I have missed the beginning of Lent, hidden as it was this year, on Super Tuesday (followed by Awesome Wednesday and in 30 or so more days, Good Friday). I have a new friend for whom my respect has grown because he becomes vegan for the whole season (including Sundays). It makes me want to participate. This year the Pope has advocated a fast from words & images which, if you all followed it, would be bad for this blog, but which I support in general and specifically as it pertains to “traditional” media.
Lent still holds a special place in my heart, even though I hated it while I was Catholic. It’s a great idea, especially following the Season’s Eatings that extend from late November through the first of the year. I had thought of going vegan like my friend but my heart really isn’t in it. Maybe I’ll observe Ramadan this year by going vegetarian (I’m going to start small).
Once while I was in school, we actually had a Rice Bowl on the dinner table. This is apparently a Catholic thing: you give up [pleasure] for Lent & whatever you would otherwise have spent on it you put in the Rice Bowl. This money then gets donated to charity. Again, a wonderful exercise in mindfulness.
Is anyone out there observing Lent? I know we’ve Catholics/Christians out there in our reading public: how are you observing this Lent?
5 responses so far ↓
1 catbonny // Feb 17, 2008 at 2:23 pm
My sister and I were raised Catholic until our first communion or so, and then my mom left the church and we did also, but my sister is still pretty faithful about practicing Lent in terms of sacrificing something. She has done meat for the past few years. Last year I gave up smoking and drinking, and while smoking didn’t last that long, I waited longer before I started drinking and had 1-2 drinks during the time.
This year I gave up smoking because I am trying to quit, but it hasn’t gone over so well, although there has been a lot less smoking going on for me.
I have several friends that give things up and none of them came from a Catholic background. My boyfriend seemed puzzled by the fact that my friends, sister, and myself tried to give something up when we are not strong practicing Catholics or Christians who traditionally celebrate Lent. I would have to say that for me it’s a discipline thing, and it has a small correlation to spiritual relfection, but it really just seems like a good time as ever to be more disciplined than normal.
2 wren // Feb 25, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Last year I gave up red meat for Lent than stuck with it every since. I’ve 99.9% faithful to that. This year I planned to stop drinking soda (or as we call it in the midwest, pop) but that didn’t last long for I was sick and when I’m sick I need to coddle myself with whatever comforts me.
Maybe I’ll try again for the whole month of March.
3 xJane // Feb 26, 2008 at 4:22 pm
yes! pop! I call it that, too, from Seattle, and get weird looks…(that and anything dark, whether Pepsi, or rootbeer, is “coke” with a small c). Good luck with that one: I need to give up Mall Food. bleh.
4 wren // Feb 27, 2008 at 8:12 pm
It’s very popular in the south to call any dark cola “coke”.
Are you sure you’re really from the west coast? Maybe the stork dropped you in the wrong region.
5 xJane // Feb 28, 2008 at 6:37 am
:-p I think the stork dropped me in the wrong everything
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