Don't Give Up Anything For Lent! (And what I'm giving up)

Lent is one of the most important times of year for Christians, when we take our faith seriously and work on converting our hearts. Many people focus on giving up pleasures, but I say don't waste your time.

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[dora]

“Don’t give up anything for Lent, give something up for life.” That’s pure gold!

[melissacyriac]

Hello Fr.Casey! I'm a Catholic who has strayed away from God, seeing your videos over the last few months have really made me want to come back home. Thank you and sending prayers for your mission!

[Mar-ukig]

To be honest, I'm not Christian. But I think your videos have a lot of good advice for everyone, and the enthusiasm you have for your faith is honestly refreshing to see.

[Lavos]

As I'm a new convert, I still really struggle with my old habits of skepticism instead of faith. So this lent instead of giving up something i will be adding something. I will be focusing on my prayer life, praying the rosary and the liturgy of the hours every day.

[shawna]

A priest told me once "don't give up something for Lent, instead, DO something for Lent." I've tried taking that advice every year.

[thegrindeveryday]

I went to Catholic School for most of my life and went to Mass at least once a week or more during my childhood. Then I was confirmed and it all stopped. Father Casey you’ve rekindled the Holy Spirit in my heart. Thank you.

[Thoughtspresso]

"Lent is not about living the cross; it's about preparing for the resurrection." Wow, that was so good.

[calenbennedict]

I'm offering up my sacrifice this Lent for my sons to grow in faith and repent go to confession and come back to the Sacrifice of the Mass.

[stellaenvulu]

'Don't give up something for Lent... Give up something for life.' Excellently well put. Well done Casey and thank you. Best wishes for Lent.

[lorenzadicorinto]

To the question: what is preventing me from following Jesus as I would like? Laziness and lack of constancy. I would like to work on this this Lent.

[palminaitaliana]

I pray for those who give up drugs and alcohol addictions.

[majikcheezit]

"Giving something up isn't the goal, it's the guide." That is also gold that I don't see a lot of people pointing out.

[teresae]

The best Ash Wednesday sermon I heard was when the priest said don't give up things for Lent, add something. I'd given up soda or Facebook before, but that year I added extra prayer time regularly. Last year I prayed the rosary daily. Those were much better for my spiritual life than the superficial sacrifices

[cjr]

The last two years I gave up rice, pasta, bread, sweets, and soda. It gets rough but I use it to help grow my will power and prove I have more in me than I am giving.

[buckeyeguy]

My lack of discipline & lack of prayer in my life are my 2 biggest downfalls. Which, of course, makes me sin more & more (especially when i forget to pray or go to mass). Lately I've been working on praying more often & trying to keep the same mass schedule, although some days are harder than others.

[rabbitdawg]

I'm one of the Protestant subscribers to this great channel, and based on the comments, I'm sure I'm not the only one. Although I doubt I'll ever convert to Roman Catholicism, it provides a window on a perspective that has escaped me most of my life.
I urge my Protestant friends to learn more about the Catholic faith, if for no other reason than to gain a greater understanding of the underpinnings of their own faith. The fact is, most Protestants are woefully ignorant of their own Church history. Heck, I didn't even know what a Church Father was until about 12 years ago, when I started to do my own internet research. I remember when it fully dawned on me that up until about 500 years ago, if you were a Christian, you WERE a Catholic. The chasm of differences in approach to faith (Justificatio sola fide, for instance) is unnecessarily wide. Not that we have to agree on everything, but a respectful understanding is way overdue.

That being said, this channel is different. More than elaborating on history and dogma, it gives me the feel of what it's like to be a practicing Roman Catholic. I appreciate Fr. Casey's calm, straightforward humanizing of a world that has been so far removed from my experience.

[wranglerboi]

Many years ago a priest made this statement in his homily: "Lent isn't about giving something up but in giving something better." He then went on to suggest that we find ways to be a more thoughtful neighbor, a more loving spouse or parent, a helping hand to someone who needs it, refreshing one's relationship with God. Those are indeed things Lent "expects"--to in some way advance the Kingdom of God so that the Resurrection at Easter makes sense--and has value for all of us.

[botangabriel]

I think the simple fact of not having couple pleasures in your life is remind you of how great is to have them in the first place. When you miss something, that is when you feel how much a difference is doing. Being more grateful for something you forbid having, seeing it isnt for given makes a good practice still.

[arizonatheatrematters]

I'm quitting smoking. I'm having 4 each day, and cutting to zero on Wednesday and thereafter - yikes. But I'm doing it because God gave me this body and my discipleship depends on my health. Amen.

[elizabethpower]

It kind of makes me feel good to know that even a friar struggles with prayer