Wednesday, March 9, 2011
40 days is a loooong time
Because I am someone's God-mother, I sometimes have to do things I would normally not do. Like go to church (ok, I've successfully avoided that for the 11 years of precious God-daughter's life, but I know it's coming). And answer questions about Catholicism (haha!! I bite my tongue a lot). And follow Lent. (for the most part).
So
That means as of today, I've given up the following for 40 days.
Bagels (which I eat EVERY DAY)
Burgers (don't eat those that often, but still)
and
Bad-mouthing strangers
AND
I'm not one of those Catholics who believe you get Sundays off, or that you can have what you've given up on Holy Thursday.
This is on until the Monday after Easter. Ok, I'll likely get a bagel on Easter Sunday while the family is at church, but that's still up in the air.
Like I said, it's going to be a looooong 40 days.
And you thought I was cranky before.
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10 comments:
The whole concept of "giving stuff up", related as it is to the concept of sacrificing to the gods, in which you give up other people's stuff, is something I find annoyingly puritanical.
I mean, if you subscribe to the theory that everything comes from god, then god GAVE me this stuff, and if he then wants it back he's a spoiled child and I'll have to smack him on the snout with a rolled up newspaper and tell him, loudly and firmly, NO!
I use it as a self-improvement period, so I'm giving ice cream the heave-ho in an effort to lose weight.
But I'm keeping my Sunday prison furloughs. I mean, I'm not Mel Gibson Catholic, even if I hate guitar mass.
To each their own. I admit to being a create-your-own-Catholicism gal. I do not go to Mass unless a wedding/funeral/baby require it. BUT I do this for precious God-daughter, and no other reason. Plus, it's always good to earn some extra Jesus points.
As I've said before, I gave up Lent for Lent, years ago. :)
Good luck, Von!
I used to give up coffee until, like Jennifer, I gave up Lent.
I have a good friend, a deacon's son, who always hated getting ashes on Ash Wednesday, so he did some research and discovered that it is not a holy day of obligation. He even consulted (I kid you not) a canon lawyer, and the guy corroborated his findings.
Yes, one of the common misconceptions is you have to get ashes, when it's no more required that getting candle sticks on your neck during the Feast of St. Blase. Take that, brown dot on my forehead!
Phew. I worked through lunch like I do 98% of the time, so no ashes for me.
Good info! Thanks B4.
I've decided to give up going to work (not to mention, getting paid).
~
I gave up chocolate for Lent once. I worked in a candy store at the time.
Yes, I took Sundays off.
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