What do you do for lent?

[thann]

Last year we gave up all TV except for morning news (for traffic and weather) and Monk. This year I think we’ll even give up watching Monk!

I also prayed the Rosary daily, but I was pretty much doing that anyway. I gave up alcohol and all sweets and processed carbs. I lost 30 pounds last lent, which was a nice surprise at Easter.

Besides TV, my son gives up all sweets and all computer/video games.

We also did some Bible study. This year is different, though. Last year my husband was serving in Guantanamo Bay, so I had to drive my son to and from school, so we did Bible study every morning on the way to school. My husband now does the school driving, so we’ll have to figure out a new way to do the Bible study.

'thann

 

[Michael_C]

Two years ago I started a tradition of giving up TV/movies. I read many books abd find my mind actually gets sharper. I’m now at the point where I’m looking forward to it.

 

[FrankR]

Like some of the others I have read here, I also look forward to Lent. As I was brought into the church only three years ago this coming Easter, I find the penitential nature of it to be such a wonderful change.

Here is what I did last year.

Fasting and Abstinence including all meat every day of Lent. My portions were greatly reduced and on some days I would eat only simple things like boiled turnips and a tin of sardines. No snacking, etc. This was incredibly challenging for me, because I am told that I am an excellent cook by my family, my priest, etc. In otherwords, I deprived myself of the one thing that gave me the most pleasure - food!

I’m not overweight by any stretch, and it was somewhat fullfilling to lose almost 20 pounds.

I also love beer, and I gave up beer for Lent as well. I enjoy wine as well, but I did not give that up, but rather tried to moderate my intake.

I pray the Rosary daily anyway, but I made an effort to pray additional decades throughout the day for others who needed prayer, those in purgatory, etc.

I made an effort to get to Mass as often as it was possible during the weekday. I also took our parish priest to the Chrism Mass on Holy Tuesday. I also volunteered my time to cook fish at our Lenten Fish Fry, and instead of eating more fish than I cooked, I ate none. Instead I would attend Stations of the Cross right after I was done cooking. I love going to Benediction, and have never missed a single opportunity since converting.

On Easter morning, I was to be the Lector at our 8:00 o’clock Easter High Mass. I felt so happy to have made it, and to never once cheated on the penance. I felt as if God had rewarded me, and I can tell you that there is a reward in it for you if you do this. I think that this is pretty true of life as well, that the more you are willing to sacrifice for God, the greater the reward in the end.

As I side note, after 46 days of not eating any meat, I made a ham for Easter. The thing did not taste right to me, and it took about a week to redesire meat altogether.

 

[Jay74]

Last year I gave up alcoholic beverages. I told my wife that this year, I would give up non-alcoholic beverages, but she vetoed that plan.

Seriously, I think I will give up caffiene for lent this year. It will serve a dual purpose. First, it is something that I enjoy very much. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt me to take in less of it. But, most importantly, it is something I will miss.

Blessings.