I’m not Christian, or any religion, but I do the Lent thing anyway; surprisingly, I know quite a few people who do it and also are not Christian. I think it’s just a good motivator, knowing that you have lots of company in trying to do something at the same time.
I…I am giving up potato chips.
This may not sound like much, but you don’t know how much I eat potato chips; it’s ridiculous.
I’m going to be JONESING!!!
Damn you, Herr’s, for starting me on the road to damnation, and damn you, Lays, for paving that road with Flaming Hot goodness. <3
I hear ya! For me, one sip would be too much and not enough, which is my personal definition of an addiction <for me>. It would appall anyone to know what my dietary liquids consist of. It would cause any doctor to shoo me out the door without a further word.
I really don’t know what would happen if I stopped drinking diet soda, as I, quite literally, don’t drink anything else. The fact that I fill a huge cup up to the brim with ice, and fill in the blanks with diet soda, technically means I’m drinking mostly water, right? RIGHT?!?!
If it weren’t for my wife I’d eat out every meal of every day, but because of her I only do it around 4 times, which she hates. So I figure I should use this time to break the addiction and get into the habit of making my own food.
For now I am refraining from killiing my mother. OK, OK, things you do year-round don’t count…
I can’t really control my diet as much as I’d like, due to being required to have lunch at my client’s cafeteria 5 times a week. “Not going to the movies” wouldn’t count, since I’m not going much. I’m not giving up WoW: blowing virtual things up helps me avoid blowing up at idiots. Guess I’ll make it “not playing any other computer games and being better-behaved about my exercise”.
My wife suggested I give up WoW; I suggested she give up nagging me about it :).
I think in addition to reading the book I mentioned, I’ll adopt the discipline of using my treadmill at least 30 minutes every day. So I’m giving up laziness.
Some folks - especially ones who adopt Lenten discipline for non-religious reasons - might be unaware of this, so as a reminder: SUNDAYS DON’T COUNT. Sunday is always a feast day.
Last year at this time I switched from regular to diet soda. I didn’t go back. (though sometimes I do have one) This year I’m trying to give up soda completely.
Not a Christian but something about this time of year seems better for self improvement than a New Years Resolution.
Thanks. I should. There’s lots of things we eat regularly that are vegetarian, but many ‘regular’ vegetarian recipes seem the opposite of delicious- "I had a heart quinoa/kale pilaff with yeast flakes!’ sort of thing. Doesn’t appeal to me. I love umami, so it’s lots of miso, tomato paste, mushrooms, and cheese (not all together) this Lent.
A couple of years ago I had these terrible self-righteous cookies at a homeschooling meeting that had spelt and chickpea flour and almost no sugar. They haunt me still.
Anyway, my husband’s giving up coke (the dark carbonated kind) and I’m going to do daily Rosary, but not daily Mass because of two small squirmy children.
Well, I’m vegetarian and I never eat that sort of thing. Try for things with an Asian influence, especially Indian. There’s tons of really flavorful vegetarian food that won’t make you feel like you’re missing anything.
For those who abstain, do you take Sundays off? Or should that be take Sundays on? You know what I mean - can you indulge in your forbidden pleasure on Sundays (and other Saints’ Days that don’t technically count in lent, but fall in the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter).
I am an atheist, who was raised Catholic, and very old school version of it. E.g., no meat on Fridays – ever… period.
For Lent, I give up various things, and stick to it with fervor, because I am a believer in this type of discipline AND I want to challenge my religious brethren.
Don’t know what it’ll be this year, but it will generally be more dedicated than those around me. Last year, I fasted on Tuesdays.
Not Christian, but I think we might do a “no-meat Friday” thing at my house during Lent. No idea how long it’s actually gonna last, but it’ll be good to try, anyway.
My mom gave up chocolate one year. On Easter morning, after church, we saw her at the dining room table scarfing an ENORMOUS chocolate bunny. She looked at us and said “I am NEVER doing that again.”
Giving up the internet is a great idea. Think of what you could be doing with all that free time! That’s one of the things I’ll be doing (except insofar as I need it for work). You could do volunteer work, *lectio divina, go to the Blessed Sacrament, etc. *
Going veggie is not a bad idea either. Best of luck!
Let us know what you decide on re spiritual reading. I just finished a book by St. Francis de Sales, and am looking for something else for Lent as well.
As for daily Rosary and Psalms, I expect that, at the end of 40 days, you’ll have quite an enviable spiritual disposition.
I’m going to shoot for (1) no internet; (2) no alcohol (except on Sundays, of course); and (3) some sort of daily prayer or meditation, haven’t decided which, but after your post, am now leaning towards Rosary or Psalms.
You can, but when I was little and I gave stuff up for Lent, my mother never let me indulge on Sundays – she said that was technically cheating.
A lot of bishops will grant dispensions for meatless fridays if St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday during Lent. (Corned beef is a traditional meal). The one year a new bishop wouldn’t, and there was a HUGE stink over it.
One thing I’ve always considered about meatless Fridays – if the point is to abstain, wouldn’t it be better to stay home and have leftover meatloaf rather than go out and feast on lobster? (Yes, I’ve known people who do that)
(I always used to try and convince my parents to let me give school up – it never worked.)
