Lenten sacrifice

Common Lenten sacrifices include abstaining from pleasures such as chocolate, sugar, sweets, or soft drinks.Marina Watts, Why Do People Make Sacrifices During Lent?, https://www.newsweek.com/why-do-people-make-sacrifices-during-lent-1569609 Some Christians choose to practice temperance throughout the Lenten season, thus giving up alcoholic beverages;{{cite web |last1=Bryant |first1=Tony |title=Pancake Day: a typically British tradition |url=https://www.surinenglish.com/lifestyle/food-drink/pancake-typically-british-20220225104415-ntvo.html |publisher=Diario Sur |access-date=1 March 2022 |language=English |date=25 February 2022 |quote=some Christians choose to practice temperance – refraining from drinking alcohol - throughout the Lenten season.}}{{cite web |title=Drink less this Lent |url=https://www.pioneerassociation.ie/media-centre/43-drink-less-this-lent |publisher=Pioneer Total Abstinence Association |accessdate=17 March 2019 |language=English |date=22 February 2009 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116094525/http://pioneerassociation.ie/media-centre/43-drink-less-this-lent |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |last1=Gilbert |first1=Kathy L. |title=Could you go alcohol-free for Lent? |url=https://www.umnews.org/en/news/could-you-go-alcohol-free-for-lent |publisher=United Methodist News Service |accessdate=17 March 2019 |language=English |date=21 February 2012}} in light of this, temperance drinks experience a surge of popularity during the Lenten season.{{cite web |last1=Hardy |first1=Rebecca |title=Alcohol-free: why temperance drinks are making a comeback |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/feb/11/alcohol-free-why-temperance-drinks-are-making-a-comeback |work=The Guardian |accessdate=24 August 2019 |language=English |date=11 February 2016}} Others, on the first day of Lent, pledge to give up sinful behaviours, such as using profanity, and hope to permanently rid themselves of these habits even after the arrival of Eastertide.{{cite web |last1=Gross |first1=Natalie |title=Catholics, Christians encouraged to deny self, serve others during Lent |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2014/03/07/catholics-christians-encouraged-deny-self-serve-others-during-lent/15051750007/ |publisher=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |access-date=1 March 2025 |language=English |date=7 March 2014}} While making a Lenten sacrifice, it is customary for Christians to pray for strength to keep it; many often wish others for doing so as well, e.g. "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice."{{cite web |title=What is Shrove Tuesday ? Meaning, Traditions, and 2021 Date |url=https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-shrove-tuesday-meaning-and-holiday-date.html |publisher=Christianity.com |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=English |quote=While undergoing a Lenten sacrifice, it is helpful to pray for strength ; and encouraging fellow Christians in their fast saying, for example: "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice."}}{{cite web |title=Prayer for Lenten Sacrifice |url=http://dioscg.org/prayer-for-lenten-sacrifice/ |publisher=Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau |accessdate=24 February 2020}}

Many Christians sacrifice the eating of meat and commit to vegetarianism for the entire Lenten season.{{cite web |last1=Freston |first1=Kathy |title=God, Christianity and Meat |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/religion-vegetarianism-_b_3874652.html |publisher=Huffington Post |accessdate=17 March 2019 |language=English |date=5 September 2013}}{{cite web |title=Veg for Lent |url=https://christianveg.org/th-20110309-art.htm |publisher=Christian Vegetarian Association |accessdate=17 March 2019 |language=English |date=2008}} It is commonplace for many Christians (especially Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists) to observe the Friday Fast throughout Lent, which includes abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent.{{cite book|last=Crowther|first=Jonathan|title=A Portraiture of Methodism: Or, The History of the Wesleyan Methodists|year=1815|publisher=T. Blanshard|language=English|pages=251, 257}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ststephenlutheranchurch.org/pdf/Disciplines%20of%20Lent-%20Handbook.pdf|title=A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent|last=Weitzel|first=Thomas L.|year=1978|publisher=Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|language=en|access-date=17 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317164940/http://www.ststephenlutheranchurch.org/pdf/Disciplines%20of%20Lent-%20Handbook.pdf|archive-date=17 March 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite book |author1=John Wesley |title=The Sunday Service of the Methodists |date=1825 |publisher=J. Kershaw |page=145 |language=English |quote=Days of Fasting or Abstinence All the Fridays in the Year, except Christmas-Day}}

Some Christian clergy, both Roman Catholic and Methodist, have encouraged the faithful not to give up social media for Lent as they believe that Christians can use social media for evangelism.{{cite web |last1=Olivia |first1=John |title=Please Don't Give Up Social Media For Lent |url=https://bustedhalo.com/ministry-resources/please-dont-give-up-social-media-for-lent |publisher=Busted Halo |accessdate=18 March 2019 |date=18 February 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Jeremy |title=Would a Missionary Give Up Swahili for Lent? |url=http://um-insight.net/perspectives/jeremy-smith/would-a-missionary-give-up-swahili-for-lent%3F/ |publisher=UM Insight |accessdate=18 March 2019 |language=English |date=19 February 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Schiffer |first1=Kathy |title=Giving Up Facebook for Lent? Please Reconsider… |url=http://www.ncregister.com/blog/kschiffer/giving-up-facebook-for-lent-please-reconsider |publisher=National Catholic Register |accessdate=18 March 2019 |language=English |date=1 March 2017}}

