2018 Lent Challenge

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    ccsernica wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    ccsernica 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.
  • chelliz88
    chelliz88 Posts: 62 Member
    ccsernica wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    ccsernica 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/
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2018
    chelliz88 wrote: »
    ccsernica wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    ccsernica 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.
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
    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 o:)

    I really am looking forward to getting to know you all!!
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
    chelliz88 wrote: »
    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.

    Interesting. I used to love eating them!! Haven't had one in years!!
  • chelliz88
    chelliz88 Posts: 62 Member
    carlsoda wrote: »
    chelliz88 wrote: »
    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.

    Interesting. I used to love eating them!! Haven't had one in years!!

    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.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    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---
  • RoushelleP
    RoushelleP Posts: 8 Member
    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.
  • cjv73 wrote: »
    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!
  • survivor1952
    survivor1952 Posts: 250 Member
    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.
  • looneycatblue
    looneycatblue Posts: 1,301 Member
    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!
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    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.
  • rockymir
    rockymir Posts: 498 Member
    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.
  • krea4
    krea4 Posts: 1,809 Member
    Successful days: 2/40 days

  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
    MzManiak wrote: »
    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. :smile:

    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!!!
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
    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!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2018
    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.
  • cjv73
    cjv73 Posts: 240 Member
    Feb.14:
    Fast: n/a
    Devotions: yes

    Feb.15:
    Fast: n/a
    Devotions: yes