Lent

Hey everyone! I decided to give-up Pretzels, Peanut Butter, and Gum for Lent! I eat these things on a regular basis, so this will be hard. Secretly I'm happy to give them up, because I over eat all of them! Here's to Lent, a struggle, with benefits!

I am going to try and give up alcohol and fried foods......

Wish me luck!

My whole family and I are giving up alcohol. This could be very difficult because there is rarely a time when we get together without it! I'm looking forward to losing some extra pounds and getting healthy!  Heck, maybe I'll even start trying to get pregnant with the hubby!

I do have one question.... are Catholics supposed to give up red meat for the whole 40 days? I have heard of some people doing it that way. The way I was raised was that we ate whatever, except only fish on Fridays. Since I dont' really care for fish, I petitioned for fish AND poultry---but my Mom vetoed it every time!

no, not the whole 40 days,  just on fridays.

actually you dont have  to eat fish, you could just make Fridays a fruit and veggie only day.

Man! I remember those Friday Night Fish Fries at the Slovenian Home, when I was a kid living with my grandparents....

Not too many social clubs predicated on ethnic background anymore...except by old guys, I reckon...

From my very studied Catholic best friend:

**Quote**

the whole 40 days is old school, then it moved to Wednesdays and Fridays, before settling with only Fridays - the Wed/Fri and Fri only is the same pattern as the tradition of abstaining from red meat throughout the year.  This commemorates the crucifixion on Friday, and any guesses for Wednesdays?

ding, ding, ding...

yes, that's right, if Christ was crucified on Friday morning, it was believed that Judas must have agreed to sell him out on Wednesday, and, since Judas is the ultimate sinner and represents all of us - tada - fasting and abstaining on wednesdays as well

at least that's what I remember...

and why is today called Fat Tuesday?
because it preceeds the doldrum start of Lent, Ash Wednesday when we are told that we came from dust and are returning to dust, and that as sinners we must all fast and pray and prepare ourselves for God's coming

so - LIVE IT UP!!! - 

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY - for tomorrow we die!

 

**End Quote**

I'm catholic.

Friday's of lent are no meat.  I agree that veggies, fruits, fish etc ok.  Catholics used to practice this every Friday of the year until vatican 2. 

Fat Tuesday is the live it up day because wednesday you begin your sacrifice, Ash Wednesday. 

 

Original Post by hasta:

Fat Tuesday is the live it up day because wednesday you begin your sacrifice, Ash Wednesday. 

Yes, but like most other holidays, more often than not it's just another excuse for a party (kinda like how everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's day).  Most of the people who "celebrate" Mardis Gras are either not even remotely Catholic or religious, but have no intention of sacrificing anything for the subsequent 40 days.  I talked to one person post Mardis Gras who said "It's Ash Wednesday alright - my head feels like it's been burnt to a crisp..."

I'm probably digging myself deeper on this one. Usually, I just lurk on topics like this, but I can't help myself.

Catholics (OMG am I generalizing) typically are not known for their lack of excuses to party. Not meaning to be heavy. Hold back the fire.

HA!  I have been 'living' it up today and I thought it was because I was bored and somewhat sick, but I guess it's because it's Fat Tuesday!  I still can't believe tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. 

 I am giving up TV this lenten season.  Live TV and DVR'd.  Last year, I watched all kinds of DVRd shows on Sunday, but this year, I am going old school and giving up TV for all 40 days. 

With TV out of the way, I will be able to get my New Year's resolution of reading a book for fun:)

 

I'm an evangelical who practices Lent this way:  Because God is less about our performance but cares more about our hearts, I "fast" from something in order to "feast" on something that brings me closer to becoming the person God created me to be. 

For example, maybe you would fast from spending on yourself (clothes, CDs etc.) and after the 40 days, add that money up and give it to your favorite charity.  OR, instead of stuffing our faces with way more food than we need, why not fill grocery bags up for a food shelf or go serve the homeless dinner.  Maybe fast from gossip and spend 40 days feasting on affirming and encouraging people.  Make sense?

Jesus paid the price so we don't have to.  It's good to observe and commemorate but sometimes the rules can become more of focus than the intent. 

Just another way to look at it...

 

I'm going to find a place to volunteer and actually do it, give up gum, chocolate, and maybe fast through the day once or twice (I did that with a friend for Ramadan, so I know I can do it, though it's hard), and spend as little as possible on stuff I don't need.

It's going to be hard, but that's the point! I'll miss my gum and chocolate, but it is a sacrifice and saves money :)

I usually give something up for Lent but this year I'm going to do something positive in my life. So this year I'm going to exercise more to improve the body God gave me so that I can set a better example for my kids and have a long healthy life with them.  I am also planning to cook at home more and then use the money we've saved to donate food to our church food pantry and/or some other charity.

I'm agnostic, but I'm actually kinda into the idea of Lent-- just minus the whole Christianity bit (;

I'm going to try to give up peanut butter-- that evil spread cost me almost 400 calories today!  

diet coke....I hope.

Also giving up diet coke, after awhile it gets easier because for some reason it doesn't taste as good. I've given it up before for a couple months.

hi, my family and i are strong catholics and for this lent season I'm giving up all junk food and deserts. we also don't eat meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, and barely any during the rest of the week.

 

a lot of people have said that giving up all that extra food just like that will be unhealthy and that i should slowly decrease the amount of snacks and deserts that i have, any comments?

hi, my family and i are strong catholics and for this lent season I'm giving up all junk food and deserts. we also don't eat meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, and barely any during the rest of the week.

 

a lot of people have said that giving up all that extra food just like that will be unhealthy and that i should slowly decrease the amount of snacks and deserts that i have, any comments?

One thing I can tell you, Fatty_123... Stock up on fresh fruit.  You'll start craving sweets probably two days in, and you'll look around, looking for something sweet, and go... YES! FRUIT!  Well, that's what happened to me.  Don't give up desserts, just give up unhealthy desserts.  If you want a nice bowl of fruit salad after your meal, go for it.  I did that today, even though I should have been living up all the free ice cream in the Food Court at the university (yay for self-discipline and restraint!)

I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I'm going to go to the gym EVERY WEEKNIGHT of lent.  On the weekends, I cannot, because I have a lot to do, such as see my parents (and eat badly there), and get my car fixed (which seems to happen almost every week).

I'm also going to only use ONE GAS TANK all through lent.  It's almost like giving up my car, I think.  I ride my bicycle a lot so it's not going to be a huge deal.  I'm in a city right now so although public transportation is kind of creepy to me, it is free to students within the city, and discounted if I want to take the bus home.  One of my friends does me the favor of adding to my gastank whenever he rides with me (yay, one of those few generous friends), and so if he does, I'm going to limit my driving to 350 miles.  360 miles is my LIMIT on one full gas tank, so limiting it to 350 means I won't run out on the highway or something.

Okay, for lent I'm going to give up cookies and meat even on fridays.