Lent

[Angelskates]

The Lenten season has is fast approaching (Ash Wednesday is February 13), and I'm thinking of what I want to do.

I really like the idea of doing something, rather than, or in addition to, giving something up. Does anyone have any suggestions of something daily I could do that's not just for me? So not prayer, or fitness, but something that makes a positive difference to someone other than myself.

I will probably give up some things too (coffee, chocolate, alcohol, meat) but I'm not sure.

What are you doing for Lent?

[Marge_Simpson]

Hmm. do you do any crafting? I'm waiting for CraftHope to announce their next project. It's something for China, which may appeal to you.
http://www.crafthope.com/

I probably posted about this last year, but I follow the "fasting from our clutter" readings and tasks here:
http://www.americancatholic.org/News.../CU/ac0108.asp

[Angelskates]

Hmm. do you do any crafting? I'm waiting for CraftHope to announce their next project. It's something for China, which may appeal to you.
http://www.crafthope.com/

I probably posted about this last year, but I follow the "fasting from our clutter" readings and tasks here:
http://www.americancatholic.org/News.../CU/ac0108.asp

Thanks, Marge, I'm trying to become more crafty, so this may be right up my alley! I've actually messaged them to see if they need anything else locally.

Is there an update for the second link, it says 2008? Or it doesn't matter since there's no dates? Is it the same every year?

[Badams]

What a great idea, Angelskates! I think I will try to do something too, not just give things up. Thanks for the great idea!

[TheGirlCanSkate]

I gave up eating out one year for Lent and took the savings and donated it to Heifer International.

[PDilemma]

Some great ideas here. Aimed at Catholics but probably adaptable:

http://bustedhalo.com/features/25-gr...an-do-for-lent

And a great list here:

http://thisdaybysusand.blogspot.com/...-just-for.html

I am all for more doing and less giving up. I put that idea on Facebook last year and got slammed by the very legalistic Catholics I went to high school with who believe the be all and end all of lenten observation is giving up candy or coffee. It made me sad.

[my little pony]

I am all for more doing and less giving up. I put that idea on Facebook last year and got slammed by the very legalistic Catholics I went to high school with who believe the be all and end all of lenten observation is giving up candy or coffee. It made me sad.

i went to a catholic school and for lent we were required to do something for someone as opposed to giving up something.

i generally choose to do neither but i think doing something that takes up your time captures the spirit better than giving up cake when the real reason you want to give up cake is to lose a pound

[PDilemma]

i went to a catholic school and for lent we were required to do something for someone as opposed to giving up something.

i generally choose to do neither but i think doing something that takes up your time captures the spirit better than giving up cake when the real reason you want to give up cake is to lose a pound

I taught at Catholic school and every year the priests encouraged the high school students to do something and explained that giving up candy was kind of a minimum and as they got older they could and should strive for something more meaningful. But the school I attended is in the most conservative diocese in the U.S. and the diocese as a whole is becoming exceedingly legalistic. I find that legalism doesn't challenge people to grow spiritually, so it follows that the people there are still giving up candy and nothing more over twenty years after we graduated from high school.

[Cachoo]

Anyone have their throat blessed today?

[PDilemma]

Anyone have their throat blessed today?

We did after mass this morning. My husband, a cradle Catholic who went to Catholic school no less, had never had it done. At my Catholic school, we had a nun named Sister Ann who was obsessed with it as a protection from winter illnesses and would drag a priest all over school to make sure every student got the blessing. I always remember her on St. Blaise's day.

[sk8pics]

Last night they did the blessing of the throats thing. My parish is quite progressive and known somewhat as rebels, and so it always surprised me the number of people who participate in this particular rite. And yes, I had mine blessed too.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do for Lent. I also am not really of the mind to see much value in giving up, say, chocolate. But a very good friend of mine who is a priest says it is about the discipline, and practicing discipline in small matters so that when it becomes more important you are somewhat prepared. Of course, he also talks about the importance of charitable acts. I will make it to Mass a few extra days a week, at least. For those of you on Facebook, Fr. Jim Martin, who is a Jesuit priest, is doing some sort of on line retreat complete with videos embedded in the presentations. If you search for him on Facebook you can find out info about it if you are interested.

[Cachoo]

Last night they did the blessing of the throats thing. My parish is quite progressive and known somewhat as rebels, and so it always surprised me the number of people who participate in this particular rite. And yes, I had mine blessed too.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do for Lent. I also am not really of the mind to see much value in giving up, say, chocolate. But a very good friend of mine who is a priest says it is about the discipline, and practicing discipline in small matters so that when it becomes more important you are somewhat prepared. Of course, he also talks about the importance of charitable acts. I will make it to Mass a few extra days a week, at least. For those of you on Facebook, Fr. Jim Martin, who is a Jesuit priest, is doing some sort of on line retreat complete with videos embedded in the presentations. If you search for him on Facebook you can find out info about it if you are interested.

My religion teacher my senior year was a progressive Jesuit who was somewhat mystified by Catholic behavior on Ash Wednesday and St. Blaise Day. During a time when church participation dwindled he was always surprised to see the church so full on Ash Wednesday and to a lesser degree St. Blaise Day. I've never quite figured it out either. As for Lent-I am a lapsed Catholic but I liked the idea of addition rather than subtraction on Lent. But whatever the addition is it must be for someone else.

