Even more depressing than tedious.
Catholics, What Are You Giving Up for Lent?
- Thread starter 2takesfrakes
- Start date
Even more depressing than tedious.
Isn't it party or regret?
I thought it was cake or pie.
Or red or white.
now you made me hungry!
Fortunately I have a few Christmas cookies left which I had the discipline to keep and now shall eat without regret
Fortunately I have a few Christmas cookies left which I had the discipline to keep and now shall eat without regret
God and I have barely been on speaking terms for years, so my Lenten project is to pray -- if only for a couple minutes -- every day. I'm probably remembering two out of three days so far.
Party, regret, party, regret.. the cycle of life.
2takesfrakes - out of curiosity, is there a particular reason you asked about Catholics, as opposed to Christians?
Legally I'm CofE and am giving up more than one cup of coffee a day (I usually have at least five a day at work), chocolate, takeaways (apart from when I have a gig because that usually means coming straight from work and not getting home until at least 2am), and NOT swimming before work in the morning (but I've only managed one day a week so far).
I'm giving myself two "days off" from the chocolate one, my nephew's birthday which was in early March, and Mother's Day, which in the UK is this Sunday, because some thing are more important than God.
dJE
Legally I'm CofE and am giving up more than one cup of coffee a day (I usually have at least five a day at work), chocolate, takeaways (apart from when I have a gig because that usually means coming straight from work and not getting home until at least 2am), and NOT swimming before work in the morning (but I've only managed one day a week so far).
I'm giving myself two "days off" from the chocolate one, my nephew's birthday which was in early March, and Mother's Day, which in the UK is this Sunday, because some thing are more important than God.
dJE
I felt, simply, that it was a $afe assumption that Catholics would recognise - and participate in - The Season of Lent. You've got a lot on your list of items, though I never considered giving up swimming for Lent, because it's always too cold for that here, around this time of year. Far too cold, at best ...
Outstanding!
you're pulling my leg, right?? But if you think of it, it's not actually such a weird or superficial idea as you might believe at the first glance.
When you hear "flower" you naturally first think "colours". But flowers have far more to offer and humans have more than just one sense. Many plants have an interesting feel: furry, crisp, rough, silky, ridged, smooth. Others have an interesting scent. Some plants even have cool sounds! Have you ever knocked on a marrow or a melon? They sound cool! If you take the right approach and give it a little thought, you can make a flower show a fun and exciting event for blind people. My auntie was blind (and an excellent gardener!) and so I have a fairly good idea of what I am dealing with.
As for the interpretor thing: this is a tiny country town. There simply are no professional translators. Most people here aren't even able to speak High German. The flower show is badly organized and has not even a flyer in English. As I live just across the street from the show and speak several languages, why shouldn't I employ my talents to help others?
Both are perhaps not particularly Christian but they are helpful. As little Lord Fauntleroy said: everyone should try to make the world a tiny bit better with their lives.
When you hear "flower" you naturally first think "colours". But flowers have far more to offer and humans have more than just one sense. Many plants have an interesting feel: furry, crisp, rough, silky, ridged, smooth. Others have an interesting scent. Some plants even have cool sounds! Have you ever knocked on a marrow or a melon? They sound cool! If you take the right approach and give it a little thought, you can make a flower show a fun and exciting event for blind people. My auntie was blind (and an excellent gardener!) and so I have a fairly good idea of what I am dealing with.
As for the interpretor thing: this is a tiny country town. There simply are no professional translators. Most people here aren't even able to speak High German. The flower show is badly organized and has not even a flyer in English. As I live just across the street from the show and speak several languages, why shouldn't I employ my talents to help others?
Both are perhaps not particularly Christian but they are helpful. As little Lord Fauntleroy said: everyone should try to make the world a tiny bit better with their lives.
I don't think he's pulling your leg, I think he's saying service acts are great.
What is particularly christian?
What is particularly christian?
I can't imagine a world without God. I wouldn't want to. It goes without saying that spirituality is an important part of the Human Condition. If you've ever gotten something out of exploring it, or believe you ever could receive something from it, then it would be a mistake to not try to return to it. I'm glad you've made it your "Lenten Project." I hope that you're successful.
Why should we do all the work? If God has something to say he can bloody well say it.
Quite.
A guy who doesn't do anything shouldn't be demanding anything either.
See I think the resounding silence works just fine if God is a universal force, a divine impulse, a spiritual dimension or some other newagey thing. But the christian god is supposed to be a "personal god" that you have a relationship with. And yet, he says so little. People expend a lot of time and emotional energy praying and reading the bible and feeling bad about not praying and trying harder.. and yet all they can show for it is:
a. possibly some mental discipline
b. good serotonin levels or whatevs .. same brain chem result as you get with meditation techniques
c. on occasion they have a strong feeling about something that they can ascribe to God and then feel better about acting on that particular feeling
For a personal God he is a REALLY bad friend. Seriously I have more interaction and direct relationship going on with the girl who makes my coffee every morning.
a. possibly some mental discipline
b. good serotonin levels or whatevs .. same brain chem result as you get with meditation techniques
c. on occasion they have a strong feeling about something that they can ascribe to God and then feel better about acting on that particular feeling
For a personal God he is a REALLY bad friend. Seriously I have more interaction and direct relationship going on with the girl who makes my coffee every morning.
During Lent my parish does a series of "Lenten lunches" in which we have a community meal every Wednesday noon, followed by a brief talk or meditation by a guest speaker. Today's speaker, a priest an hour distant, said he was abstaining from Lent this year, and then described what he was doing instead. His goals (getting over himself, being more joyful, learning to live more simply) sounded like Lenten goals, but he was trying to separate them from the Great Expectations that come with Lent. He likened his approach to 'spring training' for living a Christian life throughout the rest of the year.
Ah, thank you for explaining, {{{teacake}}}. It's very difficult to detect undercurrents in a foreign language and since both jobs are quite easy and fun to do I was not certain whether it was a serious or joking remark.
Being more joyful is quite a high goal! It's very hard to change one's personality.
I can only speak for myself but I find it generally easier to break down such big tasks into smaller ones I can hadle one at a time. I'd try to be joyful once a day, for a start.
Still, I like that priest's ideas
he sounds like a very interesting person to meet
