It’s Ash Wednesday next week. What are you doing/giving up/reading for Lent?
If you’ve come in to say “Haw haw! I gave up being Christian, you suckers!” or something, yes, we’ve all heard it before, and please refrain. This thread is for people who observe Lent in some way.
I’m torn between giving up the internet and going vegetarian. I’m still thinking about it. I haven’t decided on any spiritual reading yet, but I might add daily Rosary back in, or daily Psalms. You?
I’m not a Christian, but the idea of giving up something is oddly appealing. In my case, I think it would be non-purposeful internet browsing. By which I mean the kind of aimless browsing I do that just takes up space and wastes time, and gets in the way of actually doing things.
We are going without butter (and butter substitutes), as well as “added” salt. We try to pick things that will “disrupt” our lives and benefit us. This is going to be a tough one.
One year I gave up pizza, and another year Coke. Both of which were difficult. I am now old enough where fasting is not required, but I will probably continue to do that. I think I need to do something rather than give something up. I teach, and there are kids in my classes that I don’t really mesh with - perhaps they are too much like me and I see my own faults in them. Anyhow, try to do something kind for them, pray a Rosary daily, visit church daily or at least more often, something that will take me beyond what I do. And, give something up, too. I love candy, so that would be a good one.
The usual: aiming to attend daily mass throughout Lent.
I’ve been thinking about this. I think I’m going to go all vegetarian this Lent. I’m also going to take up the habit of buying baby products and donating them to the Phoenix Crisis Center.
My closest Anglo-Catholic friend is going vegan (she’s already vegetarian) and giving up alcohol.
Hmm. I haven’t really done the giving up thing in a long time. I think…diet soda. And believe me - as someone who lives on Diet Mt. Dew, it will be a struggle. But I think it will be worth it - and it might cause me to look more inward, as I try to fight against the “but one sip won’t hurt” temptation.
I’m giving up fast food (except for McDonald’s fish sandwiches on Fridays) and sweets, unless I make them myself.
I’m not Catholic or Christian, but I do give up something for Lent for the past twenty years. It’s a nice finite time period and being lucky enough to live in a place of plenty, it’s good to deny onesself.
I’ll probably do beef again this year. One year I tried to give up all meat and that didn’t last at all.
That will be an option soon–I’ve learned a lot more vegetarian food.
A couple years ago I gave up all alcohol, and I might do that again this year. I’m not a heavy drinker- just a couple drinks on Saturdays & Sundays, really, but it got tough a few times. Like the Saturday I spent all day outside roto-tilling, raking and grading part of the yard. It was the kind of work that was just *screaming *for a beer after clean-up. But I have to say, on about the 5th week, I suddenly dropped about five pounds and an inch or two from my gut. It was a nice payoff.
Might do that again, as well as a daily meditation on a Bible verse and some volunteering at the local soup kitchen or food pantry. The kids are asking when we can go back so it would be good to capitalize on their interest.
I am sticking to fasting on Fridays and doing without meat. My children need to start cultivating the habit of denial and discipline. I already try to go to daily Mass, but with my husband out of town I haven’t been keeping up as well. I think I might try the Rosary during lunch, too.
I gave up Lent a number of years back. It’s the giving-up that keeps on giving. 
That’s exactly my answer. I eat lunch out five days a week so it’ll be a real shift to have a pack a lunch every day. Wouldn’t be Lent though without the weekly Fillet o’ Fish.
I grew up in a small town with a correspondingly small Catholic population. We all used to laugh about how many of us were at Long John Silver’s on Friday nights throughout Lent.
I’m going to read Bishop N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope. I also need to give up something but I haven’t decided what yet. Perhaps snack food, which would be tough (I say, as I finish this bag of M&Ms).
Those of you who favor the McD’s filet-o-fish really ought to try Wendy’s fish sandwich - it’s amazing. A regular part of my lent tradition now.
I will not drink coffee at work. Did that the last two years, and after a week of adjustment it felt good. (I will drink a large cup of coffee with breakfast in a café, though).
I have given up caffeine before, and alcohol as well. I already pulled the plug on cable so giving up TV isn’t much.
I try to give something up that I will notice, and get that to make me think of the ultimate sacrifice while doing it.
Might have to be caffeine again.
I’m pretty sure we’ll be going vegetarian and I might ditch the internet while the kids are awake. It’s huge attention-sucker/black hole for me. Vegetarian. For six weeks. I should start looking up more recipes.