2018 Lent Challenge
Replies
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lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »In the old days, the reason for things like Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day (as it is today in Chicago) ;-) was that you would not be eating meat or animal products (although fish was permitted some places -- the Latin word for meat/flesh is distinct from that for fish). Anyway, as a result you'd be using up dairy and eggs.
The current Orthodox Christian fast is basically like that (my Greek friend always tells me how much more serious their Lent is). ;-) Catholics, though, just avoid meat on Fridays -- fish is fine, but it's really not in the spirit if you have a lobster dinner, it's supposed to be simple, cheaper (save the money saved and give it to charity is one common practice), plain, a sacrifice.
Nothing "current" about Orthodox fasting practices. They've been the same for a very long time.
Yeah, I know -- wasn't trying to suggest otherwise. We changed, you didn't.Fish is also a separate food category as far as Orthodox fasting is concerned, but that doesn't matter for most of Lent since fish is also not eaten on fast days.
My friend says shellfish is okay, however -- no animal products but for shellfish (which somehow doesn't count as animal?), and no oil.
Anyway, I just think different fasting practices are interesting. Ours are pretty low demand these days.
You're right about shellfish. No one seems to quite know the reason for the exception. Some say it's because they don't have a backbone. (But the rules don't mention a backbone. Maybe the way the Fathers looked at it that makes them not-animals? John the Baptist ate locusts, after all.) Some say it's because, in some coastal regions, there's not a heck of a lot else to eat. Either way, dining on lobster every night would indeed be one of those things which, while technically within the rules, pretty thoroughly tramples the spirit of them. Even without drawn butter.
The basic idea is to eat plainly and simply, what is needed for sustenance and not much more, and to avoid luxurious foods. This is presumed to be more inexpensive than our normal eating, and one is expected to give the money not spent on food to those in need. It's also presumed to be easier than our normal eating, so that we're less focused on food and more focused on spiritual things, but one of the ironies of modern life is that nothing is easier than the McDonald's drive-thru.
The underlying ideas are the same as for ours, which is why the conflation of Lenten practices with dieting tends to bother me (as someone who approaches Lent from a religious perspective).
It is always not a good fit with the traditional practices, though -- the fish but not meat on Fridays is a good demonstration, as it's rather against the spirit of the thing to go buy Alaskan halibut for far more than chicken thighs would cost, and for many of us -- not all -- not eating meat is something we do regularly, not much of a sacrifice. This is why I tend to make no meat a basic (this year no animal products) and focus on plain foods like rice and beans (although also vegetables, which can be a bit more costly this time of year, so again not exactly the perfect fit).
Anyway, it's also why I find the more traditional Orthodox practice here a bit enviable (although my aforementioned Greek friend, whose personal compromise is to do it only on Fridays and Holy Week, thinks I am nuts). ;-)
Re the current Catholic practice of giving up something, I try to pick something that will have a spiritual component in some way. It can be as simple as giving up a crutch like coffee (and tea, can't cheat by having an easy substitute), which I've done also, as it's such a habitual part of the day that when you don't have it you miss it and think about why and then ideally focus on God instead and why you are doing it.2 -
Here's a little fact for the day: The Filet-O-Fish at McDonald's was created because of Lent. Hamburger sales dropped significantly on Fridays, so they brought this sandwich in to keep their sales at bay.5
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lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »In the old days, the reason for things like Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day (as it is today in Chicago) ;-) was that you would not be eating meat or animal products (although fish was permitted some places -- the Latin word for meat/flesh is distinct from that for fish). Anyway, as a result you'd be using up dairy and eggs.
The current Orthodox Christian fast is basically like that (my Greek friend always tells me how much more serious their Lent is). ;-) Catholics, though, just avoid meat on Fridays -- fish is fine, but it's really not in the spirit if you have a lobster dinner, it's supposed to be simple, cheaper (save the money saved and give it to charity is one common practice), plain, a sacrifice.
Nothing "current" about Orthodox fasting practices. They've been the same for a very long time.
Yeah, I know -- wasn't trying to suggest otherwise. We changed, you didn't.Fish is also a separate food category as far as Orthodox fasting is concerned, but that doesn't matter for most of Lent since fish is also not eaten on fast days.
My friend says shellfish is okay, however -- no animal products but for shellfish (which somehow doesn't count as animal?), and no oil.
Anyway, I just think different fasting practices are interesting. Ours are pretty low demand these days.
You're right about shellfish. No one seems to quite know the reason for the exception. Some say it's because they don't have a backbone. (But the rules don't mention a backbone. Maybe the way the Fathers looked at it that makes them not-animals? John the Baptist ate locusts, after all.) Some say it's because, in some coastal regions, there's not a heck of a lot else to eat. Either way, dining on lobster every night would indeed be one of those things which, while technically within the rules, pretty thoroughly tramples the spirit of them. Even without drawn butter.
