Posted on 12/12/2013 3:57:12 AM PST by markomalley
Msgr Pope ping
In truth, Advent is more of a time to PREPARE, not PENENCE. LENT is the REAL season of PENENCE.
Yes, we NEED to repent, but also to prepare for the coming of Jesus. Think of a woman who is expecting.
God Bless Msgr. Pope!
Join the Orthodox church; fasting is a central part of the faith.
When there’s no Advent, except on Sundays, the whole concept is pretty much lost. “Christmas” started the first week of November, and it stops cold on December 26.
Fish on Friday? You could see the Catholic Church, and the country, slipping way back then when the “practice” was “eased”...nothing surprises me now. I wasn’t Catholic back then, but always ate fish on Friday. I had no choice at the school lunch counter. Imagine enforcing (imposing?) that practice today. Don’t tell me we haven’t LOST something as a nation.
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It’s funny how people will accept any kind of food restrictions when they believe it’s for their physical benefit, but the idea of a spiritual discipline is something else again.
Like Msgr. Pope, full disclosure ... I’m an on-again, off-again anorexic, so fasting isn’t the smartest thing for me. It doesn’t take much to trip the switch for “Let me show you how little I can eat.” Prayer and almsgiving are safer.
When it comes to penence, think of the very short days and very long nights of winter. Often very cold with the possible reality of getting a snow storm or two. That is why I use midnight blue for my Advent candles and a much warmer pink.
As someone who is dealing with bad knees, that is my PENENCE right there in regards to the COLD weather.
Please see post number 9. Thank-you.
Not being universal, it was an option for the Pope to change. I believe that's true.
People aren't consistent, are they?
Prayer and almsgiving are not only safer, they are FAR easier, especially for me. No sacrifice.
The way I see it, it’s not “penance” if you’re giving in to temptation, doing what you want to do but shouldn’t. I fight the temptation to go “incorporeal” most of the time.
We are to prepare for the second coming of Jesus, He already came as a baby...which we will celebrate on Christmas....but His second coming is worthy of preparation. This reminds us to do so. That preparation may include fasting and penance. I just really have a pet peeve about taking all the joy out of the season.
Alve and well at our church. We had a Faith Formation for adults last night and the presenter talked about all the Old Testament characters who foretold and waited for Christ.
Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, David and on. We did a lot of Bible Study of the prophecies of Isaiah that are read during the four Sundays of Advent.
Then we talked about the Jesse Tree and how it mirrors the preparation of the Coming of Jesus and talked about using a Jesse Tree in our homes, so that not until we would get to Jesus would we even put up our Christmas tree!
It was great. We had only soup and bread to eat too!
I agree, I still stick to my Fish on Friday!
Alive and well at our church
Sounds like a great presentation. I did a short presentation on the Jesse Tree for our RCIA candidates.
I grew up in a home where we decorated the tree on Christmas Eve. I knew a few families who did likewise. When I suggest that today I'm regarded as insane. I ask them, "When did you go into retail?" only to be met with more quizzical looks.
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