Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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QOTD: Are You Fasting for Lent?
by revelife crew
Do you observe Lent? Are you fasting from anything?
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Comments (83)
yes chocolate and candy.
I'm fasting from unpure and prideful thoughts and taking up daily devotional time.
i gave up lent for lent. been going strong for more than 15 years now.
those silly catholics.
Not really, instead of giving up something... I have started a 40-day devotional journey. I did it last year and it was a really neat experience, so I'm excited to start it up again. I pick a word and reflect on it, look up the definition, find it's significance in scripture, pray about it and more - oh, and I write it on my arm so that I see it all day long and remember to focus on it throughout the day.
I'm not Catholic, but I think the idea of Lent is really cool. This year, I'm going to replace goofing off on the Internet with praying, reading the Bible, and helping with the homeless shelter around here.
yes, i observe Lent. i'm giving up sweets and coffee, as well as adding a 40-day daily devotional to my daily prayers.
@spicycajun@xanga -
!
Nope. Fasting at all is silly. It's far more beneficial to do MORE things than less - like going to help out at a charity every day or something.
@SerenaDante@xanga - LOL,
helping out at charities is one of the primary ways of practising
Lenten devotions. Fasting is one aspect, and it involves a lot more
than reducing dietary intake. Almsgiving, charity work, &c. are all part of Lent. And anybody who thinks fasting to be silly doesn't know much about it.
Yes, I will eating less, drinking none (alcohol-wise), and praying more. We will be using the money we save on food this season to give to the poor.
I am giving up soda/pop for Lent. Two reasons: 1) it will be good for my body, and this is a good time/reason to do it, 2) I need to work on conquering temptations through prayer, and this is a good place to start.
Yes I am observing it, this year I am giving up pork, but I want to do something else that will give me more time towards God, but I just dont know. I see people are doing 40 daily devotional but what exactly is that?
I'm giving up secular music, but I would like to pray a devotional every day. Any suggestions?
i'm giving up facebook & myspace ! and replacing the time with reading the Bible more, saving more time for reflection & meditation, actually listen to the readings & homilies at mass, and go to a school mass that they hold in the early morning.
@yourheadispunk@xanga - btw, i'm really lovin' your idea, i might try that. not too late to start xP. do the words just come spontaneously to you?
I do not observe Lent (though I see its value for people who like to use those 40 days as a time to evaluate their spiritual condition and "reconnect" with God in areas they have allowed to "slip"). I believe Jesus taught that fasting is supposed to be a private matter between you and God alone (Matt. 6:16-18). Personally, I try to maintain a time of personal prayer and Bible study throughout the year and constantly check to make sure nothing is becoming more important in my life than my relationship with God.
Nope.
I'm giving up junk food....for the most stressful days of my college career...we'll see how it goes.
I've given up cheese.
But if you're reading, cheese, just know that when I'm laying in bed late at night, you're on my mind.I'm giving up facebook and myspace, and goofing around on the internet pointlessly, I'd like the do the 40 day devotion thing but I don't know what it is. I will be reading my Bible though, and going to Ash Wednesday service tonight. I'm giving up being Baptist for 40 days lol. I wonder why Baptists don't traditionally observe lent? Or maybe I'm wrong and they do, but I grew up in a Christian school based on a baptist church and then went to a Christian college that was similar and they spoke nothing of it. I think it is very meaningful though.
@MrsCharlieBrown@xanga - Most Baptists (myself included) do not observe Lent because we are not commanded to do so in the Bible (the practice of Lent comes out of early church tradition). This does not mean that there is anything wrong with observing Lent (provided it is done with the proper motivation...see my previous comment), but it is not required by God. Ideally, the Christians lives their life in accordance with their faith and a focus on ther relationship with God year-round.
@StarvedArtist@xanga - I suggest "Preparation for Death" by St. Alphonsus of Liguori. It is the best devotional book I have ever read. It is nicely compartmentalised into short 15-minute meditations that plumb the depths of our souls and increase our love for God.
i've given up fast food, soda, and biting my nails. i was going to start fasting beginning today, but i wasn't feeling well.
I've been thinking about what to fast for and I couldn't think of anything in my life that has been distracting me from God. I've been removing a lot of distractions from my life over the past few months, so I've decided to supplement my spiritual diet rather than remove from my earthly one by doing devotionals.
I am going to really observe Sabbath. I am not go to go to any place that has employees, this includes taking my daughter to a swimming pool. I will not do any house cleaning on that day. I will still do dishes and and cook but no laundry or bathrooms. This I was trying to do now I want to go get back too to. I have also want to start fasting one day a week. This is the first time I have ever fast besides for blood work, but I really see the importance on relying on God and not earthy things to get me through the day.
@J0EL@xanga I guess I do see your point now. I have slipped in my walk lately and just saw lent as being a good opportunity to get started again. So I feel my intentions are on the right track. I also just like the idea of the celebration and preparation surrounding Easter as this is a very significant religious holiday to me. I have been raised Baptist, but I feel that Catholics, Episcopals, etc. are right on track in their observance of this holiday (even if not in all areas, I'm still undecided on many aspects). The Baptist churches I have attended do not seem to put quite as much emphasis and study around Easter.
Never have observed it, not being Catholic. I have always wondered though...can 40 days of giving up soda, alcohol, meat, etc. really bring you anywhere close to the suffering of Christ? Is it even suffering? I have a hard time with lent because I don't think we could even know or understand the price that was paid by giving up one of our dietary vices.Â
And shouldn't people by serving and working in their communities all year round? Is it simply a focus or is this the only time some people/Catholics do this kind of work? Curious...