Lent Fasting / Abstaining Support Thread

[just_lily]

I am starting this thread in hopes of having a place for anyone fasting or abstaining during Lent to support each other. However you are recognizing Lent, please join us!

My fiance and I have decided to give up meat for the duration. I am also giving up all beverages except for water, and my one morning cup of coffee. I added in the beverage restriction because I felt that giving up meat wasn't going to be particularly challenging for me and I want this Lent period to really "count".

I had a feeling that giving up coffee, and tea, and pop was going to be way harder than meat. And I was SO RIGHT. I was drinking several cups of coffee and at least one cup of tea every day so sticking to water has been a challenge. I am really, really enjoying my morning cup though.

The only difficulty with giving up the meat so far is just coming up with meal ideas that will satisfy DF. He is having a much harder time of it.

My brother's wife is Italian Catholic, and apparently where they live everyone orders pizza on Fridays during Lent - vegetarian I assume. He had to order a pizza at 10am this morning in order for it to be ready by 6pm. Crazy!!

So how is it going with the rest of you ladies? Have the first few days been easier or harder than you expected? Do you feel like you have gotten closer to God, or received any spiritual messages?

[moonshoes]

Thanks for starting this thread! Giving up Facebook has been much harder than I thought it would be, which I guess is a good thing.

I'm also finding it hard to fit in the prayer time I wanted, but it will be much easier when the kids go back to school on Monday.

[Tuesday]

I'm giving up wine and doing the fasting and abstinence. I usually fast one day a week for health reasons normally - so I don't find that too much of an issue. I generally eat vegetarian so to do so for Lent - it's okay with me. If you're looking for meal ideas - I would suggest looking at either a good vegetarian cookbook (i.e. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison) or even certain Italian or Russian cookbooks. I find the Russian (or other eastern European cookbooks) tend to have a lot of good ideas since there are a lot of fast days in Orthodox calendar (or perhaps were - I'm ignorant on that subject). And there are so many Italian recipes you can make using just vegetables, legumes, grains. Are you eating fish?

I am doing a lot of prayer and meditation right now and making sure I read the Bible intensely - it IS helping.

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by Tuesday

I find the Russian (or other eastern European cookbooks) tend to have a lot of good ideas since there are a lot of fast days in Orthodox calendar (or perhaps were - I'm ignorant on that subject).

We discussed that recently on another Lenten thread. I'm Orthodox - lots of fasting days - about *half* the year! I Lent!

[philia]

trying

I have given up meat, eggs, milk products, liquor, and I am trying to add bad snacks. I am trying to not eat snack type foods that are not healthy. I am replacing those snacks with whole grain Wasa toast. I eat a lot of cereal with soy milk and Kashi Bars and vegetables. I don't drink soft drinks . I still have tea. I am trying hard to pray more and not gossip. I am trying to be so much more mindful of how my actions and attitude effects others. I have only been able to increase Church by one more day a week. I am Orthodox. I love Lent. I wish I could keep this mindset going all year. I did give up alcohol for the Nativity fast and have just carried it over. Why are we suppose to give up olive oil? I have not given that up but am using it a lot less with veggies. I am increasing Bible Study with my kids.
Philia

[Tradd]

Philia, the no oil is often held to be no olive oil. Margarine and other veggie oils are often considered to be okay. Kallistos Ware goes into this in the intro to the Lenten Triodion.

Why no oil? I've heard several theories. One, it's a luxury food, and since we're supposed to eat simpler during the fasts. Two, note the Evening Psalm (103/104), from the beginning of Great Vespers, "Oil to make his face shine." In other words, it strengthens and gives us comfort - what we're *not* supposed to be getting from food on fasting days!

As for wine - you don't need to give it up for the entire fast. If you look at the wall calendar your parish gives out, it notes wine and oil days - those are weekends in both Great Lent and the Nativity Fast, as well as some other days. Don't forget Annunciation and Palm Sunday are fish days.

[BetsyS]

I'm protestant, and our church doesn't celebrate Lent, but dh and I like to mark the season ourselves.

I've given up cokes (anything with bubbles), fast food, and meat on Fridays.

My dh has given up sweets and meat on Fridays as well.

I find that it's a nice time for us to fast and really seek God's will for us and our lives. We heart Lent, too.

[Bluegoat]

I've given up meat and alcohol this year, and most deserts. I haven't done anything about amounts of foods or fats since I am nursing a baby and a toddler.

But, I am a terrible faster, and bad at abstaining from foods in general. I am a total sucker for chocolate and cake and sweets, and simply have to keep them out of the house. (There is a tiny piece of cake my mom gave us that my dh was supposed to take with his lunch today. I am sure he is trying to keep his fast, but I will have to tell him he is leaving temptation in my path!)

My church's Lenten study this year is "Praying the psalms with St Augustine", and although I can't get to the meetings, I am going to follow along with the readings. I haven't done much with the psalms before other than singing them in church, and I would really like to become more familiar with them. I had a university professor who used to recite the psalms to himself while driving - he lived in a rural area and had a longish drive to work. I think it would be wonderful to have them by memory like that.

In his sermon on Sunday our priest talked about praying the psalms, and said there is a tradition which said that Christ prayed the psalms on the Cross, up to the words that were recorded in the Gospel. I had never heard this and thought it was very interesting.

[just_lily]

Unhhh, I really should have thought this whole "only water" thing through. I now have a brutal head cold, and really want some tea! I am sticking to my commitment, but am seriously considering just putting a bit of lemon in some hot water or something, and having that.

Tuesday - thanks for the cookbook advice. I have a few books that have vegetarian sections, and made a really nice Morrocan-style stew on the weekend. I am also picking up a few convenience foods to have on hand, like frozen veggie lasagna. I do most of our cooking from scratch, but am honest with myself and do convenience about once a week or so.

We aren't eating fish. To us that is meat. Going to an all seafood diet wouldn't be much of a sacrifice over here, other than costing an arm and a leg as we live in the prairies. We are eating eggs and dairy and are getting protein that way. DF is still anti-tofu, but I may be able to convince him before Easter. I picked up some B12 vitamins as well, to try to keep the grouchies away.