BB FANS

Was informed today that as Ash Wednesday is in effect a festival, I have a day off from my abstinence. Hurrah. First day of a new regime and I'm allowed to misbehave! As my task for Lent is to be nice to everyone (especially those that annoy me), does that mean I can be horrid to everyone tomorrow?

of course not, you old bag

(mind you have till midnight to respond)

I'd never heard of this days off thing for festival days until recently from some Catholic friends, but I can't really see the point in having a day off, unless it makes sticking to the task on the ordinary days more difficult. Anyone any thoughts?

(you know i didn't mean it CT)

did you know there are 47 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday? From what I understand, every Sunday is a 'day of grace' and can be seen as a day off. Catholics and High Anglicans do it like this, so i'm told (being a low Methodist)

I know you hate me really....

But one of my friends said that people's birthdays count as well, and therefore she would have fewer days of abstinence that of indulgence as she knows a lot of people with birthdays in March! Any of you got a birthday in March that I can add to my list?

I have to say that I am a catholic and I never heard of this! My mother always instilled in us that if we gave something up for lent that was it! We never had 'days of grace'

this is what i found on wikipedia, when i typed in Lent:

There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. Today, some people give up something they enjoy, and often give the time or money spent doing that thing to charitable purposes or organizations. Lent is a season of sorrowful reflection that is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays (the day of the resurrection). Sundays are not counted in the forty days of Lent. (Alternatively, the Sundays, which are indeed called Sundays of Lent in the Liturgy, can be counted to forty days if one begins counting on the First Sunday of Lent and counts up to and including Holy Thursday, three days before Easter).

i guess there are just different ways of doing it, milly

In fairness there only seems to be two results for the test. I started by doing it with my real answers (bit of a waste of time but there we go!) and then the complete opposite and then a few trials with inbetween answers (bored or what?!) and all the ones other than my original one came up with the answer about being 8 or above.

phew - I was getting really worried with the recommendation that I spoke to my doctor about my problem

A low Methodist, eh? I've got to know a few Methodist people quite well in the past year, and they are a great 'advert' for their 'branch' of Christianity. Us Catholics could learn a lot from them, methinks.

I'm off alcohol for Lent - not for religious reasons - more so 'cos I think it's no harm to 'step away from the bottle' a few times a year. I don't drink gallons (how many pints to a gallon? ), but I don't like the way alcohol can sometimes make me want more and more of it.. it's different to chocolate, in that after a while, you you feel you've had enough chocolate, no?

As for doing something positive - well, five of us are trying not to stop saying negative things/complaining/moaning for a week - we'll see how that goes. (I'm thinking I've already moaned on a BB7 thread this morning - perhaps it was more a case of constructive criticism ). I moan far too much - talking to myself in the car, complaining about other drivers etc.... so it should be useful for me to try to change my ways.

As for the 'God' business....well, the older I get, the more I realise that I can't possibly manage on my own...so it won't be a penance for me to try to spend more time in prayer/reflection - more a necessity.

I'm going to try to cut down on some of my Googling, too...

p.s. Did the test. Scored 7 - think that was just pure luck!

I did the test too and scored 7, but the result came up at the bottom before I had answered the last question.

A very catholic friend of mine reckons that he is allowed to break his alcohol abstinance every Saturday night. Flagrant breaking of the rules or what. I'm not giving up drinking alcohol for Lent. I think there is way too much talk about the evils of drink. I like a glass of wine but so what, I also like to eat the occasional donut (or 10) and you don't hear many people complaining about the evils of donuts. (apart from the effect on your waistline )

Instead I'm going to give up, giving things up. I think I can manage to keep to that one.

No GG it simply means you're not trying hard enough there is no such thing as too much chocolate

Nah I bet it was just my mum being mean

awwwwwwwwww at ellie

gg, i'm glad you've met some good Methodists - I should probably just say 'Christian' anyway instead of naming a denomination. But what I like about being a Methodist is that the theology behind it is pretty grounded in reality and social concern and faith being worked out locally in your community as well as being aware of national and world issues. It's not all just me, me me, and people aren't too concerned with what colour the minister is wearing this week or how many bells you have to ring before you take communion etc. It's down to earth and the people are very welcoming and caring.

In terms of being 'low', all that means is, not a title as such, but less emphasis on things like liturgy, incense, men in frocks etc (although we can do all that as well when the mood takes us). tbh gg i feel like i'm hijacking the thread a bit, but I know some Catholic monks and they really impress me with their work ethic and discipline (should let women into the priesthood though)
right, where were we.??.... do carry on everyone....

oh, went to an Ash Wednesday service as well today, very moving.

Hello TD!

So if you are "low" church, do you still get an ash cross on your forehead? I got some funny looks on the bus on the way home tonight, tho' this year's cross actually looks like one, rather than a sooty thumbprint!