us?
 
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They asked the Lord.

Romans 8

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
 
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“We sometimes act like children…”

Sometimes I wonder whether or not it is the Holy Spirit speaking…or the Evil One. That leads me to your question:

“Do you ask how you should pray?”

Yes. Truly. In previous years, I have focused mainly on petitions. But from reading someone’s Facebook status, I learned to start off my prayers with praise and thanksgiving, then repentance, then finally my requests.

As I mentioned above, we are all growing until the day we greet the King in paradise.
 
I find it countwr productive for us to share with each other what we are fasting. Yes, even an abuse of the practice. That is my comviction.

Helping other know what fasting is, what it means, and examples is completely different than always sharing what we are fasting.

Prayer has many forms. Corporal, private, meditative, petitioning, praising, etc.

The most important thing is to let His Spirit move us to talk with Him! We can learn from others whom we are praying with, what He inspires us to pray like!

Im not against you, or anyone here. But i am opposed to this practice of telling others what we are fasting.

I have said my peace, and have not judged anyone.
 
JanSobieskiIII said:
Today we’re having a cook out at work, big bone in pork chops, baked beans, chips deserts. And I’m over here eating some carrots and an apple 😑
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Pork chops and baked beans? I’d see if I can take a plate home for tomorrow. 🙂
 
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Not sure I’d have the will power to wait once I got home. My dad grilled them and he’s a phenomenal cook. Soon as I was out of view I might cave to the temptation lol
 
I wrote down to only have oats & water on Lenten Fridays, but not limiting how much I eat.

I find that if you only eat something that isn’t exciting, you naturally don’t eat a lot anyway.

Pork chops and baked beans with an ice old cold lager, on the other hand, I could consume in massive quantities. Put it in the back of the frig: out of sight, out of mind. Then you’ll discover it Saturday or Sunday and be like:

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rcwitness said:
I find it countwr productive for us to share with each other what we are fasting. Yes, even an abuse of the practice. That is my comviction.

I have said my peace, and have not judged anyone.
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So why are you on this thread? To scold people that don’t share you “conviction?” Really, what is it you hope to accomplish except to give people the impression that you are “right” and we are “wrong,” which is actually judging many people.

No one is twisting your arm or begging you to share. Why do you insist on repeating and repeating your dislike and displeasure of anyone that shares what they are doing?

Just stop reading it it if it bothers you so much.
 
Alright guys, let’s just all agree that sharing resolutions out of pride is bad, but sharing for the sake of sharing ideas is okay. Let’s not totally derail this.
 
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