Decide What to Give up for Lent
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" -Matthew 4:1-4
Many Catholics choose to sacrifice something during the season of Lent. We obviously can't go forty days in the desert without food or drink like Jesus did, but giving up a favorite food or activity is the modern way of celebrating the season that leads up to Easter.
Contents
Steps
- Decide if you want to "give up" something. Lent is based on sacrifice, so most Catholics choose to stop eating a favorite food or pursuing a favorite activity. However, you can also choose to do something instead. For example, say an extra prayer every day, go to Church twice a week, or read some scripture verses. Many find it harder to commit to doing something extra in this forty-day period, while others see it as the easy option. Whether you give up or start something is completely your choice, so choose wisely.
- If you do decide to give up something, determine what is important to you. Do not give up something you do not like; this is not a sacrifice at all. Don't give up something you don't have, either. For example: if you've never tried peanut butter cookies before, don't make this your Lenten sacrifice, because you're not sacrificing anything you have.
- Pick a favorite. Sit down and think: What is my favorite food? What is my favorite drink? Favorite treat? Snack? Dessert? Activity? These things that are truly important to you might seem like a difficult thing to go without for forty days, but remember: It will be all the more worth it on Easter morning if you went through with something you thought you couldn't live without.
- Consider giving up a bad habit. Constantly biting your nails and want to stop it? Make this your Lenten goal.
- Consider giving up an Deal With Addiction. Things like cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol harm your body, and to make it your Lenten (and personal) goal to lash out these bad addictions (not just for Lent, but permanently) would be very rewarding to both you and God, and give you a lasting sense of accomplishment.
- Once you've chosen what you'd like to give up, consider the following questions:
- Is this something I like?
- Is this something I enjoy doing/eating?
- Is this something that's important to me?
- Do I think this will be a challenge throughout Lent?
- Will I appreciate this when I can have/do it again on Easter?
- Am I giving this up because I have to (someone is making me), or because I want to?
- Is this a true sacrifice?
- If you answered yes to all of these questions, you've chosen an excellent Lenten sacrifice.
- Stick with it. Say you've given up your favorite treat, chocolate, and it's been about a week. You rarely go this amount of time without your candy sweets, and you're not sure you can make it until Easter. Don't quit. Don't give up or give in early. Jesus ate nothing for forty days, and we have to do is sacrifice one little bit of our busy lives. On Easter morning, you'll thank yourself for it, and more importantly, God will thank you, too.
Rosary Prayer
Doc:Rosary in English,Rosary in Latin
Tips
- If you do give in early, confess to God and attempt again. It's never too late.
- If you're dealing with a bad habit or addiction, don't let it stop on Easter Sunday. Break that habit until it's completely gone.
- Whether you sacrifice something or not, remember that Lent is a time for praying to Jesus Christ the whole way through.
- Traditionally, your Lenten sacrifices are lifted every Sunday in Lent until sundown, and at sundown on Holy Thursday. Many Catholics choose to observe this, but still some go straight through until Easter.
Related Articles
- Celebrate Lent
- Confess Sins
- Worship Jesus Christ
- Celebrate Easter
