What are you giving up for Lent?

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Actually, I’m still quite confused about it.

Since I was young, I’ve always thought that during lent, we shall do abstinence throughout, to Easter Sunday.
But recently, I’ve been told that you need to do it on Friday only. So which one is correct?

It’s amazing to look back, I start fasting and abstinence when I was… 7years old! LoL.

Now it seems more difficult to do. I’m planning to give up chilli, because I always eat with chilli. So it’s really challenging. 😃
 
As usual, I’ll be making an extra effort to help others. “Giving up” something helps only me. Helping someone else is beneficial to both of us. Read Is. 58 for what God, speaking through His prophet, has to say about this. It’s a short read, only two pages, and has been an inspiration to me for years. I think it was no accident that when I was feeling spiritually low one day, I picked up my bible and it fell open to this chapter. I have used it as my guide for living ever since.
 
the Internet
coffee (and maybe dark pop, too? cut down on caffeine?)
chocolate

love,
Saoirse
 
I gave up "giving up " I’d rather add something like extra prayer time or scripture reading.
 
geezerbob said:
As usual, I’ll be making an extra effort to help others. “Giving up” something helps only me. Helping someone else is beneficial to both of us. Read Is. 58 for what God, speaking through His prophet, has to say about this. It’s a short read, only two pages, and has been an inspiration to me for years. I think it was no accident that when I was feeling spiritually low one day, I picked up my bible and it fell open to this chapter. I have used it as my guide for living ever since.
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I read it I like it! verses 9,10 and 11.
I have some things to remove in my life and others to add.
I will give to ECHO (Everyone Co-operating to Help Others) group church based all cc’s and others.
I have never given before and it is about time I started. thanks! God Bless You this Easter and always. Dessert
 
Paying income tax—that would lead to giving up my midnight snacks because I’d be in jail.😛
 
I’ll most likely give up CAF forums. I’ve been spending way too much time here lately. I would like to work downtown at my Parish Soup Kitchen/Clothes Closet on Saturday and increase my prayer life,including the Stations of The Cross every Friday.:gopray2:
 
I’ve been taught that “giving up” things like tv and chocolate aren’t what we’re supposed to do for Lent. Its not meaningful. We’re supposed to do something during that time that will help us grow as a Christian and that will make us a better person in God’s eyes. To me, the whole giving up things for lent is merely a fad and has nothing to do with the faith,(except the meat eating thing cause I know many who don’t eat meat at all on Fridays or during lent)

So, I’m going to pray my rosary everyday and make sure I spend at least an hour a day in communion with God. That way I can continue to grow in my knowledge and love of God. Hopefully, if I do it all through lent I will keep it up after.
 
homewardbound said:
I’ve been taught that “giving up” things like tv and chocolate aren’t what we’re supposed to do for Lent. Its not meaningful. We’re supposed to do something during that time that will help us grow as a Christian and that will make us a better person in God’s eyes. To me, the whole giving up things for lent is merely a fad and has nothing to do with the faith,(except the meat eating thing cause I know many who don’t eat meat at all on Fridays or during lent)
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Well, for chocolate, you can save the money and give it to the poor. And TV, yes, you are supposed to do something. So I think it’s not, I watch TV, every 7pm-9pm, and because I give up TV, I’ll go shopping or sleep everyday 7pm-9pm :tsktsk:

I don’t know in other places, but in Indonesia, the church gives out envelope during lent which should be returned ard Easter (With money in it! Some people loves to return empty envelope:rolleyes: ).
So, I’m going to pray my rosary everyday and make sure I spend at least an hour a day in communion with God. That way I can continue to grow in my knowledge and love of God. Hopefully, if I do it all through lent I will keep it up after.
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Yupe, that’s good. Actually, I sent an email to my friends yesterday about it. It’s not only about reducing, but also increasing.
  1. Daily Mass
  2. Devotion (Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Station of the Cross, Novena, visitation to the Blessed Sacrament, etc)
  3. Read religious books to be more knowledgeable about Catholic Faith.
  4. etc.
 
The practice of “giving something up” for Lent has its roots in a time when the gravity of sin was rather more recognized. Consequently, the requisite penances were more grave too. During Lent, public penitents (those guilty of notorious and scandalous sins) were required to do public acts of penance: no bathing, shaving, wearing shoes, sleeping on comfortable mattresses, etc. Beginning these public penances on Ash Wednesday, they would prepare themselves for absolution and a return to the sacraments on Holy Thursday. Over time, the 40 days of Lent were established as a time when all Christians would prepare for Good Friday and Easter Sunday by doing penance for sins in the past, and disciplining the appetites so as to avoid sins in the future.
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Lenten devotions and sacrifices remind us that so much of what clutters up contemporary life is just that: clutter. We can do with so much less than we think we need, and in the space left by the clutter we rediscover again the joy of reading a book, cooking a meal for others, serious conversations not fueled by alcohol, going for a walk or drive without trying to rearrange the day’s schedule by mobile phone. Cutting down on the television alone would leave most families ample time to rediscover each other, and probably most of their neighbours too.
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Lent is not supposed to be spiritual athletics, a time to discipline ourselves for the sake of becoming more efficient or healthy. The spiritual purpose is to reduce the clang and clamor of daily life so that the still, small voice of God can be heard in the gentle breeze, as the prophet Elijah discovered. It is for that reason that many Christians actually find Lent more spiritually fruitful than Easter, paradoxical as that is. We don’t say it, but perhaps we should: Happy Lent!
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freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1598993/posts
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As a pre-Vat 2 cradle Catholic, self denial was considered mandatory during Lent. By giving up something I love, I suffer and unite that pain with the sacrifice of Christ.
 
geezerbob said:
As usual, I’ll be making an extra effort to help others. “Giving up” something helps only me. Helping someone else is beneficial to both of us. Read Is. 58 for what God, speaking through His prophet, has to say about this. It’s a short read, only two pages, and has been an inspiration to me for years. I think it was no accident that when I was feeling spiritually low one day, I picked up my bible and it fell open to this chapter. I have used it as my guide for living ever since.
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Thank you for calling our attention to this chapter! It is indeed a wonderful rule for life.
 
geezerbob said:
As usual, I’ll be making an extra effort to help others. “Giving up” something helps only me. Helping someone else is beneficial to both of us. Read Is. 58 for what God, speaking through His prophet, has to say about this. It’s a short read, only two pages, and has been an inspiration to me for years. I think it was no accident that when I was feeling spiritually low one day, I picked up my bible and it fell open to this chapter. I have used it as my guide for living ever since.
Click to expand...
Would you mind sharing what ideas you have so far for
helping others?
 
When does Lent start?? I want to give up something! Can I participate if I’m not Catholic?
 
Feb.21 is Ash Wednesday . I know a lady at work who is not Catholic and she gave up smoking years ago for lent and she said after Easter she never smoked again. dessert
 
I’d give up pet alligator wrestling, but I did that last year :whacky:

Lent isn’t just for giving up something, that’s pretty negative.

Actually, I want to spend more time listening to what the kids are really saying and encourage the positives enough that there might be fewer negatives. Gotta work on overcoming irritations, too. And want to spend more time praying the daily liturgy, and maybe read some St. Thomas Aquinas.
 
BumpSetSpike said:
When does Lent start?? I want to give up something! Can I participate if I’m not Catholic?
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It starts on Ash Wednesday, Feb 21.

I don’t know why you couldn’t “participate” in lenten devotions, even if you’re not Catholic. You would not be able receive communion, but prayer, fasting, giving alms, service to the needy, etc. are all good things to do to prepare for Easter.
 
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