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent, with Lent-observing Christians striving to practice these throughout the Lenten season.{{cite web |last1=Cumming |first1=Ryan P. |title=Holy Week: Feasting, Fasting and Living in Tension |url=https://blogs.elca.org/blog/tag/lament/ |publisher=Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |access-date=1 March 2025 |language=English |year=2025}} Christian denominations often set certain requirements for the practice of fasting, such as those found in Pope Paul VI's apostolic constitution Paenitemini in the Catholic Church, A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent in Lutheranism, the Book of Common Prayer in Anglicanism, and The Sunday Service of the Methodists. The faithful are encouraged to practice prayer more intensively and to take part more in church services and devotions (e.g. the Way of the Cross). Likewise, they engage in works of mercy and give alms, along with participating in other means of grace.{{cite web |title=Giving 'alms,' and other acts of charity, during Lent |url=https://catholicphilly.com/2017/03/catholic-spirituality/giving-alms-and-other-acts-of-charity-during-lent/ |publisher=Catholic Philly |access-date=1 March 2022 |language=English |date=10 March 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Reumann |first1=Amy |title=Lent Out Loud: Ash Wednesday |url=https://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/lent-reflection-ash-wednesday/ |publisher=Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |access-date=1 March 2022 |language=English |date=10 February 2016}} The Lenten sacrifice is related to these three pillars of Lent. The money an individual would normally spend on rich foods, such as sweets or soft drinks, is donated as alms for the poor (cf. offering).{{cite web |last1=Vanspall |first1=Julie |title=The benefits of discipline ... even giving up chocolate |url=https://bccatholic.ca/voices/julie-vanspall/the-benefits-of-discipline-even-giving-up-chocolate |publisher=The B.C. Catholic |access-date=2 March 2025 |language=en |date=25 February 2021|quote=As a Lenten sacrifice, it can “train” me with a reminder to pray for someone with less, to give the money I would have spent on chocolate to someone in need, and to strive to live in gratitude for Christ’s gift of salvation.}} The giving away of one's own money as alms for the needy can itself be considered a Lenten sacrifice.{{cite web |last1=Senz |first1=Paul |title=Almsgiving as an act of mercy |url=https://thecatholicsun.com/almsgiving-as-an-act-of-mercy/ |publisher=The Catholic Sun |access-date=2 March 2025 |date=22 February 2017 |quote=Almsgiving is a true Lenten sacrifice because we do it without expecting to receive anything in return.}} In addition to making their Lenten sacrifice, many Christians choose to add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves nearer to God.{{cite book|last=Crumm|first=David|title=Our Lent, 2nd Edition|isbn=1934879509}}{{cite book|first1=Gill|last1=Ambrose|first2=Peter|last2=Craig-Wild|first3=Diane|last3=Craven|first4=Peter|last4=Moger|title=Together for a Season|date=5 March 2007|publisher=Church House Publishing|language=English|isbn=9780715140635|page=34}} Traditionally, the Lenten sacrifice is maintained from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday with the Sundays of Lent being included; historically, fasting and abstinence were enjoined during the weekdays of Lent, with Sundays being days of abstinence.{{cite book |last1=W |first1=W.J. |title=The Irish Ecclesiastical Record |date=1881 |publisher=Browne and Nolan |page=34 |language=en |quote=But although the Sundays in Lent are not fasting days, there can be no question that, by the common law of the Church, they are days of most rigorous abstinence.}}{{cite web |last1=Dwyer |first1=Dave |title=Do Sundays Count During Lent? |url=https://bustedhalo.com/podcasts/sundays-count-lent |publisher=Paulist Fathers |access-date=4 April 2025 |language=en |date=7 February 2018}}

{{Portal|Christianity}}

• Black Fast
• Christian Vegetarian Association
• Pioneer Total Abstinence Association
• Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church
• Fasting in religion

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.umnews.org/en/news/could-you-go-alcohol-free-for-lent Could you go alcohol-free for Lent?] - The United Methodist Church
• [https://christianveg.org/th-20110309-art.htm Veg for Lent] - Christian Vegetarian Association
• [https://www.christianpost.com/news/an-alcohol-free-lent-for-united-methodists.html Some Christians Give Up Alcohol for Lent] - The Christian Post
• [https://www.lhm.org/lent/ Lenten Devotions] - Lutheran Hour Ministries
• [https://sojo.net/articles/lenten-reflections/after-giving-alcohol-i-m-addicted-lent After Giving up Alcohol, I’m Addicted to Lent] - Sojourners
• [https://lifeteen.com/blog/102-things-really-give-lent/ 102 Things You Should Really Give Up For Lent] - Life Teen

Category:Christian fasting

Category:Lent