What are you giving up or doing for Lent?

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So far I’m giving up the tv, soda, and the one I really need work on being gossiping. I’m thinking about limiting my internet use too or even stopping it all together excpet Sundays to check emails. I don’t ‘really’ need to use it and it seems to be an addiction with how much time I spend on it.
 
**This year, I too am going to start doing more instead of just giving up.

Giving up non-basic shopping, eating out and complaining about my boss (if you knew my boss, you’d know how very difficult this is), and no movies.

Adding going to adoration on way home from work, masses when not going to going to adoration, and cooking more at home.**
 
On Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays I’ll be fasting with protein water. As far as activities I’m giving up:

–television
–all profane language (this will be tough for me!)
–gossip
–expressions of anger or impatience (another tough one–I’m a SAHM to a 2 1/2 year old & a 9 month old)
–trivial Internet & reading

I’m planning on daily Mass & weekly confession

My plan is to look at this Lent as getting rid of everything in my life that I use to distract me from God.

I plan on keeping it up until Easter Sunday

P.S. why don’t we report back on how well we did (or didn’t!)
 
I’m going to aim to be a better person during lent by the following: placing myself in front of the Blessed Sacrament twice weekly…aim to pray a rosary at least 3x per week (as opposed to once in a while now-this may help me get into an eventual daily saying)…give up cursing and profanity, and finally, pray for humility and gratitude daily. twk
 
I used to give up chocolate, but with my weight gain goal that I have I can’t really do anything food related.

So this year I decided to go to daily Mass. For me, that means 7:45am Mass three days a week, and noon the other two days. 7:45 for me is VERY early (I’m a night person), and if I get under 7 hours of sleep I’m not a very pleasant person to be around, so it’ll definitely be a sacrifice of sleep and a lesson in learning how to be charitable despite the fact that I haven’t had the amount of rest that I would’ve liked.

I’m also planning to take a different person each week during Lent and offer up each daily Mass for their intentions. They’re people I know who have really gone through a lot this past year and need my prayers. So this is also a way of focusing my attention on the needs of others before the needs of myself.

I hope I’ll be able to keep it up until Easter Sunday! I’ve never actually done this before, so I’m very nervous that I won’t be able to continue it after the first couple of early mornings.
 
I’m still not sure. Everything I can think of is either unrealistly hard, or silly. And I can’t do thinks like meat because I’m pregnant. Sugar would be obscenely difficult and I’d never make it. 😊 I’ve been terribly slacking in my prayer life, so that’s what I should probably focus on, but I need to find the time. The only way to do it would be to eake earlier, and that’s harder than it sounds when pregnant and taking care of a house and toddler.

Ok, I sound whiny now, so I’m going to stop:o
 
There will be no chocolate in our house (or our tummys) throughout Lent. We had a final chocolate brownie on Tuesday, as a treat.:o
 
Give up the snacky foods I like - cookies, chips, Dots, desserts etc.

Also, I am going to work on thinking well of others, not assuming I know their thoughts or motives.
 
I’m planning on following the traditional Maronite fast, but it’s really hard to do with still being a High School student and going without breakfast.

But no:
TV, junk food, meat and dairy during the week (weekends don’t count)

And more:
Prayer, Confession, Scripture reading and spiritual reading

I accidentally had meat and dairy today because I had misunderstood the Maronite fast.😊 Any type of fasting isn’t easy and my hat’s off to those that can do it. I myself could not hold myself up today. I had to buy lunch or I was about to pass out.:o

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
 
I plan on going to daily Mass.
I am going to give up the internet except for Sundays. So today I am blogging non-stop to get it out of my system!
 
I’ve given up alcohol every Lent for years. This year I decided to give up junk food instead. It made sense to give up alcohol when I was in my early 20s, I drank a lot. Today I might have a couple of drinks a week, if that so it’s no longer a penance to give it up. We’ll see how well I do without my cookies, chocolate & junk for 40 days – and yes I try to keep that until after the Vigil.

