That's why I mentioned it gently at the end -- just as a friendly reminder. I didn't want to accuse anyone.

Same.  No individual was accused and there was no need to get defensive (and protest too much, as it were).  People's motivations are between them and God.  I just find this kind of thread (which we've seen before) to be rather useless.  As you point out, everyone is different and so each individual needs to decide (together with his confessor) what might be appropriate for himself, and so sharing thoughts is relatively pointless.  We all know the endless possibilities out there in terms of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (including donation of one's time).  I also agree with your caution regarding tackling one little thing at a time, until it becomes a habit.  There's a great danger in going from 0 to 100.  Even in things unrelated directly to the spiritual life, people invariably fail when they make radical moves.  That's why nearly all "diets" fail and all New Year's resolutions fail (where you're going to go from couch potato to training for a marathon or weight-lifting competition from one day to the next).  Make one little change at a time until it becomes a HABIT and you do it without even thinking about it.  Then add another little thing.  And what you add could depend on your predominant vice.  So, for instance, a couple of my kids hate eating, and so "fasting" does not require any virtue for them.

With fasting and other penances in particular, pride is always a HUGE danger and can be worse than any attachment to food.  I love the story of St. Francis of Assisi where he had gone without eating meat for several years.  At one point, he was a guest at someone's home, and this person served meat.  St. Francis ate it without giving it a second thought.  One of his brothers marveled, thinking that it must have been a great blow to him to have ruined his "streak".  St. Francis replied that there was no hesitation, since charity toward his host required that he eat what was served.  There was zero motivation in him regarding pride, "Ah, I haven't eaten meat in 10 years, see."  That meant nothing to him compared to charity.

No your post wasn't gentle.  It may not have called anyone out but you made it clear that we should be keeping this all secret....like you do.

Grow up.

I said what I said, and repeated what Our Lord said (the same thing), so if you resemble that remark, that's between you and God.  I stand by it as objectively true.  There's no valid reason for these threads, which pop up from time to time.  Nobody needs "ideas" from others.  There's a huge, almost endless, list of things that can be done whether in Lent or outside of Lent.

My feelings aren't *hurt*.  You just can't accept that it was actually you who are the Pharisee here.Not being like us and all....

I find the hypocrisy to be breathtaking, where you accuse me of being a Pharisee, whereas I had made no judgment whatsoever about any given individual's motivations.  Yes, I find these threads distasteful, objectively speaking, as they're precisely what Our Lord taught us not to do.  Unlike yourself, I never called out any individual, just the objective nature of the thread.

I suppose that Our Lord too was a Pharisee for calling out the behavior of the Pharisees.

I find the hypocrisy to be breathtaking, where you accuse me of being a Pharisee, whereas I had made no judgment whatsoever about any given individual's motivations.  Yes, I find these threads distasteful, objectively speaking, as they're precisely what Our Lord taught us not to do.  Unlike yourself, I never called out any individual, just the objective nature of the thread.

No you didn't because everyone was accused with  your general accusation... that we all sinned by responding to this thread and others like it. There was no need to call out any one person. 

Your inability to accept responsibility for your actions is what continues to be breathtaking. 

That's why I mentioned it gently at the end -- just as a friendly reminder. I didn't want to accuse anyone.

Nor did I want to be "against" the thread completely, simpliciter.

But comments made in passing like, "and I don't understand why *anyone* would need to eat more than once a day, plus a couple snacks" almost like it was a given, shows a personal, subjective bias in the matter, and a certain ignorance that not everyone is the same. That is what inspired my post.

Plus even more people were talking about fasting almost exclusively; which inspired the other part of my post. Some people, who haven't been to seminary, don't realize that holiness doesn't equal fasting, # of vocal prayers said each day, or other such measures. It's helpful to share the wisdom from various spiritual books that perhaps many laymen haven't read.

Some people need their horizons broadened; they need to see a little bigger picture, from a bit higher up: for starters, let's try getting more than 12 inches off the ground :)

As I said, I thought your post was excellent and it did not come off accusatory or judgmental.

This is a personality trait that I've seen among many women in particular, where they take things personally that were not in any way directed toward them and where there was no intention whatsoever to accuse anyone of anything. 

Agree.  

I highly recommend the book, "The Spiritual Combat"...

I have that and several other truly excellent works on audiobook.  Sometimes my mind is too tired to read, but I can listen.

Godspeed to all this Easter-tide.

Same.  No individual was accused and there was no need to get defensive (and protest too much, as it were).  People's motivations are between them and God.  I just find this kind of thread (which we've seen before) to be rather useless.  As you point out, everyone is different and so each individual needs to decide (together with his confessor) what might be appropriate for himself, and so sharing thoughts is relatively pointless.  We all know the endless possibilities out there in terms of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (including donation of one's time).  I also agree with your caution regarding tackling one little thing at a time, until it becomes a habit.  There's a great danger in going from 0 to 100.  Even in things unrelated directly to the spiritual life, people invariably fail when they make radical moves.  That's why nearly all "diets" fail and all New Year's resolutions fail (where you're going to go from couch potato to training for a marathon or weight-lifting competition from one day to the next).  Make one little change at a time until it becomes a HABIT and you do it without even thinking about it.  Then add another little thing.  And what you add could depend on your predominant vice.  So, for instance, a couple of my kids hate eating, and so "fasting" does not require any virtue for them.

With fasting and other penances in particular, pride is always a HUGE danger and can be worse than any attachment to food.  I love the story of St. Francis of Assisi where he had gone without eating meat for several years.  At one point, he was a guest at someone's home, and this person served meat.  St. Francis ate it without giving it a second thought.  One of his brothers marveled, thinking that it must have been a great blow to him to have ruined his "streak".  St. Francis replied that there was no hesitation, since charity toward his host required that he eat what was served.  There was zero motivation in him regarding pride, "Ah, I haven't eaten meat in 10 years, see."  That meant nothing to him compared to charity.

Interesting example. I have a question. What if you got served meat on a Friday or another day of abstinence? Or if you follow the pre vatican 2 lent rules of each day is no meat? Should we still break the abstinence?