What are you giving up for Lent?
I don’t mean to sound preachy. I just thought of sharing the jist of the few articles about fasting that I read recently. After all, I’m one of those who are guilty of finding a perfect opportunity to trim weight during the Lent through fasting. Some of us give up meat, sweets, and other stuff that seem to be a hard habit to break, in order to fast. But why do we really fast?
Fasting is about abstaining from food for spiritual reasons. A hunger strike done by some groups even for a good cause and diet programs are not a fast because they are for vanity and/or other reasons. We should fast:
- So that our hearts will focus on God alone. In fasting, it is important to know why we are doing it. If there is no purpose, the practice is meaningless. As we fast, the motivation, sincerity and determination intensifies.
- So that what controls us is revealed to us. We discover that it is not food that sustains our lives;
- To uncover what is not essential to us. Our desires are often reckless, and they take over our lives. We crave for many things that we actually don’t need. By fasting, we feel the degree of control they have on us and we gain the opportunity to overcome them. The harder it is to fast, the stronger our desires grip us. But the more we fast, the faster we become free from them.
Isn’t it wonderful when we really know and appreciate why we’re doing something?
Related readings:
*Why we put ashes on our forehead
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
every ash wednesday and all fridays of lent, we usually observe porkless meals. we try to avoid too much indulgence on food and whatnot.
i believe it isn’t only holy week that we can simplify our lives or make little sacrifices. what is important is the “reason for the season”.
.-= docgelo´s last blog ..LET’S WELCOME CHANGE =-.
i once read that fasting is “not a means to twist God to give us what we want but is a way to know God more and get closer to Him.” i truly believe this. we should fast out of love for God.
.-= kg´s last blog ..Why the cats are happier nowadays =-.
we actually try to avoid too much indulgence on food right now. one, because it is lenten season and two, because kailangan na lang pagkasyahin ang budget
.-= eds´s last blog ..*grrr* =-.
We only eat fish and veggies every Friday of Lent. I’ve decided to give up soda (Diet Coke and Sprite) for this year. Not that I’m an addict because lately even before Lent I don’t drink as much as I used to do.
I need to watch my diet according to my doctor so fish, veggies and no soda regimen is the norm for me even if it isn’t Lent.
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i am bad. i usually don’t fast. but maybe i’d try this time…
.-= Josiet´s last blog ..Thursday’s yoga =-.
we just dont eat meat during lenten season. ang sarap nyan parang it’s hard to resist and give up
.-= upto6only´s last blog ..LP: Husay =-.
i fast because its my way of reliving what Jesus did for 40 days. We go meatless during fridays and during the holy week.
.-= Yellow Bells´s last blog ..How to Transfer Ajman Drivers License to Dubai Drivers License =-.
we abstain from meat from ash wednesday till black saturday. actually tradition to sa province namin, naipass nalang samin hehe
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you’re giving us a challenging question. maybe in my case, ill fast on ice cream and chocolates. im addicted to those.
.-= dong ho´s last blog ..binondo food trip bloggers =-.
Confession: Ni minsan hindi pa ako nag-fast for something.
After what happened to me (appendectomy), I promised to abstain from red meat. It will be a very long time before I touch another slab of steak.
.-= Nebz´s last blog ..I was there once where you are now…it will pass =-.
I grew up in meatless fridays during lent household and this continues up to the present.
My husband fasts once a week all year long, and has been encouraging me to join him. It started for him as a religious practice, now it’s also like purging
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thanks for sharing the article.
.-= ibyang´s last blog ..The Magic of Talbos ng Kamote (Sweet Potato Leaves) =-.
i felt this so much last Ash Wednesday. i wasn’t in-control after all… kahit yung fasting lang, madami na ako nare-realize eh. that i should learn how to take command and be determined in seeing this sacrifice through the Lenten Season.
.-= bursky´s last blog ..nag-a-adik sa pagsulat ng musika =-.
I’ve never really done fasting. Real fasting. Pero yung pag iwas sa pork dati nagawa ko na.
Fasting doesn’t need to be done only during lent. Sometimes you can fast if you have this great favor to ask from God, like sickness. Isaiah 58 further explains fasting.
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I have to admit that I’ve never really done real fasting. I abstain from eating meat during Ash Wed and Fridays of Lent.
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