Then the Easter Bunny had better have left Cadbury cream eggs!!😃
 
aurora77 said:
I haven’t decided yet. I’m thinking about giving up caffiene entirely, but have concerns about headaches, etc.

Growing up we always continued our fast even on Sundays. It wasn’t until I got to college that I learned that we didn’t have to do that, so I usually keep up the fast on Sunday as well.
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I have decided to give up coffee but I know that I will get migranes if I go cold turkey off the caffine, so for the first few days I am going to have tea in the morning. I usually have 5 cups of coffee before noon, so I know I will need a bit of caffine. When I told my director I was giving up coffee he said he was glad that he won’t be around me for the next week.

There are other things I am doing as well in the areas of prayer, fasting and charity.
 
Some ideas of what I have done in past years, for anyone looking for ideas -
  1. Show gratitude daily. I brainstormed a list of people in my world to thank, either with a personal note, email, or in person. For example, the people who work in my nieghborhood coffee shop, I thanked them one day for the personal service I always enjoy, including that they remember my “usual” and how I like it. I also wrote a note to the principal of my kids’ school to rave to him about the wonderful job my son’s teacher was doing, and that I thought he should know what a great teacher he hired.
  2. Last year, one of the things I gave up was “unchaste spending”. In other words, when I wanted something just because I wanted it (new sweater, dress, pair of shoes, etc.) I could not buy it. it was very interesting to me to realize how often I spend money just to give myself a boost out of a bad mood. This resulted in an overall good habit of not spending money “unchastely”.
  3. give up alcohol - I really enjoy my glass of wine, and for me to give it up is a sacrifice. When it comes time for social occasions, like formal dinners or dining out, it is a real sacrifice to me not to enjoy wine along with the other diners. It is a sacrifice I really feel!
This year, I am having alot of back trouble, and I know that I need to regain my fitness. I am committing to a minuimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day. I will probably give up wine again…someday, I will try giving up coffee, not this year!!
 
No more internet (except email) except on Sundays, and no chocolate until Easter.
 
I guess I am confused about Lent in some ways. You give up things as well as do things too? Like some people are talking about “praying the rosary”. I like doing this. I am am confused as to what I am supposed to do.

Someone school me because I have had to miss my last couple weeks of RCIA because of work( I am working now 2:30a.m).
 
teadough said:
I guess I am confused about Lent in some ways. You give up things as well as do things too? Like some people are talking about “praying the rosary”. I like doing this. I am am confused as to what I am supposed to do.

Someone school me because I have had to miss my last couple weeks of RCIA because of work( I am working now 2:30a.m).
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During this season we are encouraged to grow closer to our Lord through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Some examples of working on prayer:
  • disciplining ourselves to give a certain amount of time each day for fervent prayer – and be determined to pray throughout the day
  • pray particular devotions, such as the rosary, or Adoration before the Eucharist
  • attend weekday Mass(es)
  • decide to praise and thank God a certain number of times daily
  • decide to intercede in prayer for others daily
    (etc.)
Some examples of almsgiving:
  • share materially with those in need (money, food, etc.)
  • decide to be kind to coworkers, family members, etc.
  • spend a few extra hours a week with someone lonely; spend more time phoning loved ones
  • be other-centered through some sacrificial means every day
Some examples of fasting (besides Ash Wednesday and Good Friday):
  • give up a certain food
  • give up uncharitable behavior
  • give up or lesson a bad habit (television) and develop a positive one (1/2 hour daily exercise)
 
quiet52 said:
During this season we are encouraged to grow closer to our Lord through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Some examples of working on prayer:
  • disciplining ourselves to give a certain amount of time each day for fervent prayer – and be determined to pray throughout the day
  • pray particular devotions, such as the rosary, or Adoration before the Eucharist
  • attend weekday Mass(es)
  • decide to praise and thank God a certain number of times daily
  • decide to intercede in prayer for others daily
    (etc.)
Some examples of almsgiving:
  • share materially with those in need (money, food, etc.)
  • decide to be kind to coworkers, family members, etc.
  • spend a few extra hours a week with someone lonely; spend more time phoning loved ones
  • be other-centered through some sacrificial means every day
Some examples of fasting (besides Ash Wednesday and Good Friday):
  • give up a certain food
  • give up uncharitable behavior
  • give up or lesson a bad habit (television) and develop a positive one (1/2 hour daily exercise)
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Thank you for the detailed list. I have a much better understanding of what is going on and what I am going to try an accomplish.

