What to give up for Lent?

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lovedance4ever

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I always have this problem every year! I know people who give up chocolate, or any sort of sweet candy…and that’s all fine and dandy, but for me…I don’t eat sweets lol. I am having really bad intenstinal issues now, so there is already a lot of food that I don’t eat anyway, lol. I was thinking of giving up wheat products and going gluten free. Anyone else do this?

Also, I want to take on some things. I mean to say a daily Rosary, but I do not always succeed in doing so, and so I think I will take this time to work especially hard on doing that. But…what are some other things I could take on/give up this Lent? Any suggestions?

Thank you! God bless!
 
I have in the past tried to deepen my spiritual life: to attend a daily mass, or spend time in adoration weekly or even just to carve out some quiet daily prayer time where I was reflective/quiet (not rattling list of prayers off) so could listen for God’s voice. I have also started a gratitude journal, prayed a simple Hail Mary for each of my family members daily.
 
I’m giving up bread and bacon. I am also adding morning prayer. My Fat Tuesday is going to definitely have a bacon cheeseburger involved! lol.
 
We were always advised to pick something that would be good for us and something that would be useful to others.

So you could give up a bad habit (think outside of the food category) and try to grow spiritually, and you could give up something that helps someone else.
For example, if you give up some TV time, you shouldn’t spend that time doing something frivolous, but pray or read the Bible or use the time to help others. Or if you give up chocolate or a magazine or something else you buy, the point is not to lose weight, but to take the money you save and give it to charity.
Well, a little simplified, but you get the point. 🙂

In our parish we also have “Lent angels” - basically like Secret Santa, but with prayers instead of gifts. 🙂
I will also go to prayer intentions and pray for some people there. I always try to do that, but lately I’ve been preoccupied with some things of my own, and I will make a special effort to pray for others more.

I’m still thinking about it, but I will pick something from each category and try to build some better habits for the long run.
 
I, too, am limited on what I can eat (pretty much only “clean” things … nothing with preservatives or additives, etc.). The major vice I have right now though is this all natural ice cream (which is fairly expensive, and I can pretty much go through a pint in a day)! 😦

I am giving up that ice cream.

I am also going to set 10 minutes aside each day to read scripture (I’ve been wanting to do this, but always made an excuse as to why I didn’t). I also want to incorporate more quiet daily prayer each day (currently, I pray the Divine Mercy and Scriptural Rosary every morning for 40 min. when I am on my elliptical) … but I want to have more quiet time with Our Lord.

As for my alms-giving…I’m still working on this! I have to talk to my husband about contributing more financially to charities we give to now or other ones to give to … but I also feel like that’s “too easy.” I want to give more in regards to my time … so I’m still thinking of this one (I know … nothing like waiting to the last minute!).
 
MickeyM927 said:
I, too, am limited on what I can eat (pretty much only “clean” things … nothing with preservatives or additives, etc.). The major vice I have right now though is this all natural ice cream (which is fairly expensive, and I can pretty much go through a pint in a day)! 😦

I am giving up that ice cream.

I am also going to set 10 minutes aside each day to read scripture (I’ve been wanting to do this, but always made an excuse as to why I didn’t). I also want to incorporate more quiet daily prayer each day (currently, I pray the Divine Mercy and Scriptural Rosary every morning for 40 min. when I am on my elliptical) … but I want to have more quiet time with Our Lord.

As for my alms-giving…I’m still working on this! I have to talk to my husband about contributing more financially to charities we give to now or other ones to give to … but I also feel like that’s “too easy.” I want to give more in regards to my time … so I’m still thinking of this one (I know … nothing like waiting to the last minute!).
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I am giving up buying new books, as I am a bookworm.

I am also giving up meat.

I also resolve to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily.
 
How often do you come to CAF?
Does it actually build up your holy life or is it just a time waster?

I’m giving up CAF. I’ve tried and failed the past two lents and this time I’m resolved to really do it.

Soda is also something I’m giving up for lent. Kind of funny though, hubby and I went food shopping yesterday (after we had made our decisions on Lent) and I bought our usual 20 pack of Coke out of habit. I suppose it will have to sit in the depths of our basement and be brought up for Easter. :o

I’ve also made the decision to read at least the daily readings every night…on my own…and pray at least a decade of the rosary. Kiddos have made it quite difficult to do much of anything lately.
 
I’m not giving up any foods for a variety of reasons.

Instead, I am toying with going to 6:30am daily Mass instead of 8:30am! I do like to hit the snooze alarm, so it would be a sacrifice!!
 
My problem with giving up things for Lent is that after I give up something for 40 days, it’s a habit not to have it anymore (and I don’t have that item next year for giving up and have to come up with something else). 😛 Last year I gave up sugar for Lent, but it became very difficult because I forgot about my birthday and didn’t realize so many foods had sugars in them… even things like bread, my favorite salad (the dressing), or even dried fruit that I thought was just fruit… and I forgot I do things like cut the acidity of my home-made pasta sauces by adding a teaspoon of sugar and plain pasta is my Friday in Lent staple since my daughter won’t eat seafood. It was eye-opening when it came to learning about foods with sugars in them… but a pain to follow because I wasn’t sure how scrupulous to be.

This year my plan is to fast on Friday… like we fast today for Ash Wednesday. Just the one light meal, no snacks, no meat. I might also have to give up my daily workout though as I am kind of weak by evening. I am also giving to charity and praying more… I try to do all three for Lent.
 
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