Lent

perSue · 02-19-2009, 01:59 PM

first, i feel badly that i ask, but when does it begin?

And for fun... what do you plan on doing (ie, sacrificing) for Lent?

Lady_V · 02-19-2009, 02:05 PM

Lent this year is Feb 25th (Wed) to Apr 11th (Sat)

I don't plan on doing anything - Pagan
DD goes to private school (Catholic) and I will support her if she chooses to participate in Lent this year.

perSue · 02-19-2009, 02:08 PM

i'm not catholic either - i just sorta follow the calendar for the tradition.
i've always believed in the benefit of sacrifice & the calendar sorta reminds me to do it. it's a time when i get to reflect & see what else needs changing... i enjoy it. but i guess i'm weird that way.

Dixie · 02-19-2009, 03:19 PM

I'm not Catholic either, but grew up United Methodist and observed Lent. I'm Southern Baptist now and still choose to observe it. I feel like the Lord is leading me to give up Chocolate. This is going to be hard!

lgw · 02-19-2009, 03:27 PM

I'm Catholic and look forward to Lent every year. My goal this year is to focus on being more understanding and supporting of DH.

thesightofoneself · 02-19-2009, 03:42 PM

not catholic but will give up something for lent. havent decide what this year though.

imagine · 02-19-2009, 03:46 PM

I observe Lent, but do not give things up.

I celebrate Lent as a time of extra reflection, study, and prayer.

We often celebrate Lent at church by often combining the above with fellowship and dinner.

Also why are people saying "I'm not Catholic ...." I thought Lent was a Christian observance not just a Catholic observance?

rainbowgc · 02-19-2009, 03:51 PM

I don't follow Lent

TigerGirl1226 · 02-19-2009, 04:23 PM

Well, in South Louisiana Lent is a season like summer and football...hehehe (that'd be really funny if you were from here).

We usually don't give up anything big. When I was a kid and my religion teacher would ask us what we were giving up, I'd always say something I didn't even care for too much just to make sure I didn't get in bad with the big guy. Geez, the things we think when we are kids.

Nowadays we usually avoid meat on Friday, but in turn go to crawfish boils which is more of a treat than a sacrifice but anyway.

Early Bird · 02-19-2009, 05:52 PM

We are Catholic, and we try to observe Lent in several ways. A lot of Catholics follow similar practices:

One year, we made a rule, "No broadcast, and no other TV, except in the living room." The result of that was wonderful -- we all watched videos together most evenings. I think it made us closer as a family. I would like to do that again this year.
We will do a modified fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. For our diocese, that means 'two small snacks and one meal' for those two days. I am surprised at how much I notice the difference -- and it makes me think respectfully of those in the world who don't have abundant food.

We often go to a service (Distribution of Ashes; Veneration of the Cross) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and I have been truly surprised at the sense of quiet that comes over me at those times. Part of the feeling is a good tiredness at the end of the day; part is because I've fasted; and part is from the solemnity of the day.
We will abstain from meat on Fridays (and Fast Days) in Lent.
Several Fridays in Lent, we go to Stations of the Cross. For me, that intensifies the deep and solemn feelings of Lent.
We have a wooden statue of Christ bearing the Cross. That gets put in a more prominent place during Lent.

Now, we also have the Mardi Gras celebration to kick off Lent -- all the junk food you want that day. The kids often start Mardi Gras with ice cream for breakfast!

IntlMom · 02-19-2009, 05:55 PM

not Catholic, don't give anything up

MoonMommy · 02-19-2009, 06:14 PM

I don't celebrate lent...but this year, I might just celebrate Fat Tuesday by getting fat on food. YUM YUM YUM.

just kidding.

Debbie-cat · 02-19-2009, 06:19 PM

I was raised Catholic but haven't gone back to church since my divorce (even though it was annulled). I observe it and don't eat meat on Fridays. I will eat fish.

danni · 02-19-2009, 07:11 PM

I was raised Catholic and thought it was the only religion to practice lent. Now we have joined the Salvation Army church and they call it self denial. Same idea though. I will be giving up chips, it is going to be hard.

Milly · 02-19-2009, 08:45 PM

I was raised in the Disciples of Christ church, but I got into the Lent thing courtesy of my dear, departed MIL - the sweetest little old Polish Catholic you ever met.

At any rate, she did the whole 'fish on Friday' thing, but she also started me on a program of self-reflection during Lent that I continue to this day.

We'd pick out a particular Bible passage and try to follow it rigorously every day during Lent - sort of an add-in instead of a take-out.

Over the years I've tried to find one that was especially against my nature, since it would be to easy to follow ones that came naturally.