Here is my list.
1.No soda’s
2.I am not going to complain at any level but primarily my job,the people at my work,or any sort of bodily ailment I may have.I have had issues in these areas lately and need to move on.
3.Learn Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed by heart.
4.As someone mentioned earlier I amd going to pray for humility and gratitude.
 
MooCowSteph said:
I’m still not sure. Everything I can think of is either unrealistly hard, or silly. And I can’t do thinks like meat because I’m pregnant.
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Steph, you’re pregnant. I think you’re suffering enough. You don’t need to make time to focus on your prayer life; rather, you should try to make a prayer out of what you’re doing.

<><
 
KinseyMcGuire said:
Well, as a prodgical Catholic, this is the first Lent since my teens that I’ve given up something. So I didn’t want to just give something up like TV or pop that I would pick up again with no guilt on the Monday after Easter. I wanted to give up something that would make me a better Christian. I was wondering what this would be when a few nights ago my mother pointed out a Bible passage about foul language. Isn’t it wonderful how God just bonks you over the head with the answer sometimes.? 👍

I am giving up swearing. All profanities, and only the use of “Hell” and “damn” in their religious meanings. I’m also cutting out the “OMGs” and any use of God’s name that isn’t purposefully praise or petition or respectful conversation about Him. And the thing is…I’m not picking these things back up again. 🙂

I’m doing it because of a great quote by St. Francis I read here last week: “Preach the Gospel constantly; when necessary use words.” So I’ve been thinking, how can I SHOW my faith? And how can I be a positive influence to others by my faith?

I’m 25 years old, and a 25 year old that doesn’t swear is a rare thing and sure to stick out after awhile. But I want it to stick out because I’m following God’s rules, not society’s distortions of what I should be. It says right in the Bible that God wants me to keep a clean mouth beyound what I’ve done since my teenage years of “anything not blasphmey goes”. I can do better then that, with God strenghtening me. 🙂

Also, swearing is a thorn in my side for different reasons. I have Tourette’s Syndrome. When I say that, most of you will think of people who scream profanities, but in fact only about 30% of us suffer from coprohailia. I’ve had so many people ask me if I scream swear words over the years and I have to tell them I swear by choice. But do they believe that? I hate that sterotype SO much and I’ve come to conclusion it’s very hypocritical for me to turn around and feed the sterotype by making sailors blush with my language on purpose!

Anyone else giving up something they hope to drop for good, and not just for Lent? 🙂
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Hi Dude,

I am thinking in the same lines as you. I’m almost 25 myself and it’s rare that people our age don’t swear. Part of my promise to God during my last confession a month or so ago was that I would cut out all the f-bombs as I have some friends with some very colourful language and sometimes it’s easy to get caught up – but it became a bit of a habit that I began to greatly abhor. So, in addition to giving up the f-bombs (which has been hard especially lately when I have had some study-stress) I am going to try to cut out the smaller, less offensive swears – and also, I plan to keep them out.

I know I’ll probably slip but each day I will pray for God to fill me with the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ and grant me the graces to abstain from profanities. =) I will keep you in my prayers also cos I know how hard it is!

I am also going to abstain from red meat on fridays and try to attend confession every friday morning during Lent and turn up to the stations of the cross each week to reflect and truly appreciate what Christ gave up for US.

Also, during Lent I am going to get to work on a few smaller Catholic web projects that I have procrastinated for far too long! =) I need to start living my life not for the Glory of God! Lent will pave the path in to a new beginning for me… as it has every year! It has always been a time for God to revolutionise my Heart!
 
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