lent begins wednesday!

[JohnT]

Folks,

This is a bit of a 2 sided coin for me..

I was always taught (Catholic High School) that lent was an observance of the 40 days of fasting the Jesus went through just after getting baptized.
Give something up for lent (sundays included) and no meat on fridays is just something I do. Think of it as making a deposit at the heaven bank. The more the sacrifice, the bigger the deposit. Giving up wine should get me a luxury suite upstairs.

More importantly, my mother was a alcoholic. I like the idea of a chunk of time where I give it up entirely.

 

[ShelleyDickison]

I am giving up my usual: bomb disposal, mountain climbing and sky diving.

The mountain climbing and sky diving are definitely on our list of things to give up...however bomb disposal is my husbands job so that ones out...he has to work. We are giving up caffeine and alcohol.



"Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever." - Aristophanes

 

[grapeman]

Shelly, first, many thanks to your husband for his job. It is sad that we need to have people dispose of bombs and other explosives, but it is great that we have verey brave souls who are willing to do the job to protect others. Secondly, he shouldn't be drinking too much caffeine anyway. It leads to shaky hands and he certainly doesn't need that!

 

[the_rayway]

While I was raised Lutheran (even looked like I was going to seminary for awhile there!), I decided years ago that giving up something was 'not quite it' for me.

Instead, I decided that in the time leading up to Easter, I would work on GIVING more. More of myself, my time, and my talents to people, organizations, and ideas that needed it.

Giving more - instead of giving up - feels more positive and constructive to me

 

[Boatboy24]

Raelene,

You are still sacrificing for lent - yourself for others. It's a good thing.

 

[JohnT]

Raelene,

Father Ron (high school teacher) always said...

"God loves blessed variety! He would get bored if everybody did exactly the same thing, the exact same way..

There is a reason why, like snowflakes, no two humans are 100% alike."



I think your approach is pretty cool.

 

[Elmer]

I always joke to my catholic friends and wife that you guys have it so easy.
You give up 1 thing for 40 days. it is just 1 thing.
I have to spend 24 hours each year giving up everything, food, water, tv etc..... While my wife and sit and chow down in front of me.

I do have to say I was freaked out the 1st time I saw all the kids at school walking around with smudges on their foreheads. No one ever prepared me for that.

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”
-John Wesley

Now can someone please explain to me how a rabbit ties in to all of this?

 

[JohnT]

Elmer,

So you give up 40 things for one day, I give up 1 thing for 40 days... Doesn't that sort of balance out?

I had a lot to explain to my wife (not a Catholic). The ashes, Palm Sunday, and the whole lent thing.

Those were very easy, but trying to simply explain the meaning behind the Catholic Mass, Saints, and the Body of Christ was really hard.

I did get good at it over time. For example, we got married in the Catholic church. In order to do that, we had to go through Pre Canna. I explained it like this.. "We Catholics need to have a class before we get married". "You're kidding!" was her only reply.

 

[Elmer]

Elmer,

So you give up 40 things for one day, I give up 1 thing for 40 days... Doesn't that sort of balance out?

I had a lot to explain to my wife (not a Catholic). The ashes, Palm Sunday, and the whole lent thing.

Those were very easy, but trying to simply explain the meaning behind the Catholic Mass, Saints, and the Body of Christ was really hard.

I did get good at it over time. For example, we got married in the Catholic church. In order to do that, we had to go through Pre Canna. I explained it like this.. "We Catholics need to have a class before we get married". "You're kidding!" was her only reply.

I dont give up 40 things, I give up everything for 1 day, Yom Kippur.
The eating is not missed, but the water is. Especially for someone who dehydrates really easily.

I try to understand it, and I ask questions all the time. being a history buff (who wrote a few papers on Constantine I) I enjoy seeing where it came from and how it has changed.

2 instances of me being a NOOB in church:
1) wife's cousin got married in a beautifully historic church. I was thrilled that they had these great velvet foot stools running the length of the pew.
My wife came to the back of the church to where I was chilling by myself nicely ask that I remove my feet from the kneeling pads

2) at step mother's funeral, which was a roman catholic Saturday morning mass. At the end this stranger turns to me and tries to hug me, I shrieked (I am not a hugger, unless you are blonde), she wished me "peace be with you". I pointed at her in a weird Fonze imitation and gave her a "right back at ya!"

 

[dralarms]

Elmer,

The fonz quote is priceless.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Elmer,
Apart from the humor, I'm surprised that after marrying someone from a different faith that you wouldn't even have a minute understanding of the basic beliefs?

Raelene,
I admire that you give for lent, I think that this is a wonderful approach, one that I am now seriously considering, thanks for opening our eyes to a real positive approach on Lent.

 

[Elmer]

Elmer,
Apart from the humor, I'm surprised that after marrying someone from a different faith that you wouldn't even have a minute understanding of the basic beliefs?

.

To be honest,
1) we really dont discuss religion
2) we are both non practicing

To be fair, I try my best not to ask too many questions with either politics or religion.
I am bound to never get an answer I completely understand and lose friends in the process!

 

[JohnT]

To be honest,
1) we really dont discuss religion
2) we are both non practicing

To be fair, I try my best not to ask too many questions with either politics or religion.
I am bound to never get an answer I completely understand and lose friends in the process!

Elmer,

I can absolutely relate to what you are saying...

It is much the same for my wife and me.

I remember once, when I just got my driver's license, that my neighbor hired me to drive their daughter to bat mitzvah class. I sat at the back of the temple, doing my homework, while she did her thing.

I got to know the Rabbi over the several weeks that I was driving. I did get a funny look when I told the Rabbi that I went to a Catholic High School, he just assumed that I was Jewish.

 

[Rocky]

"We Catholics need to have a class before we get married".

JohnT, I refused to take the pre Canna class because it did not have a lab.

 

[Scott]

While I was raised Lutheran (even looked like I was going to seminary for awhile there!), I decided years ago that giving up something was 'not quite it' for me.

Instead, I decided that in the time leading up to Easter, I would work on GIVING more. More of myself, my time, and my talents to people, organizations, and ideas that needed it.

Giving more - instead of giving up - feels more positive and constructive to me

And that is what makes this world a great place. Pretty soon it will become habit and not just happen during a set time period. Keep up the good fight!

 

[WI_Wino]

I was hoping to give up plowing snow from my driveway but it appears Mother Nature has different plan. 2 to 5 inches tonight...

 

[JohnT]

Well lent is now upon us...

DARN, and I was just about to taste my first Welch's!

Oh well, looks like I missed that opportunity.

 

[Julie]

Well lent is now upon us...

DARN, and I was just about to taste my first Welch's!

Oh well, looks like I missed that opportunity.

JohnT, you could have just said you would drink nothing but Welch's wine for lent! And I don't think it is too late to do that, you know.

 

[corinth]

Lent

I really like the way all of us have discussed lent in a sensitive ,respectful manner adding several humorous stories that made me chuckle. The funny stories do such a great job in teaching us about what we believe.

Bless all of us, whatever we believe, how we believe and also those who do not believe.

Corinth
AKA: open minded cradle Catholic

 

[JohnT]

JohnT, you could have just said you would drink nothing but Welch's wine for lent! And I don't think it is too late to do that, you know.

But that would be the same as giving up wine all together (only with a lot of throwing up)

(that one was bad, even for me)