[4rkidz]

The Lenten season has is fast approaching (Ash Wednesday is February 13), and I'm thinking of what I want to do.

I really like the idea of doing something, rather than, or in addition to, giving something up. Does anyone have any suggestions of something daily I could do that's not just for me? So not prayer, or fitness, but something that makes a positive difference to someone other than myself.

I will probably give up some things too (coffee, chocolate, alcohol, meat) but I'm not sure.

What are you doing for Lent?

your post reminded me of when our daughter was 7 and proudly told us 'she gave up candy for LINT'.. btw we are not catholic or religious at all.. but didn't want to interfere with her efforts.. although she had no idea what it was about at all.. but all her friends were doing it..

[Wyliefan]

It's a great idea. Maybe dedicate a portion of your budget all through Lent to buying food for the local food bank, or blankets for the local shelter, or books for kids who can't afford them, or something like that?

[PDilemma]

It's a great idea. Maybe dedicate a portion of your budget all through Lent to buying food for the local food bank, or blankets for the local shelter, or books for kids who can't afford them, or something like that?

One thing our priest always suggests is that if you do give up something like candy, chocolate, coffee, etc...save the money you would have spent on it and donate that to a charity.

[Clarice]

We did the throat blessing at the end of Mass today, but Monsignor did a collective blessing for all of us instead of having us come up individually to be blessed with the crossed candles.

I haven't decided about Lent this year yet, either. Doing something positive is a great thing - in our parish, we generally do "Rice Bowls", where we collect money for the poor by not spending it on other things. We get our rice bowls (little cardboard banks) on Ash Wednesday and turn them in during Holy Week. There is value to giving something up, too, though, because self-denial helps strengthen character and makes it easier to say no in the face of temptation. Classic, traditional thinking, but there is truth to it. Ideally, one does both during Lent.

My funniest Lent story was the year my daughter decided to give up nail polish. I forget how old she was - 7 or 8, maybe? - and it's not like she wore a lot of nail polish anyway, but she's a skater and was into the dress-up part of it from an early age. Anyway, a week or two in, she showed up with deep pink nails one day. When I asked her about her decision to give up nail polish, she said it didn't count because she had colored her nails with a marker. I told our parish priest about it, who guffawed and said she should have been a Jesuit.

[Angelskates]

Some great ideas here. Aimed at Catholics but probably adaptable:

http://bustedhalo.com/features/25-gr...an-do-for-lent

And a great list here:

http://thisdaybysusand.blogspot.com/...-just-for.html

I am all for more doing and less giving up. I put that idea on Facebook last year and got slammed by the very legalistic Catholics I went to high school with who believe the be all and end all of lenten observation is giving up candy or coffee. It made me sad.

Thank you for the links! I am going to fast something as well as do something, the fasting for for myself and my relationship with God, and the doing something is for that, but also to help others and show others Christ's love.

i went to a catholic school and for lent we were required to do something for someone as opposed to giving up something.

Ditto.

i generally choose to do neither but i think doing something that takes up your time captures the spirit better than giving up cake when the real reason you want to give up cake is to lose a pound

Yeah, I know several people who are waiting for Lent to go gluten free.

It's a great idea. Maybe dedicate a portion of your budget all through Lent to buying food for the local food bank, or blankets for the local shelter, or books for kids who can't afford them, or something like that?

I have a coffee stock at all times, so I wouldn't need to buy it... I already give to the local homeless (I eat with them) and contribute to several local charities. For Lent I want to do something more. I think the Craft Hope idea is awesome!

[Marge_Simpson]

Angelskates, I did one of the Craft Hope projects on my own, the ConKerr pillowcases for kids with cancer. I first came across the Craft Hope website after that particular project was over, but I found out a quilt shop in NYC was a drop-off point for the pillowcases and they distribute them to local children's hospitals. (I actually work in a hospital but we don't have a pediatrics department, so I couldn't just bring them to work with me) Since I was about to turn 50, I made 50 pillowcases and donated them. Honestly, I probably got more pleasure out of making them than the kids got by receiving them.
So I'm thinking I might make more pillowcases during Lent this year. What about approaching local children's hospitals and asking them if they could use any handmade items?

[Angelskates]

So I'm thinking I might make more pillowcases during Lent this year. What about approaching local children's hospitals and asking them if they could use any handmade items?

I know this sounds terrible, but IME, once they see a foreign face, they tend to just want money. Maybe I can go through a Chinese charity and see if that makes a difference. I really like the idea of Craft Hope though, and think I might like to do that. I'll wait and see when more details are given

[LilJen]

The Lenten season has is fast approaching (Ash Wednesday is February 13), and I'm thinking of what I want to do.

I really like the idea of doing something, rather than, or in addition to, giving something up. Does anyone have any suggestions of something daily I could do that's not just for me? So not prayer, or fitness, but something that makes a positive difference to someone other than myself.

I will probably give up some things too (coffee, chocolate, alcohol, meat) but I'm not sure.

What are you doing for Lent?

I'm not Catholic, but one year (during college) I committed to hanging out once a week with a Downs syndrome lady who worked on our campus. You could do something like visiting shut-ins or folks in nursing homes, if you're at all comfortable with that (and if not, sometimes it's good to get out of your comfort zone).