Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Catholic Living in the Modern World => Topic started by: Friedrich N on March 28, 2024, 09:15:11 PM
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Of the things you've pledged yourself to do during this year's Lent, are there any you plan on maintaining beyond Holy Saturday?
For me, I'll continue to abstain from sweets except on Sundays. It's not only a mortification that's personally hard and thus effective, but has shown itself very beneficial to my health.
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The fast. Do we really need to eat more than once per day, perhaps with a 2 small collations? Penance isn't for Lent only.
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The fast. Do we really need to eat more than once per day, perhaps with a 2 small collations? Penance isn't for Lent only.
Good luck, I can’t wait to eat lunch again. I thought fasting would get easier but it was just as hard this week as it was the first week. I lost like 12lbs.
anyway I gave up alcohol and coffee, and do not plan to go back to routine consumption.
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The fast. Do we really need to eat more than once per day, perhaps with a 2 small collations? Penance isn't for Lent only.
If I don't eat 3 large meals I lose weight (and I am already light enough), perhaps for older people who don't need as many calories it would be fine, but for younger guys 3 meals is basically required unless you are eating something extremely calorie dense (eg 3k calories in 1 meal).
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Yes. Try to continue a better fast. I was. Thinking about praying the Stations of the Cross every Friday before we go to bed.
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Try to do a second daily Rosary.
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For those who mentioned fasting, it occurred to me, I think a simple "eat only during the three usual meals and abstain from any snacks between them" would be good practice outside Lent.
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Watch portions sizes too.
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15-20 decades of the Rosary, no movies/shows during the week, partial abstinence most days as well
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I notice the majority of these involve food, so I want to contribute a morsel --
Just a friendly PSA that everyone isn't you. We all don't have the exact same age, body frame, muscle mass, total weight, metabolism, thyroid, insulin resistance, blood sugar stability/health, general health, level of activity, or genetics. Or career, for that matter.
If you can do X, then great. Good for you; do X. Just don't assume that the 200 people you see at church, or your fellow CathInfo members, are "basically you" and could do the same things as you, if they only had the desire or gumption to. Because that's simply not true.
The Church doesn't mandate quantity of food eaten OR number of meals -- for fasting, non-fasting, or any other time. She knows in Her wisdom that not everyone has the same body, or the same state in life. She preaches the need for penance, and fasting/abstinence to some degree, and leaves it at that.
Dare I point out, that not everyone has the same weakness. Not everyone is weak against gluttony/lust. They have other fish to fry, as it were. Perhaps their besetting weakness is anger, or pride. It would be foolish to spend lots of time/effort on a fault you don't have, while ignoring major faults that could eventually cost you your soul. I realize the Capital Sins are all interconnected and each lead to the others ultimately -- but the means of fighting each of them is different, practically speaking.
As a matter of fact, in my spiritual reading this Lent I learned something very interesting. (I highly recommend the book, "The Spiritual Combat")
Perfection consists in conformity with the will of God, and charity. Nothing else. All else (fasting, obedience, corporal penances, even prayer!) is a means to that end. So if you were to, say, do serious fasts but be less passive/aligned with the will of God, you would literally be less holy/perfect that a man who isn't fasting at all, but is passive to the Will of God. Accepting a small penance thrown at you by life (God's Providence) *in a perfect manner* is superior to great penances chosen by our own will.
This book also pointed out that you should work on *one* sin/fault at a time. Because as you gain perfection in that one weakness, all the other virtues tend to follow. So whatever weakness you have, however sin is manifested in your life, THAT is what have to put all your effort into. Don't scatter your forces to reach perfection in 10 areas at once; you'll succeed in none of them. That's what the book said.
So just keep that in mind, as you throw out what you're doing/did for Lent, or what you will continue to do going forward. Don't be the Pharisee who disfigures his face to appear fasting, or blows a trumpet to announce his alms. We all know where they actually ranked, in the scheme of things, in the eyes of God.