The basic idea is to eat plainly and simply, what is needed for sustenance and not much more, and to avoid luxurious foods. This is presumed to be more inexpensive than our normal eating, and one is expected to give the money not spent on food to those in need. It's also presumed to be easier than our normal eating, so that we're less focused on food and more focused on spiritual things, but one of the ironies of modern life is that nothing is easier than the McDonald's drive-thru.
Here is a link that explains the fish question. http://dowym.com/voices/why-do-catholics-eat-fish-on-friday/1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »In the old days, the reason for things like Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day (as it is today in Chicago) ;-) was that you would not be eating meat or animal products (although fish was permitted some places -- the Latin word for meat/flesh is distinct from that for fish). Anyway, as a result you'd be using up dairy and eggs.
The current Orthodox Christian fast is basically like that (my Greek friend always tells me how much more serious their Lent is). ;-) Catholics, though, just avoid meat on Fridays -- fish is fine, but it's really not in the spirit if you have a lobster dinner, it's supposed to be simple, cheaper (save the money saved and give it to charity is one common practice), plain, a sacrifice.
Nothing "current" about Orthodox fasting practices. They've been the same for a very long time.
Yeah, I know -- wasn't trying to suggest otherwise. We changed, you didn't.Fish is also a separate food category as far as Orthodox fasting is concerned, but that doesn't matter for most of Lent since fish is also not eaten on fast days.
My friend says shellfish is okay, however -- no animal products but for shellfish (which somehow doesn't count as animal?), and no oil.
Anyway, I just think different fasting practices are interesting. Ours are pretty low demand these days.
You're right about shellfish. No one seems to quite know the reason for the exception. Some say it's because they don't have a backbone. (But the rules don't mention a backbone. Maybe the way the Fathers looked at it that makes them not-animals? John the Baptist ate locusts, after all.) Some say it's because, in some coastal regions, there's not a heck of a lot else to eat. Either way, dining on lobster every night would indeed be one of those things which, while technically within the rules, pretty thoroughly tramples the spirit of them. Even without drawn butter.
The basic idea is to eat plainly and simply, what is needed for sustenance and not much more, and to avoid luxurious foods. This is presumed to be more inexpensive than our normal eating, and one is expected to give the money not spent on food to those in need. It's also presumed to be easier than our normal eating, so that we're less focused on food and more focused on spiritual things, but one of the ironies of modern life is that nothing is easier than the McDonald's drive-thru.
Here is a link that explains the fish question. http://dowym.com/voices/why-do-catholics-eat-fish-on-friday/
That's actually a different issue and does not address the reason for the exception that ccsernica was talking about. We weren't talking about the Catholic rule about no meat (but fish is okay) on Fridays -- which I think is because fish wasn't considered a luxury in the places where it was commonly eaten, they were traditionally considered different types of dishes, and -- as I said above -- the Latin words for the two are different and a prohibition on flesh (think of those things with root carne) is not going to include fish (pesce).
But in addition to that distinction, the Orthodox -- who prohibit ALL animal products during Lent (including eggs, dairy, fish) -- have an exception for fish without backbones or shellfish.1 -
I am so happy to have found this! I was going to do my own all by myself, but now I don't need to - YAY!
OK so my big thing this year for Lent is to get control over sugar. It is the only thing that rules my life and it shouldn't have so much power over me. I'm giving up all sugary foods, but I will allow some home made low carb treats made with almond flour and such. Second thing, which goes with the first is to keep carbs less than 30 net grams per day. Yesterday I was at 27 - first day complete! I was also thinking about giving up meat on Friday, but I may not. Priority is to work on this one powerful problem I have - sugar addiction. I'm Lutheran so I can eat meat on Fridays anyhow
I really am looking forward to getting to know you all!!3 -
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Actually, there are other fast food joints that have better fish sandwiches, in my opinion. BK has a great one, as well as Wendy's. Arby's even has a decent fish sandwich. Honestly, as I have fish sandwiches at other places, the Filet-O-Fish keeps moving lower and lower on my list.2 -
This year I will go 40+ days without
1. alcohol
2. soda
3. yelling at the kids.. I don't think I yell at them often, but sometimes it feels like raising my voice is the only way they not only hear me, but take me seriously. Regardless of how often it happens, I don't like that I do it at all... so if I feel they are not hearing me, or just not taking me seriously, I will hug them and ask them a second time instead.
I will also gradually increase my water intake.- 1 bottle/ day Feb.15-24
- 2 bottles/day Feb. 25-Mar.6
- 3 bottles/day Mar.7-16
- 4 bottles/day Mar.17---
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Ooh, I'm adding one. I'm not a big fan of texting, and tend to be really introverted, so I lose touch with friends often. I will make it a point to send a message to at least one person a day to just say hello and reach out.
