What are you giving up for Lent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is too much! Help me narrow it down...
Sugar
Alcohol
Grains
Red meat
Facebook
Nagging
Complaining
DCUMs
Add in: exercise and gratitude journaling

Keep this first 4 on your lent list, give yourself an Internet outlet, so choose FB or dcum. I'd probably keep both nagging and complaining on your list as those affect others too. Keep the exercise and drop the journal and replace it with 'purposefully and only make positive comments on the internet outlet you choose to keep.

[Anonymous]

We are going to pray a daily family rosary and go meat free. I'll probably also commit to daily mass (my kids already do this at school, so I just need to join them instead of dropping them off and running home to check DCUM and Facebook. Probably giving up those two for lent would be helpful, too, lol. I'll see about that.

Had one other new thought this year; that I could visit some people at the nursing home down the street once or twice a week.

[Anonymous]

Gluten. Need to do it for a health issue anyway, may as well kill two birds with one stone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are going to pray a daily family rosary and go meat free. I'll probably also commit to daily mass (my kids already do this at school, so I just need to join them instead of dropping them off and running home to check DCUM and Facebook. Probably giving up those two for lent would be helpful, too, lol. I'll see about that.

Had one other new thought this year; that I could visit some people at the nursing home down the street once or twice a week.

And then just stop visiting when lent ends?

[Anonymous]

My priest suggested giving up five things--one for each of our five senses. He also said not to approach the process as self-punishment, but one of detaching or letting go. One year for Lent I gave up alcohol. After Easter I realized how much happier I was not drinking and have never started up again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My priest suggested giving up five things--one for each of our five senses. He also said not to approach the process as self-punishment, but one of detaching or letting go. One year for Lent I gave up alcohol. After Easter I realized how much happier I was not drinking and have never started up again.

Interesting approach. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My priest suggested giving up five things--one for each of our five senses. He also said not to approach the process as self-punishment, but one of detaching or letting go. One year for Lent I gave up alcohol. After Easter I realized how much happier I was not drinking and have never started up again.

Did he mean five random things or five things related to the senses?

[Anonymous]

Five things related to our senses. For example, letting go of perfume, satin sheets, coffee, music, and movies. The "smell" one is hard--I can't think of any other example for that sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Five things related to our senses. For example, letting go of perfume, satin sheets, coffee, music, and movies. The "smell" one is hard--I can't think of any other example for that sense.

Fresh flowers in your house and donate the $?

[Anonymous]

Interesting, but why? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM.

I'm seriously considering this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't really understand this. Does this mean you go back to complaining and nagging after Lent?

PP, the short answer (with no theology) is, after 40 days of focused effort not to complain or nag, it will come more naturally to the PP to complain and nag less. I think nobody answered your question so far because the answer seemed pretty obvious...?

PP here, ha, no, it wasn't obvious to me. Thanks for the thoughtful response. Most folks I know who give up something for Lent (chocolate, wine, etc.) then binge on it once Lent is over. Hence my confusion.

Ha ha PP, I could see that some people do that, maybe I've done it too, even though it's not the idea.

Also, some people make the argument for adding something (like prayer or exercise, or any other discipline) during Lent, rather than taking something away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting, but why? Just curious.

Probably because we tend to think in terms of just giving up food products or visual things. Makes you more conscious of your entire body when you include all the senses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are going to pray a daily family rosary and go meat free. I'll probably also commit to daily mass (my kids already do this at school, so I just need to join them instead of dropping them off and running home to check DCUM and Facebook. Probably giving up those two for lent would be helpful, too, lol. I'll see about that.

Had one other new thought this year; that I could visit some people at the nursing home down the street once or twice a week.

And then just stop visiting when lent ends?

I don't know. Maybe it would turn into something more long-term. Just trying to think of something new.