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Excellent post Mathew.
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I notice the majority of these involve food, so I want to contribute a morsel --
Just a friendly PSA that everyone isn't you. We all don't have the exact same age, body frame, muscle mass, total weight, metabolism, thyroid, insulin resistance, blood sugar stability/health, general health, level of activity, or genetics. Or career, for that matter.
If you can do X, then great. Good for you; do X. Just don't assume that the 200 people you see at church, or your fellow CathInfo members, are "basically you" and could do the same things as you, if they only had the desire or gumption to. Because that's simply not true.
The Church doesn't mandate quantity of food eaten OR number of meals -- for fasting, non-fasting, or any other time. She knows in Her wisdom that not everyone has the same body, or the same state in life. She preaches the need for penance, and fasting/abstinence to some degree, and leaves it at that.
Dare I point out, that not everyone has the same weakness. Not everyone is weak against gluttony/lust. They have other fish to fry, as it were. Perhaps their besetting weakness is anger, or pride. It would be foolish to spend lots of time/effort on a fault you don't have, while ignoring major faults that could eventually cost you your soul. I realize the Capital Sins are all interconnected and each lead to the others ultimately -- but the means of fighting each of them is different, practically speaking.
As a matter of fact, in my spiritual reading this Lent I learned something very interesting. (I highly recommend the book, "The Spiritual Combat")
Perfection consists in conformity with the will of God, and charity. Nothing else. All else (fasting, obedience, corporal penances, even prayer!) is a means to that end. So if you were to, say, do serious fasts but be less passive/aligned with the will of God, you would literally be less holy/perfect that a man who isn't fasting at all, but is passive to the Will of God. Accepting a small penance thrown at you by life (God's Providence) *in a perfect manner* is superior to great penances chosen by our own will.
This book also pointed out that you should work on *one* sin/fault at a time. Because as you gain perfection in that one weakness, all the other virtues tend to follow. So whatever weakness you have, however sin is manifested in your life, THAT is what have to put all your effort into. Don't scatter your forces to reach perfection in 10 areas at once; you'll succeed in none of them. That's what the book said.
So just keep that in mind, as you throw out what you're doing/did for Lent, or what you will continue to do going forward. Don't be the Pharisee who disfigures his face to appear fasting, or blows a trumpet to announce his alms. We all know where they actually ranked, in the scheme of things, in the eyes of God.
I agree that this is an excellent post, Matthew. Excellent reminders and food for thought. I will check into that book.
At the same time, it is my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) that the Church proscribes its fasting rules (at least partially) as a way to form better discipline in our lives. This improved discipline in our eating habits is also supposed to help us to form more discipline in other matters/sins. So, I can see why some folks would like to continue some form of discipline with their eating habits.
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So just keep that in mind, as you throw out what you're doing/did for Lent, or what you will continue to do going forward. Don't be the Pharisee who disfigures his face to appear fasting, or blows a trumpet to announce his alms.
I have an aversion to "throw[ing] out" on the forum ANYthing that I might be doing and don't understand why people are broadcasting it here. Some here, of course, are anonymous (people know who I am, since I've revealed it), but even if I were fully anonymous, I'd be averse to broadcasting it anyway. Everyone's aware of things that they COULD do, so threads like this serve no purpose. Our Lord clearly instructed us to do such things in secret.
St. Matth 6
1 Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the ѕуηαgσgυєs and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. 4 That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee. 5 And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the ѕуηαgσgυєs and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
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I have an aversion to "throw[ing] out" on the forum ANYthing that I might be doing and don't understand why people are broadcasting it here. Some here, of course, are anonymous (people know who I am, since I've revealed it), but even if I were fully anonymous, I'd be averse to broadcasting it anyway. Everyone's aware of things that they COULD do, so threads like this serve no purpose. Our Lord clearly instructed us to do such things in secret.
St. Matth 6
I don't think the OP nor those that responded were doing so "to be seen". I know I wasn't, and I don't appreciate the implication that I was.