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I was raised in a Catholic household, I used to hate when it was Lent because we had fish dishes probably from Wednesday to friday every week. I got sick of fish omg. There would be no other meat in our house around that time. As i got older I realised the reasoning behind it. Well... Im on my first 60-80 oz bottle (its a really big bottle) and I just ordered some books to start reading.3
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As a Protestant Christian, I have never observed Lent, as it is not a part of our religious traditions. However, I just did some reading up about it and I think it would serve me well to make both a physical and a spiritual commitment in commemoration of Christ's sacrifice. So for Lent, I will commit to spending one hour every day in devotions and prayer, and will also fast from dawn until dinner every Tuesday and Friday.
This is Awesome!!! Say a prayer for all of us!4 -
Giving up all alcohol again this year! Giving up something for Lent should be a sacrifice& no wine with dinner sure is. Did it last year so going to do it again.4
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Can I join this group? I am giving up alcohol for Lent (started on Monday)... this will be a good thing for me both in Spirit and Body!4
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lemurcat12 wrote: »Anyway, it's also why I find the more traditional Orthodox practice here a bit enviable (although my aforementioned Greek friend, whose personal compromise is to do it only on Fridays and Holy Week, thinks I am nuts). ;-)
This is why you're not supposed to inquire into someone's fasting practices, since it's an additional temptation toward pride if you're observing the rules fully but someone else is not. Observant Russians often find Greeks to be too relaxed about these things. After all, the ordinary fasting rules even when outside of Lent are stricter than this. Except for something like 4 "fast-free" weeks over the course of a year, both Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days.
On the other hand, this week is the Orthodox equivalent of Carnivale. They already bid meat farewell this past Sunday. This is "Cheese Week" or "Butter Week", when you're supposed to use up all your remaining dairy products. (A category which includes eggs.) For Russians, this is when you eat lots and lots of blini with sour cream.4 -
Day 2 of 43 done. Mmm...I'm really not sure that cedar fruit I had after dinner fit, it surely fit in the calories but it didn't fit in the not giving in to temptation thing. But it's gone and there won't be another.
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Successful days: 2/40 days
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Ooh, I'm adding one. I'm not a big fan of texting, and tend to be really introverted, so I lose touch with friends often. I will make it a point to send a message to at least one person a day to just say hello and reach out.
What a great idea! I'm like that too and typically it's my husband that reaches out to everyone no me. I often pray for help in this area because I tend to isolate myself which isn't good! I will join you!!!4 -
2/40 completed and successful! Today I just repeat what I've been doing. Sounds more simple than it really is - but I can do it because I'm doing it for an important reason. Now time to text one of my kids!2
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Just as a note of possible interest, if you are going until Easter it's not 40 days, but 46. 40 is without Sundays. If you take Sundays off, it's 40, which is why the Catholic calendar is what it is (Sundays aren't fasting days even though most who do a Lenten discipline will do it on Sundays -- not all, this is a debated topic IME.) If it's just a 40 day challenge you decided to do to start when Lent does, I guess it makes no difference.2
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Feb.14:
Fast: n/a
Devotions: yes
Feb.15:
Fast: n/a
Devotions: yes0 -
Failed with the rice, had a little yesterday. Excelled with my water intake though and I finished a book last night. Better luck today with the rice.
Are we supposed to do daily/weekly updates?1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Just as a note of possible interest, if you are going until Easter it's not 40 days, but 46. 40 is without Sundays. If you take Sundays off, it's 40, which is why the Catholic calendar is what it is (Sundays aren't fasting days even though most who do a Lenten discipline will do it on Sundays -- not all, this is a debated topic IME.) If it's just a 40 day challenge you decided to do to start when Lent does, I guess it makes no difference.
Good point. I completely flaked on this detail, and it is an important one. To me it's up to the individual person. To do it for the full Lent season, or to do simply a forty day challenge as I recognize some are here because it relates to their spiritual path and others are not. So, it's up to each person; full season or just forty days.0 -
RoushelleP wrote: »Failed with the rice, had a little yesterday. Excelled with my water intake though and I finished a book last night. Better luck today with the rice.
Are we supposed to do daily/weekly updates?
Daily preferred, but if that's too intense you can do weekly.1 -
3/46 successful days
Out with friends but didn't have desert and then resisted homemade cookies.2 -
Feb 16:
Fast? Yes
Devotions? Yes3 -
3/46 done (why not go all through Easter?)
And the weekend is here, hopefully going through two clean days.3 -
As a protestant Christian, we always had Lent. I think that it is mostly those from a Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian background who do this. We were Methodist. My son is Catholic, and there's little difference in the lent observations from our perspective. So on this Lent, I'm working on myself. I have fallen out of my routines, including my exercise routines, and I have become increasingly self absorbed and despondent. I'm a stroke survivor and this time of the year (Valentine's Day, et al) has been really hard. I don't drink, but I sure need balance.
1. Read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie
2. Write at least 10 notes or letters and mail them
3. Revamp my vision board
4. Take my vitamins daily
5. Do a Darabee workout 3 times a week
6. Go back to and follow my written routines
7. Do my stroke exercises4 -
3/40 completed and successful!3
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4/46 done, a bit low on water but I'm catching up before bed.2
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4/46 successful days
1
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