So wondering, lent starts next Monday. What are you all doing for lent? Are you starting any studies? I've deicded I'm going to participate in lent this year for the first time. I'm looking for a good study to do during this period that will help me become more God focused. Do any of you have any suggestions?
I'm planning to follow Lent seriously as well. I don't have any specific studies in mind yet, but I do hope to undergo serious and conscientious fasting.
The scripture union Essential 100 is a good study... but as I am preparing for admission to the TSSF I will be studying the writings of St. Francis of Assisi. PS... In the Anglican Calendar doesn't Lent always start on Ash Wednesday this year (22nd Feb)? Isn't it the Eastern Orthodox that start Lent on Clean Monday?
Ah very true! My girlfriend is eastern catholic so I'm following the eastern one so we can do it together
LOL you had me worried there for a moment - here I was thinking we Anglican were robbed of a couple of days....
No. Several years ago I heard an Anglican priest preach on fasting for Lent. His personal opinion was that it was much m9re honouring to the Lord to refrain from gossiping or complaining or whatever sinful habit we struggle with. For me, living in Canada, by Lent I am usually getting really tired of winter...complain, complain, complain. So that is what I usually give up for Lent and some years it's harder than others. But this year, after a very bitter February, the weather turned nice today and is supposed to last for awhile. So it looks like it will be a much easier promise to keep this year. Now, I just have to make sure that I don't complain about anything else either.
We have coffee and biscuits after our mid-week eucharist. The amount of biscuits consumed goes down markedly every Lent. I'm giving up bad language.
No meat, no eggs, no dairy products, fish only on 25 March and 13 April; no oil and alcohol en weekdays.
I have a feeling that the ill-starred Pope Benrdict XVI issued an edict trying to reinstate "fish on Friday". I had visions of him enjoying some nice salmon or turbot, for example. Or perhaps monk fish.