great, lent.
As we're coming up to Lent, I am thinking about temporary or permanent changes (perhaps temporary in severity but pointing towards a more moderate permanent change) to make in my life and in the life of my family.
The two areas I'm chiefly focusing on are food, and electronics.
First, food. The modern day fasting requirements of the Roman Rite are... mild. Almost pathetically so. Kind of like a vestigial limb, pointing back to a past ancestor. The Eastern Rites generally still keep much stricter canons: every Lent, devout Eastern Catholics become something akin to breakfast-skipping shellfish-eating vegan teetotalers who drink wine weekends.
Different Easterners interpret xerophagy, literally "dry eating", differently. Technically, it refers only to abstinence from olive oil, but many contemporary Easterners point out that olive oil was THE oil for the part of the world that drew up the rules originally, so to them, to say that canola and soybean and peanut are therefore ok is a cop out. So then you have oil-eschewing breakfast-skipping shellfish-eating vegan teetotalers who drink wine weekends... ok this gets complicated very quickly.
The point is, historical expectations for Lenten fasting and abstinence were much greater. I think this ties into a society where the contrast between feast and fast year round was much greater. I actually think this might be what's truly the cause of our "diseases of prosperity" as they say. We treat every day like a feast day, and on actual feast days we go completely over the top.
It seems to me that the rhythm of the liturgical year is a very natural way to live. feasting and fasting, indulging and abstaining, celebrating and mourning. I think it's good for the mind-body-soul unit.
Lent is a good time to reevaluate this and start to try something new.
The object of this fasting is not simply self-discipline nor, certainly, girth-control (though these are useful secondary results) it is that turning of the soul to God, the re-shaping of the will, that the Greeks call Metanoia (usually translated into English as "repentance").
Fasting is out for me (I'm pregnant) and out for Pippa (she's not even 2) and probably out for Gordon due to his job (and also his tendency to become an extreme jerkface when he hasn't eaten recently) although he'll probably be ok for Ash Wed and Good Friday.
So I'm focusing on abstinence.
SUNDAY: Meat, fish, dairy, eggs, alcohol, sweets.
MONDAY: Meat leftovers from Sunday; otherwise, fish/dairy/eggs.
TUESDAY: Last remaining meat leftovers if necessary. Fish/dairy/eggs.
WEDNESDAY: Dairy/eggs.
THURSDAY: Fish/dairy/eggs, alcohol, sweets.
FRIDAY: No fish, dairy, or eggs.
SATURDAY: Dairy/eggs.
This may seem obtuse if you're not familiar with the traditional Western understanding of the relative penitential/celebratory natures of the days of the week. It also draws on my housewifely understanding of leftover management. Originally I had it drawn up slightly differently with regard to fish, but then I realized that most of the fish dishes I make don't leave leftovers, and the ones that sometimes do (eg tuna casserole) can keep two days.
And as per usual there is a "don't be a jerkface" clause to all Lenten sacrifices, which is, if someone provides me with a food item that doesn't fit my sacrifices, to accept it with humble thanks.
Now if we're going to do this, I want to basically clear out the freezer of meat between now and Ash Wednesday. Maybe leave a few crockpot-friendly meats (since I usually do crockpot on Sunday). I'm also going to run it by my midwife on Monday but I don't anticipate a problem (it's generally only vegans they insist on a nutritionist consult).
---
Now, electronics. This is more "temporary severity leading to permanent change" approach. I think I check my phone and computer too much. I think the modern panic against electronics goes a bit too far sometimes (as all swingbacks from excesses tend to do). But there are definitely real dangers. One particular danger is the modern passion for recording rather than simply experiencing. I was home on New Years and since I couldn't see any fireworks, I thought I'd check out some online streams of the more impressive displays. I pulled up the BBC feed of the London fireworks. They showed a crowd shot as the display began. 90% of the crowd were looking at their phones/camera recording the fireworks. I am not exaggerating. It was absolutely amazing, just a sea of hands in the air with phones and cameras, eyes intent on the tiny screen.
I think that's when the idea planted that is now germinating. And again Lent seems like a good time to start.
I think I would like to start with making Fridays a total abstinence day for me, with the exception of three urgent email checks (morning, mid-day, evening), wherein I scan the subject lines of all incoming emails and open ONLY those who seem to require IMMEDIATE response (ie can't wait until Saturday). 90% of the time that will be none of them, but I do get the occasional email that does need prompt response.
With regard to the phone, it can be used freely qua phone. All smartphone capabilities are off-limits. While many people have a problem with texting addictions, I honestly don't think I do. I hardly ever text anyone other than my husband and LB's dad, and in both cases generally for practical reasons ("we're out of eggs", "text me when you get here instead of ringing the bell because the kids are napping"). So I'm not going to restrict texting either.
On Wednesdays and Saturdays I want to follow a modified approach: no restrictions during the nap and after bedtime, otherwise Friday-rules.
Sundays I don't want to put restrictions in place per se but I want to try to make a specific concerted effort on Sundays to plan distraction-free family time (rather than just letting things happen).