I think these threads are just fellow Catholics giving ideas to each other on what they might like to do (whether as part of the Lenten period) or as part of their normal post-Lent routines. Although you may know what you could do, I found a couple of the responses here and in the Lenten one very helpful.
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I don't think the OP nor those that responded were doing so "to be seen". I know I wasn't, and I don't appreciate the implication that I was.
I think these threads are just fellow Catholics giving ideas to each other on what they might like to do (whether as part of the Lenten period) or as part of their normal post-Lent routines. Although you may know what you could do, I found a couple of the responses here and in the Lenten one very helpful.
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 :)
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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.
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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.
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. You gave no indication that there could be other reasons for posting because again YOU think it's pointless.
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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.
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Grow up. You probably need to work on your ego as your feelings are "hurt" way too easily.
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....
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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.
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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. You gave no indication that there could be other reasons for posting because again YOU think it's pointless.
Besides, where did I say that I was being "gentle"? I had no intention of being "gentle" or "nithe", whatever that means. I only said that I did not call out any individual for the behavior, just the thread as a whole. It was you who decided to make it personal.
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. Men think of things abstractly, in terms of principles, right and wrong, etc. ... and then women spin it into some kind of personal attack. I point of fact, I didn't even know that you had posted on this thread until this last set of posts, and I took no note of any individual who had posted here, except for Matthew's comments, to which I was mostly responding.
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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.
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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.
More lies and strawmen. Point out to me where I accused anyone of "sin".
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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.
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More lies and strawmen. Point out to me where I accused anyone of "sin".
So exactly what is it that we do if we go against what Our Lord said...you know the Scripture verse you assigned to all of us?
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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.
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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. Men think of things abstractly, in terms of principles, right and wrong, etc. ... and then women spin it into some kind of personal attack.
It is one of the main, obvious differences between us: men think/speak in generalities, yet women think/speak/hear according to the specific/personal.
Note: Regardless of what your brain may be telling you, the previous statement is GENERAL, i.e. NOT SPECIFIC.
IMO, God made us with such differences precisely because we are to play different roles within the family, society, etc.
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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.
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I have an aversion to "throw[ing] out" on the forum ANYthing that I might be doing and don't understand why people are broadcasting it here. Some here, of course, are anonymous (people know who I am, since I've revealed it), but even if I were fully anonymous, I'd be averse to broadcasting it anyway. Everyone's aware of things that they COULD do, so threads like this serve no purpose. Our Lord clearly instructed us to do such things in secret.
If you have such an aversion maybe this thread is not for you. Just sayin....
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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?
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I have an aversion to "throw[ing] out" on the forum ANYthing that I might be doing and don't understand why people are broadcasting it here. Some here, of course, are anonymous (people know who I am, since I've revealed it), but even if I were fully anonymous, I'd be averse to broadcasting it anyway. Everyone's aware of things that they COULD do, so threads like this serve no purpose. Our Lord clearly instructed us to do such things in secret.
If you have such an aversion maybe this thread is not for you. Just sayin....
I also agree.
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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.
Where can I get/buy these audiobooks?
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Where can I get/buy these audiobooks?
I purchased them through Audible. They don't have everything I would like, but there's a decent selection.
The Sinner's Guide
The Spiritual Combat
The Spiritual Exercises (read by Kevin O'Brien)
The Mystical City of God
The Spiritual Doctrine of Fr. Louis Lallemant
Humility of Heart
There are many more available, but any one of the above is to be considered a treasure.
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I purchased them through Audible. They don't have everything I would like, but there's a decent selection.
The Sinner's Guide
The Spiritual Combat
The Spiritual Exercises (read by Kevin O'Brien)
The Mystical City of God
The Spiritual Doctrine of Fr. Louis Lallemant
Humility of Heart
There are many more available, but any one of the above is to be considered a treasure.
Do they have the old 1800s version? The older style of english is very nice and motivating.