Lent coming up here
grassette
Posts: 976 Member
How do you plan to integrate your dieting with Lent fasting?
What else are you planning for Lent?
Let's share some good ideas.
What else are you planning for Lent?
Let's share some good ideas.
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Replies
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My husband and I have been discussing this; we like to do things together and then we also do what we think we're being called to.
We plan on fasting on Wednesday's with 2 meals typically bread and something on it...we both choose different things. I was pondering what else I wanted to do. We always like to fast during the 40 Days for Life when it's held in the U. S. and Lent is of course one of those times it's held.
I'd be open to other ideas; quite often I feel "called" to do more; like I plan on giving up Facebook and any unnecessary TV. We don't watch a lot of TV but want to focus on doing Spiritual reading anytime I may want to watch TV. The last couple weeks my husband and I have been listening to some of the lectures on this website - http://www.instituteofcatholicculture.org/ There are so many videos and things to learn one could never run out...and we've been enjoying it with only 2 weeks in.
I remember you doing the Daniel fast last year and what you had written earlier this week and it made me wonder why is it that - I find it per say easier to fast for Lent or for something spiritual than if I'm just doing it to try to get back to a desired weight level as I too have been struggling to get to where I was in earlyl November. It seems you have been struggling too? Yes/No?
Excited to get ideas from others on what they are doing as maybe I can incorporate some of them too.
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I'm going to try to make it to the Stations of the Cross every Friday this Lent.
I hadn't really thought about my diet in relation to Lent. I'm at 1200, so I can't go any lower on calories, but I guess I could further limit some things that I normally enjoy. Have to give that some thought.
I'll be interested in hearing more ideas.0 -
Ora, that is a great devotional for Lent. Jamie, your Wednesday fasts sound so rigorous. I would not be able to do it, because of blood sugar problems. So my solution is the Daniel Fast. It is more than avoiding candy, or treats, or meat. It is like eating like someone who is poor, but knows about nutrition. This is what to avoid as per the official list.
ALL MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS: including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish. ALL DIARY PRODUCTS: including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs. ALL SWEETENERS: including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice. ALL LEAVENED BREAD and baked
goods. ALL REFINED AND PROCESSED FOOD PRODUCTS: including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives. ALL DEEP FRIED FOODS: including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips. ALL SOLID FATS: including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat. BEVERAGES: Including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and
alcohol.
Sunday is the exception, where one can eat some of those things to make sure that you don't get malnutrition. Evangelicals do it for 21 days, not 40. It is based on the diet that Daniel and the other Jewish boys followed at the court so as not to defile themselves. Sundays are a shock when you realize how totally wonderful eggs and yogurt are. So you become grateful for these very ordinary things, and you realize how some people never get to eat these things. It helps to develop the whole notion of being poor in spirit.
But it's not as if you are deprived, because you can eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, wholesome oils (like olive oil), tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices. It means more thought going into what you eat, and less just making something without thinking.
I'm also thinking of taking an Internet fast for several days a week, so as to shut down the distractions. It might mean logging into MFP, but not looking at the forums. I was reading about recommendations to take a Sabbath from the new technologies so that God could speak to one more clearly. But I'm still mulling that one over.0 -
Rachel, you certainly have to be creative with your food that's for certain since there aren't a lot of things you can eat. Kudos to you for doing it; not sure I could.
Stations of the Cross are good too; we try to do them but I didn't even think about that...Ora thanks for the reminder.0 -
You reminded me of another practice that I did during the Triduum years ago. That was to have only bread and water starting with Holy Thursday dinner until Easter morning. The first time I did it that way and it was extremely hard. The next time, I added in butter and coffee and it was still difficult, but much more manageable for me.
If you have children, you could start the "Crown of Thorns" tradition that we did every year when my daughter was young. You make 3 ropes of dough, braid them, shape the braid into a circle, making the "crown". Add toothpicks sticking out of the dough in all directions (the thorns). Put it in the oven until the dough is baked through and very hard. Each time a family member does a good deed, says a prayer,refrains from doing something wrong, etc. they get to break a "thorn" out of Jesus' crown of thorns.
Then there's "Resurrection Cookies" that you make on Holy Saturday night. They're a special merangue recipe and they sit in the oven over night. On Sunday morning, you open the oven and they look like little tombs that have been opened. If anyone is interested, I can find the recipe and post it in this thread.0 -
Wow, Ora, what great ideas!0
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Here is a link describing the whole activity of the preparation of the Resurrection Cookies, including the recipe, Bible verses, and explanations for children:
http://www.iccreligiouseducation.com/easter.cfm?subpage=3094060 -
Here's another one for children, The Jelly Bean Prayer
http://www.motherlyloving.com/2009/02/lenten-jelly-bean-activity-prayer.html0 -
When thinking of things to sacrifice, I look at what I really enjoy. So, this year the two that made the top of my list were sleep and wine. Ha!
What I've decided to do this year is sacrifice some of my extra morning sleep. I'm going to get up earlier to take a walk around my neighborhood. While walking, I will either pray the rosary or find another kind of prayer routine. I told my husband he could join me, but this is to be a silent walk.
I'm sure we will continue with our other Lenten traditions in our home (Stations of the Cross, giving up something as a family, extra prayer time, etc).0 -
One of the things that I would like to do is to pray the Divine Office daily throughout Lent. I do have the breviaries set, but I really like divineoffice.org because instead of reciting hymns, you can hear them sung, and cantors singing the psalms. Also, everything is nicely laid out, while figuring out what to read in the breviaries when is quite confusing.
I'm also pondering whether or not to take a weekend off and spend it in a monastery. The Reclusive Sisters have rooms for pilgrims and they pray the divine office throughout the day. If you want spiritual direction, you can ask for it, an one of the monastic nuns will sit with you.0 -
These are all great ideas and thanks so much for all the links. We homeschool our kids, I have three girls left at home and we try to do some sort of meditation, readings or prayers every morning during or after breakfast during lent. We also try to 'give up' something, but it is often tv, extra computer time or something on that order. Thanks again and I pray everyone has an awe inspiring Lent.
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i set up a lent 2013 group with prayers and some ideas if you want to check it out, im compiling my list for lent this monday0
