Patterico's Pontifications

3/3/2022

What Are You Giving Up for Lent?

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 8:29 am



I am already on a no-alcohol kick, so that doesn’t count. This year I will again adopt the three C’s: criticism, complaining, and chips. As in prior years, I’ll relax the “criticism” component online, since blogging is basically criticism in regular written form. But I will try to level my criticism in as constructive a manner as possible.

I’m also considering a social media limitation of sorts, not as a Lenten requirement (that’s already been set) but as a Good Thing to Do.

How about you?

28 Responses to “What Are You Giving Up for Lent?”

  1. Sanity.

    Radegunda (c970ff)

  2. What Are You Giving Up for Lent?

    The New Year’s resolution diet.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  3. I’m giving up baseball.

    Kevin M (38e250)

  4. On a more serious note: If something merits being forgone during Lent, maybe I shouldn’t take it up again after Easter.

    Radegunda (c970ff)

  5. Chips and Candy Crush. Not up to the coffee challenge.

    RL formerly in Glendale (48bc71)

  6. It’s the C’s for me: Candy, confectionary, cake, Cwinkies, Chirardeli, etc.

    Paul Montagu (5de684)

  7. It’s the C’s for me:

    But not kaffe or käse.

    Radegunda (c970ff)

  8. DCSCA

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  9. I commented on this in a Facebook group. Some years ago at Ash Wednesday mass, our parish’s pastor gave a homily in which he suggested that giving something up for 40 days of Lent only to resume it once Easter comes around isn’t quite what the Lenten season should be about. Instead, he challenged each of us to find one area in our life where we think we are falling short of God’s expectations for us and then spend the Lenten season trying to implement a permanent change in a positive direction. So, in various years since I have tried to cut back on my cussing (those of you who read my posts know how poorly that has gone), tried to cut back on useless online arguments (ditto, though to my credit I have gotten pretty good at avoiding Facebook and Twitter scrapes), tried to exhibit more patience and understanding while driving (hard, very hard), and various other things. I am going to keep this year’s self-improvement attempt in pectore for now, but hopefully I will emerge this Easter has a slightly better version of myself.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  10. I am giving up thermonuclear war.

    asset (5ab754)

  11. So it’s the young newlyweds’ wedding night, and the bride is perplexed by the groom’s refusal to consummate the marriage. “What’s the problem?” she asks. “It’s Lent”, he replies, as though she ought to know. “Lent?” she exclaims, almost in tears. “To whom and for how long?”

    nk (1d9030)

  12. mispeling

    EPWJ (0fbe92)

  13. Ah, nk, every time you post a hilarious joke in a comment it always unlocks my aging mind and reminds me of jokes I learned 30 and 40 years ago which immediately come flooding back to me. Right now I am thinking of about five different wedding night jokes, none of which is remotely suitable for this forum.

    Do you know the one that ends, “But don’t you want to get pregnant?” I hope you do, because I can’t really repeat it here.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  14. @8. Wise choice, Rip- as everything ‘DCSCA’ likes is immoral, illegal– and fattening. 😉

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  15. @13 I know that one, JVW. It’s funny you should ask if nk is familiar with it, because the version I heard involves Greeks!

    norcal (5948da)

  16. Mormons do Lent every day their whole lives. No pre-marital sex. No tobacco, alcohol, coffee, or tea. (They do Extra Lent on Sunday, because they aren’t supposed to shop or otherwise patronize any businesses on Sunday—because that would cause somebody to work on the Sabbath.) 10% of one’s income (and more) goes straight into church coffers. The only debate is net versus gross income. Mandatory unpaid work within the church.

    I did that for years, so I’m coasting on a lifetime of Lent credits.

    norcal (5948da)

  17. Oh, I forgot the big one. Two years in my early twenties as a full time Mormon missionary on the east coast. I’m talking Super Lent. No radio, TV, newspapers, music (apart from MoTab–Mormon Tabernacle Choir–and classical), movies, dating, leaving mission boundaries, or having alone time (always with a companion). Two phone calls home per year. White shirts with a tie six days a week.

    No pay for that, either. Not even living expenses! My dad paid for those!

    Beat that, folks!

    norcal (5948da)

  18. I feel like Lent is just another opportunity to be disappointed in myself. And let’s face it, the list of possible things to give up is limitless. Therefore, I will just try to be kind and gracious, especially to those who annoy me…while nibbling yummy chips.

    Dana (49f8b2)

  19. I consume neither chips nor soda, and am much healthier for it. 😛

    norcal (5948da)

  20. I’m giving up lent.

    mg (8cbc69)

  21. @20 In Massachusetts, one of the most Catholic states? How dare you!

    norcal (5948da)

  22. Jack Catholic, norcal!
    Used to tape the clanger on the bell to mess with some of my fellow altar boys.
    The nuns would knock em around after mass. Those were fun days!

    mg (8cbc69)

  23. It’s funny you should ask if nk is familiar with it, because the version I heard involves Greeks!

    Yep, that’s exactly why I asked nk.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  24. Sigh! Yes, yes, I know the joke.

    nk (1d9030)

  25. Jack Catholic, norcal!

    mg (8cbc69) — 3/3/2022 @ 6:32 pm

    🍻

    norcal (5948da)

  26. If you hear an air raid siren duck and cover. If you see a bright flash in the sky don’t look at it. If you see a large mushroom cloud don’t drive toward it! That is what we will give up for lent.

    asset (e1c1f3)

  27. This relatively-Jack Catholic stormed out of a Potbelly Sandwich in the west loop after the sandwich maker said there was no Tuna…how the bleep do you not have Tuna on a Friday in March?

    urbanleftbehind (c6f17b)

  28. Phone games.

    nate (efe187)


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