21 Comments
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Daniel J. Roberts's avatar

When I clicked into this, I was expecting a bit more of a "Don't be so hard on yourself" vibe. But it was still good! Just hit me like a cold shower 🤣

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Pam G's avatar

Since I’ve had a very lukewarm Lent, thanks for the motivation and advice to end strong!

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Emily Hess's avatar

Could you ask your wife to do one for moms? I think it'd be an unfair penance on my kids to have a hangry mom until 3pm every day (and then hangry would turn to slightly comatose...)

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Matt Fradd's avatar

Just asked my wife. She said, "serve your family breakfast first, then have coffee after." :)

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Emily Hess's avatar

...that would work if I regularly drank coffee...I'm the kind of person who drinks a cup and sees sounds and hears colors.

Guess I need to find another penance.

((Edited to add: I just realized that serving breakfast before coffee was the penance. I thought she was suggesting coffee as a method to get through it.

Here I thought I was good at reading comprehension...🤦))

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Chantal LaFortune's avatar

I would also appreciate one tailored towards women, because fasting until 3 pm or for 40 hours (or waking up in the middle of the night and expecting to fall back to sleep) doesn’t really work for our bodies…

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Emily Hess's avatar

Yeah... Holy Week/Tridduum aligns with the worst possible time of month this year for me. Adding hunger and caffeine to that (I don't drink it often, so I'm not acclimated to it) would NOT be a pretty picture.

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Chantal LaFortune's avatar

I’m so sorry, that’s awful timing. You have my condolences. Women have vastly different physical needs and limitations than men, and it’s unnerving when those aren’t recognized (I’m not saying Matt Fradd doesn’t recognize those; I’m just saying in general).

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Nathan's avatar

It wouldn't be a sacrifice if it were easy.

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Emily Hess's avatar

I'm genuinely concerned doing some of these penances would inhibit my ability to care for my children. I have to bring my state of life into consideration.

And women often are in a different state of life and responsibilities then even the men they share a home with. We're very different physically and emotionally, and so our spiritual disciplines have to be different sometimes too.

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Emily Hess's avatar

Otherwise Exodus 90 would allow women to join too.

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Nathan's avatar

I agree, penance needs to align with our state in life, our duties and responsibilities, and that women have different physical limitations than men, but there were plenty of other examples on the list that would have been viable alternatives than the fasting or cold showers.

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Kelli Buzzard's avatar

Two years ago I fasted for 39 hours, but towards the end I was a little delirious. 😂

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Apr 13
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Chantal LaFortune's avatar

There’s a difference between suffering and harming oneself. Women have vastly different physical needs and limitations than men do, and it can be harmful for us to do some of the penances men can do. Many women get lightheaded and even pass out if they fast for extended periods of time; it’s unhealthy for us to harm our bodies in that way, even for good intentions. As Our Lord told Saint Faustina, obedience is even greater than sacrifice, and sometimes we need to obey our bodies’ limitations by modifying voluntary penances.

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Daniel's avatar

Is holy hour at a parish always available for Catholics or is it hard to find a time where that’s available for people who wish to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament?

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Kelli Buzzard's avatar

How many of us have access to daily mass where we are? Out here in my WA State town, where the NO reigns, we don't have it. I'm not even sure churches are open enough to go in and pray daily. It's so strange. What about you?

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Emily Hess's avatar

I'm in a diocese without the TLM, NO only, but daily mass is a pretty easy thing to find. 🤷 Churches aren't open for prayer just all day, but one near me is open for adoration all day on Thursday.

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Kelli Buzzard's avatar

We don't have daily mass here. Where do you live?

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Emily Hess's avatar

South Texas. About two hours from Mexico going either south or west.

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Mechy Madera's avatar

I'm grateful for your suggestions. I will definitely pick at least one. This Lent was better than the past ones but I could have worked more to grow closer to Our Lord. Blessings to you and your family

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Joanne's avatar

Thanks for the suggestions: I’ll try 3 🙏🏼🙌🏻

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