Lenten sacrifice

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Many Christians choose to practice teetotalism during Lent, thus giving up alcoholic beverages during the liturgical season.[1][2]

The Lenten sacrifice refers to a pleasure or luxury that most Christians (especially Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians and the Reformed) give up for the liturgical season of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday annually.[3] The tradition of the Lenten sacrifice has its roots in Jesus fasting for forty days in the Judæan desert.[4] When Lent is over and Easter Sunday arrives, the faithful are able to indulge in what they sacrificed during the Lenten season.[4]

Common Lenten sacrifices include giving up chocolate, soft drinks, and sweets.[4] Some Christians choose to practice temperance throughout the Lenten season, thus giving up alcoholic beverages;[5][6] in light of this, temperance drinks experience a surge of popularity during the Lenten season.[7] Others, on the first day of Lent, pledge to give up sinful behaviours, such as swearing, and hope to permanently rid themselves of these habits even after the arrival of Eastertide.[8] 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."[9][10]

Many Christians sacrifice the eating of meat and commit to Christian vegetarianism for the entire Lenten season.[11][12] It is commonplace for many Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and Roman Catholic Christians to observe the Friday Fast throughout Lent, which includes abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent.[13][14]

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.[15][16][17]

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.[18][19]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ McCleskey, Clayton (24 March 2011). "Methodists Shun The Bottle During Alcohol-Free Lent". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  2. ^ McDuff, Mallory (4 April 2013). "After Giving up Alcohol, I'm Addicted to Lent". Sojourners. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. ^ Hines-Brigger, Susan. "Lent: More Than Just Giving Up Something". Franciscan Media. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Mortimer, Caroline (10 February 2016). "The top 10 things most people will (try) to give up for Lent". The Independent. Retrieved 17 March 2019. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent - the festival where people give up a guilty pleasure for 40 days until Easter Sunday. Lent marks the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
  5. ^ "Drink less this Lent". Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. 22 February 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  6. ^ Gilbert, Kathy L. (21 February 2012). "Could you go alcohol-free for Lent?". United Methodist News Service. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  7. ^ Hardy, Rebecca (11 February 2016). "Alcohol-free: why temperance drinks are making a comeback". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  8. ^ Byrnes, Katie (19 April 2016). "I Gave Up Swearing For Lent". The Odyssey Online.
  9. ^ "What is Shrove Tuesday ? Meaning, Traditions, and 2021 Date". Christianity.com. Retrieved 16 February 2021. 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."
  10. ^ "Prayer for Lenten Sacrifice". Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  11. ^ Freston, Kathy (5 September 2013). "God, Christianity and Meat". Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Veg for Lent". Christian Vegetarian Association. 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  13. ^ Crowther, Jonathan (1815). A Portraiture of Methodism: Or, The History of the Wesleyan Methodists. T. Blanshard. pp. 251, 257.
  14. ^ Weitzel, Thomas L. (1978). "A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent" (PDF). Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  15. ^ Olivia, John (18 February 2019). "Please Don't Give Up Social Media For Lent". Busted Halo. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. ^ Smith, Jeremy (19 February 2015). "Would a Missionary Give Up Swahili for Lent?". UM Insight. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  17. ^ Schiffer, Kathy (1 March 2017). "Giving Up Facebook for Lent? Please Reconsider…". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  18. ^ Crumm, David. Our Lent, 2nd Edition. ISBN 1934879509.
  19. ^ Ambrose, Gill; Craig-Wild, Peter; Craven, Diane; Moger, Peter (5 March 2007). Together for a Season. Church House Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 9780715140635.

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