Otherwise, I'm not going to put any restrictions on myself, but I am aiming for an overall focus on being mindful and present, especially in my parenting. That's something I'm starting now without waiting for Lent.
The two areas I'm chiefly focusing on are food, and electronics.
First, food. The modern day fasting requirements of the Roman Rite are... mild. Almost pathetically so. Kind of like a vestigial limb, pointing back to a past ancestor. The Eastern Rites generally still keep much stricter canons: every Lent, devout Eastern Catholics become something akin to breakfast-skipping shellfish-eating vegan teetotalers who drink wine weekends.
Different Easterners interpret xerophagy, literally "dry eating", differently. Technically, it refers only to abstinence from olive oil, but many contemporary Easterners point out that olive oil was THE oil for the part of the world that drew up the rules originally, so to them, to say that canola and soybean and peanut are therefore ok is a cop out. So then you have oil-eschewing breakfast-skipping shellfish-eating vegan teetotalers who drink wine weekends... ok this gets complicated very quickly.
The point is, historical expectations for Lenten fasting and abstinence were much greater. I think this ties into a society where the contrast between feast and fast year round was much greater. I actually think this might be what's truly the cause of our "diseases of prosperity" as they say. We treat every day like a feast day, and on actual feast days we go completely over the top.
It seems to me that the rhythm of the liturgical year is a very natural way to live. feasting and fasting, indulging and abstaining, celebrating and mourning. I think it's good for the mind-body-soul unit.
Lent is a good time to reevaluate this and start to try something new.
The object of this fasting is not simply self-discipline nor, certainly, girth-control (though these are useful secondary results) it is that turning of the soul to God, the re-shaping of the will, that the Greeks call Metanoia (usually translated into English as "repentance").
Fasting is out for me (I'm pregnant) and out for Pippa (she's not even 2) and probably out for Gordon due to his job (and also his tendency to become an extreme jerkface when he hasn't eaten recently) although he'll probably be ok for Ash Wed and Good Friday.
So I'm focusing on abstinence.
SUNDAY: Meat, fish, dairy, eggs, alcohol, sweets.
MONDAY: Meat leftovers from Sunday; otherwise, fish/dairy/eggs.
TUESDAY: Last remaining meat leftovers if necessary. Fish/dairy/eggs.
WEDNESDAY: Dairy/eggs.
THURSDAY: Fish/dairy/eggs, alcohol, sweets.
FRIDAY: No fish, dairy, or eggs.
SATURDAY: Dairy/eggs.
This may seem obtuse if you're not familiar with the traditional Western understanding of the relative penitential/celebratory natures of the days of the week. It also draws on my housewifely understanding of leftover management. Originally I had it drawn up slightly differently with regard to fish, but then I realized that most of the fish dishes I make don't leave leftovers, and the ones that sometimes do (eg tuna casserole) can keep two days.
And as per usual there is a "don't be a jerkface" clause to all Lenten sacrifices, which is, if someone provides me with a food item that doesn't fit my sacrifices, to accept it with humble thanks.
Now if we're going to do this, I want to basically clear out the freezer of meat between now and Ash Wednesday. Maybe leave a few crockpot-friendly meats (since I usually do crockpot on Sunday). I'm also going to run it by my midwife on Monday but I don't anticipate a problem (it's generally only vegans they insist on a nutritionist consult).
---
Now, electronics. This is more "temporary severity leading to permanent change" approach. I think I check my phone and computer too much. I think the modern panic against electronics goes a bit too far sometimes (as all swingbacks from excesses tend to do). But there are definitely real dangers. One particular danger is the modern passion for recording rather than simply experiencing. I was home on New Years and since I couldn't see any fireworks, I thought I'd check out some online streams of the more impressive displays. I pulled up the BBC feed of the London fireworks. They showed a crowd shot as the display began. 90% of the crowd were looking at their phones/camera recording the fireworks. I am not exaggerating. It was absolutely amazing, just a sea of hands in the air with phones and cameras, eyes intent on the tiny screen.
I think that's when the idea planted that is now germinating. And again Lent seems like a good time to start.
I think I would like to start with making Fridays a total abstinence day for me, with the exception of three urgent email checks (morning, mid-day, evening), wherein I scan the subject lines of all incoming emails and open ONLY those who seem to require IMMEDIATE response (ie can't wait until Saturday). 90% of the time that will be none of them, but I do get the occasional email that does need prompt response.
With regard to the phone, it can be used freely qua phone. All smartphone capabilities are off-limits. While many people have a problem with texting addictions, I honestly don't think I do. I hardly ever text anyone other than my husband and LB's dad, and in both cases generally for practical reasons ("we're out of eggs", "text me when you get here instead of ringing the bell because the kids are napping"). So I'm not going to restrict texting either.
On Wednesdays and Saturdays I want to follow a modified approach: no restrictions during the nap and after bedtime, otherwise Friday-rules.
Sundays I don't want to put restrictions in place per se but I want to try to make a specific concerted effort on Sundays to plan distraction-free family time (rather than just letting things happen).
Otherwise, I'm not going to put any restrictions on myself, but I am aiming for an overall focus on being mindful and present, especially in my parenting. That's something I'm starting now without waiting for Lent.