what to give up for Lent?

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nomie

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Hi everyone,
I am currently a catechumen and will be receiving the sacraments of initiation this Easter. I would like to give up something for Lent but I am having trouble coming up with something( I can only think of chocolate or maybe coffee). I know this might be a bit early but what are you giving up or have done without in past years? Thanks in advance.

ps I hope this is in the right forum:)
 
most do some sort of food or beverage

Since you are experiencing Christ in a whole new way this coming Easter I would suggest some form of secular media; i.e. tv, radio, movies, magazines, etc… Then fill that time with something spiritual.
 
Also, a lot of people do an ‘add-on’ instead of or in addition to a ‘give up’.

For example, “add-on” getting up 30 minutes early to read Scripture, say a rosary for the unborn, etc.

Add -on some acts of charity: Volunteer once a month at the soup kitchen. Or if you need to buy say a new sweater, find one at Goodwill, or ‘swap’ with a neighbor, and donate what you would have spent to charity.

And God bless you!
 
Hi, Nomie! Great question.

I am also a catechumen and will enter the Church at the Easter Vigil, Aprill 11, 2009.

Last year for Lent, I gave up surfing the internet at work. This idea came from reading threads on this forum where people discussed their lenten sacrifices. Not being able to surf at work was extremely difficult, but I was mostly successful. I will probably do that again this year.

I also like the idea of “adding on.” For some time now, I have intended to take some time each day for some inspirational reading. Lent might be the time for me to begin that practice in earnest.

The ideas that I have gotten from this forum are amazing.
 
Hi “nomie” 👋 So glad to hear that you will be receiving the Sacraments this Easter! Praise God!

I usually give up chocolate or sweets for Lent. And I will do so, again this year.

However, I heard someone talking last Lent… on EWTN… and they said that a much more mature approach to Lent… is to try to get one or more of your major faults, under control.

With that in mind… I’m going to try really hard to get at least one of my major faults (I have many 😊 ) under control. Please keep me in your prayers… as you, will be in mine.

I’m very happy for you! God bless.
 
As per the “get major faults under control” - I tend to be vain, so for Lent last year, I restricted what clothes I could wear down to the utter basics - a few shirts, a few pairs of jeans, and a dress for Church. At the same time, DH and I cleaned out the closets and donated stuff to St. Vincent de Paul. It ended up being a great thing for me! I also said a Divine Mercy chaplet every day.

I might do the first again this year - I’m still saying a chaplet or Rosary almost every day. I might also work on the idea of silence. I need to learn to shut up more.
 
I just wanted to give a big Thank You! You have all given me wonderful ideas and new ways to think about the season of Lent. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. This is just super!👋 I know I’ll be able to do this when I think of all of you. Thanks!
 
Giving up TV is a great idea. Giving up computer use can be too, or a combo of the above.

One can also take the fasting/abstinence to a higher level than the minimum, and add a daily devotion or prayer or some kind, or more frequent mass going.

Or add some other kind of physical mortification.
 
I always try to give up something that I can keep giving up.

Lent isn’t just about giving up this or that but also about giving up something in life to bring us /me closer to god , Maybe by praying more , spending more time with God, to me it’s a on going agenda not just giving something up for 6 weeks. This year will try more walking, and thinking of ways to bring my self closer to christ. More time in prayer to be a peaceful person is my goal to keep my peace through out the year. Helping the poor and bringing the fallen away catholics back to church.

If you give something u like up , like food or etc. and are loosing weight and want to keep loosing remember theres 50 days after Easter to . My opinon and what i do.

Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world have mercy on us. Halos

Soon you that are going to receive your sacraments at Easter will learn this in RCIA. I did 11 years ago good luck prayers be with you on your journey.
 
It seems to me that people who like to insist that “giving up something” is childish and it is much more appropriate to “add something” during Lent forget one basic fact.

That is, under normal circumstances, you can’t add something without giving up something. For example, to add on an extra amount of time for prayer, one must “give up” whatever he/she would be doing during that time, even if it is sleeping!

Second thought - giving up something that is not evil in itself nor leads us to evil, is a bit like weight lifting. It makes us strong. If one is able to say “no” to something simple which is not harmful to body or soul, one builds up the strength to say “no” when something is presented that is harmful but appealing. We gain strength, both bodily and spiritually, when we begin with “light weights” or small sacrifices.

I am sometimes amused at children who say they are giving up fighting with their siblings for Lent. Of course, I understand that they are trying to break bad habits, but in my mind I chuckle with the mental picture I form of homes where kids are saying, “Hey, Lent is over…now we can fight again!”
 
kujayhawk said:
I am sometimes amused at children who say they are giving up fighting with their siblings for Lent. Of course, I understand that they are trying to break bad habits, but in my mind I chuckle with the mental picture I form of homes where kids are saying, “Hey, Lent is over…now we can fight again!”
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How did you know what my brother and I said to each other every Easter morning growing up? 😉 🙂

I’ve also heard of people giving up sleeping with a pillow or with only a sheet for a covering. I know someone who put a wooden board under the fitted sheet and slept on that. Recently heard another story of a guy who slept at night in his backyard in a tent and sleeping bag.

