My Lent Regret

[Old_Newby]

I know we should gladly sacrifice for lent and my wife convinced me to give up french fries and soft drinks.

Unfortunately because she was doing the same plus she was giving up sweets she pressed me to give up something else. She dictated 3 choices. Sweets, Whiskey, or Pipe.

This was difficult because I enjoy a sweet (Ghirardelli chocolate) and a dram of whisky/whiskey every evening. So I gave up the pipe.

Arrrrgggggg!!!

I am surviving but need another idea for next year. Any suggestions?

 

[AcesAndEights]

I gave up drinking for Lent two years ago. And never started again. And I honestly don’t miss it now. That would be my vote!

 

[mikethompson]

The fact that you find it hard to go without it is kind of the point, as long as you are doing some generous act as well.

I gave up alcohol - which is hard!

Its almost Easter though!

 

[ThermionicScott]

3 things! You guys are gluttons for punishment!

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

My mother tried giving up vegetables one year. That didn't go over well with the grandparents.

 

[AroEnglish]

I don’t get any of those on a regular basis but I’d have given up the whisky.

Press on but if it’s really getting to you then you can reneg on the pipe smoking and continue on with the other two. Then when Easter rolls around you better quit pipe smoking for 50 days just to be fair.

 

[bullet08]

Pipe doesn't count. It has emergency ash if last one the padre put on your third eye washes off.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Smoke is holy, been used for thousands of years in religious and cultural ceremonies including Lent (burning of incense). Light up and plead that you're talking to god, its actually very close to the truth!

 

[AcesAndEights]

Smoke is holy, been used for thousands of years in religious and cultural ceremonies including Lent (burning of incense). Light up and plead that you're talking to god, it’s actually very close to the truth!

“A sweet-smelling oblation to the Lord”

Does that mean no Latakia?

 

[warren]

Smoke is holy, been used for thousands of years in religious and cultural ceremonies including Lent (burning of incense).

The pipe is hardly equal to incense. It's a luxury, a greatly desired one for some and so, giving it up for Lent makes great sense, a truly Lenten offering.

 

[VDL_Piper]

“A sweet-smelling oblation to the Lord”

Does that mean no Latakia?

Absolutely and with some orientals one can almost achieve incense like notes

 

[VDL_Piper]

The pipe is hardly equal to incense. It's a luxury, a greatly desired one for some and so, giving it up for Lent makes great sense, a truly Lenten offering.

Tell that to the Indian's of North and South America, tobacco is holy and no different to incense in meaning or effect.

 

[Hillcrest]

Any suggestions?

Listening to your wife ???

 

[simong]

I know we should gladly sacrifice for lent and my wife convinced me to give up french fries and soft drinks.

Unfortunately because she was doing the same plus she was giving up sweets she pressed me to give up something else. She dictated 3 choices. Sweets, Whiskey, or Pipe.

This was difficult because I enjoy a sweet (Ghirardelli chocolate) and a dram of whisky/whiskey every evening. So I gave up the pipe.

Arrrrgggggg!!!

I am surviving but need another idea for next year. Any suggestions?

Yes, lie to the wife & stash the sweets, whisky or tobacco. Confess to your priest & graciously accept absolution. If you feel guilty for doing this, bribe the priest & find out what your wife’s been confessing about.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Next year give up pipes. Choose one burner to see you through the season. For me, lent is less about denial and more about embracing a posture of gratitude.

 

[OzPiper]

I'm glad my wife decided to give up on the church some years ago
We were both brought up as Catholics, attended Catholic schools and I lived in a Catholic college at university.
At one stage I was going to enter a seminary.
Until I discovered girls and how much fun sin was

Sin, guilt and penance are keystones of Catholicism
Your trangressions, no matter how great, will be forgiven if you go to confession.
And if accompanied by a (very) generous donation to the Church, you may even be greeted by St Peter himself when you enter the Pearly Gates

I'm NOT against religion, or Catholicism for that matter.
I find solace in quiet prayer or contemplation.
Just what passes as church practices

 

[AroEnglish]

For me, lent is less about denial and more about embracing a posture of gratitude.

That’s a good way to put it.

 

[warren]

Tell that to the Indian's of North and South America, tobacco is holy and no different to incense in meaning or effect.

And, excluding non-christian indigenous people, they would be observing a Catholic rite why? I do acknowledge some other Christian religions also recognize Lent. But, non-Christian indigenous folk who also treat tobacco and other plant material with reverence? I doubt they observe Lent. At least, after some study, I can find no American indigenous people whose "native" religion observes Lent.

As an aside: Lumping all NA and SA indigenous peoples into a single group, with regards to their beliefs, ignores the many and significant differences between the various recognized groups with regard to their varied systems of beliefs regarding god, origins and such. See,s lazy to me but, that's simply my simple opinion.

 

[Sparcdude]

I keep it simple: I give up Lent for Lent...

(And now I expect the ghosts of my aunts who were nuns to haunt me)

 

[kcghost]

Yes, I would give up the drinking. It would be no problem for me as I only drink once or twice a month anyway.