Lent 2024
Ariel
Shipmate
in All Saints
I often think of Gordon Cheng's now famous comment "Lent, what a stupid concept" and the discussion that generated, when I think of Lent. But this year it begins on Ash Wednesday, which by coincidence is also Valentine's Day. Anyone doing anything for Lent? I'm still sorting things out, myself.
I admit to being more agnostic than anything these days, but I do think the idea of purification and retreat into a virtual desert or wilderness to get perspective, re-assess priorities, discard stuff that hinders (where possible) and learn to listen to that "still small voice" is invaluable.
Does anyone have any daily prompts or Lenten meditations they might like to share links for?
I admit to being more agnostic than anything these days, but I do think the idea of purification and retreat into a virtual desert or wilderness to get perspective, re-assess priorities, discard stuff that hinders (where possible) and learn to listen to that "still small voice" is invaluable.
Does anyone have any daily prompts or Lenten meditations they might like to share links for?
Comments
O - I gave up telling people what I was giving up for Lent a long time ago. None of their business...
IIRC, some Bible chap said to keep your fasting or whatever secret from all but God.
Very much in line with FatherInCharge's ideas (coupled with attendance at Tuesday Holy Hour and Friday Stations of the Cross, too
Anyone giving up social media or the Ship for the duration?
I am giving up alcohol for Lent this year.
I'm considering limiting my online engagement with YouTube, as it's far too easy to go down a rabbit hole of suggested clips and end up three hours later...
There are some folks who consider that every Sunday is a little Easter, and therefore a proper time to feast--or at least not fast. I don't know enough about the various traditions to tell you exactly who or when, though.
Since the period after the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has considered Lent as ending just before the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday.
The official opening of Lent is QUADRAGESIMA Sunday, even although it is preceded by the four extra days of fasting before this. (Quadragesima gives us 'quaresima' in Italian,'cuaresima' in Spanish and even 'careme' in French)
I don't think that the various Eastern rites have an equivalent of Ash Wednesday but ultimately the 40 days are only a guide and it is up to each follower of Christ to decide what they should best do to prepare for Easter.
For us in the Eastern Orthodox Church the 40 day Fast ends on the Friday bfore Palm Sunday, and so beings on "Clean Monday". The fast of Holy Week is separate and much older.
Sundays in Lent (like most other Sundays except Palm Sunday and Pentecost) still commemorate the Resurrection. Fasting is slightly mitigated on Saturdays and Sundays during Lent (two main meals rather than one, alcohol allowed, etc. but still no meat, fish or dairy produce).
The Guardian's Stephen Collins has a whimsical take on this subject:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/picture/2024/feb/09/the-fascinating-truth-about-pancake-day-the-stephen-collins-cartoon
More precisely it is 18th March for all who calculate the date of Easter by the Julian Calendar, which, as far as I know, is all Eastern Orthodox except the Orthodox Church of Finland.
We Orthodox have a Pancake Week, not just a day. The traditional rules for the week before Lent prescribe no meat, but otherwise any foods are permitted every day.
One of the big perks as retired clergy is I no longer have to show up for pancakes, underdone, or overcooked by the church youth group each year. Served alongside burned bacon and sweet frozen orange juice. For this, I am truly thankful.
Our Place had two Masses yesterday (10am and 730pm), with hymns at the evening service. My Spy tells me that 22 people attended over the two services, which doesn't sound all that brilliant, but is a few more than we used to get at just the evening Mass, which was our previous default practice.
Given that 25-30 is our usual Sunday morning crowd, I think FatherInCharge is justified in saying that Lent started well. Tomorrow evening sees the first of our Friday *Stations of the Cross* devotions, no doubt with a hymn or two as well as readings and meditations.
I'm not a great fan of Stations - our pictures are rather dreary black-and-white Edwardian prints, framed and glazed, but the actual images are a bit difficult to see clearly unless one is a foot or so away from them! - though there's usually a handful of the Faithful each Friday, with most people making the effort to attend at least once, or possibly twice.
We had a lot of little ones in church, and they mostly came to his side of the chancel. So there he is, all kitted out in robe and stole, getting down on his knees to reach the toddlers. He managed to spill a bit of ash down one little girl's face and they both got the giggles.
And given his accent, he was having a hard time not saying, "Remember that you are DUCK, and to DUCK you shall return."
I'm there with the sweet stuff too. I don't follow my RC friends and have Sundays off - it takes me two weeks to get over sugar 'cravings' (that sounds like a fancy phrase, but it's a fair one) and ten minutes to put myself back to square one, so staying off it is easier. I ought to follow you and cut down on pointless internet use - which is an ironic thing to say, here.
Here's the thread to dump 'my poem' again - the only one I remember or which moves me. It was written for the largely-abandoned fast of advent, but the sentiment works for Lent just as well.
That's lovely.
Getting back to Lenten disciplines, for various reasons I pretty much gave up giving something up for Lent many years ago. But I always take on some reading. Usually it’s a book—maybe one I’ve been putting off—that seems appropriate.
This year, I’m doing something a little different. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a regularly listener and fan of The Bible Project podcast. In 2024, they’re doing a year-long look at the Sermon on the Mount. So, I decided I’ll read the Sermon on the Mount every day during Lent. I’m using a variety of translations.
I may add another book before it’s all over with.