I’ve covered mirrors before (gave up looking myself in the mirror more than once a day, and then only in a little compact mirror), speaking ill of others (basically… if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all) and unnesicessary speech (that didn’t have anything to do directly with what I was learning in school, or what I was doing at work), coffee (this was the year I worked for Starbucks), etc… This year will probably be my hardest Lent yet, because I chose Ash Wednesday to be my quit date for smoking. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated!

God Bless!
Ericka
 
One perspective on Lent is this…

Lent is perhaps most valuable if one takes up something rather than gives up something.
I think we do best to take up reading the bible, or give more or deeper time for prayer, going to weekday Mass if we are able and aren’t already doing these things.

I think that the spirit of Lent is centred around loving God above all,
and loving others as ourselves…
for instance, by giving little acts of caring and consideration to others more often than previously.
It could be in accepting the difficulies in our lives with more faith, commonsense, and charity…and so on.

If we give up anything, it could be uncharitable responses or judgements, or any unforgiveness towards others,
or unwillingness assist as the other person needs.

The greatest penance is in giving up selfishness and unlovingness, and growing in love of God and of others as ourselves.

That’s my thought, anyway…
 
We should give up things for our bodily mortification in Lent.

Lent is the best time of year. Every day should be Lent, and Lent should be triple Lent. . . then the world would be holier.
 
I give up meat, and all sweets (not just chocolate). This year, I am going to try to say the morning and evening prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours every day. I also go to Benediction every Sunday during Lent.
 
I do several things. Usually I give up something (last year was coffee - no one wanted to be around me that first week), but I also do several things. One year while I gave up listening to the radio during my 1/2 hour drive to work I started saying the rosary during the drive. Years later, I have kept that practice.

I also add something to my prayer life…for example 15 minutes a day before the Blessed Sacrament (it is up to 1/2 hour a day and I usually do it 5 out of 7 days…but it helps to work in a church), or one year I added the Divine Mercy chaplet.

Last year I decided to work every week in a soup kitchen. I still do now at the least twice a month. I also choose a spiritual book to read and I work on one of my more sinful habits (that’s the hardest part)

I am not sure what is in store for me this Lent but I have some ideas that I want to discuss with my director. I am not going to give up any kind of food since I am already on WW and I have so few points already (19) and am just about at goal. Deviating from the plan messes one up. Maybe I will do the coffee thing again and just drink green tea (healthier too). Reading will be difficult since I am studying for comps and adding anything else to my reading list will be hard. I do plan on adding another hour to my daily prayers of the LOTH, maybe compline or a daytime hour. It’s still all mulling around in my mind, but I still have 5 weeks to decide. The thing is to pray about it and not be too arbitrary about it. Sure, give up sweets, but what are you replacing it with, what are you adding to what you are giving up. When you give up something there is a space that needs to be filled.
 
We usually do both–give up and take up. A usual to give up is media–TV, computer time, radio, etc. Or we give up meat for all of Lent, not just Fridays and fast days. The idea is to give up something you enjoy and do often–and every time you want to do it, you think about what Christ gave up for you during His passion, and you say a prayer of thanksgiving.
We try to take up more prayer time, usually adding a specific devotion. For a new Catholic, a great thing to do would be to try to pray a rosary every day, or a Divine Mercy chaplet, or reading spiritual books or the Bible for 30 minutes a day.
 
Hi all, I know it’s not Lent yet, but I just wanted to share with you the fact that I get up early for daily mass to say the rosary in church and then attend mass 5 days a week and I work 40 hours a week. If I can do it, then YOU can do it. I think saying the holy rosary at least once a day is a great thing to do for Lent. I used to watch a lot of t.v. and search the internet, but I don’t do that as much. Anyways, have a blessed day!
~Stephen
 
You might think this is sort of silly but on Fri I fix a meal that I do not like …I don’t eat meat ,but instead of having something like a nice fish…I will have something with cheese because I hate it

I don’t see anything sacrificial about having a meatless meal that you enjoy on Fri
 
This is a wonderful thread. Thanks for starting it! I will be praying for you during Lent and especially this Easter.

As a family, we have always done a combination of giving up and taking on. We always give up candy and sweets, and we do that during Advent too. It makes those Easter baskets even more sweet! LOL We also usually give up TV watching except for a family movie once a week (usually a saint story or something similar). Last year we said a family rosary every day–which continued for a long while after Easter, but has since dropped off. This year we would like to do a sopecial volunteer project during Lent.

Personally, I try to also give up something that will remind me of Christ throughout the day. For example, once I gave up all beverages other than water (except for a morning coffee). So everytime I wanted something to drink and reached for tea, soda, etc. I stopped myself and said a little prayer.
 
I just wanted to say thanks for all these new posts too. Everyone has such great ideas & I enjoy everyone sharing what Lent & Easter means to them. Thanks again!
 
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