What to give up for lent ideas
Keepin' It Catholic: What to give up for Lent?
hey y'all welcome back to keeping a
Catholic my name is star and today we're
going to be talking about a couple
things that you can give up for Lent
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let is gonna start today's Tuesday so
starts next Wednesday so we're about a
week and some change away from Lent
which is kind of crazy because Christmas
felt like it just ended so it's crazy
that we're gonna start going into this
season of one you know what is all about
prayer fasting and almsgiving and so I
really want to take this time to kind of
just go over some things that maybe you
can do to help get yourself in the
mindset and preparing yourself for
Easter you know Easter is coming up
Lent is the perfect time to just get
yourself prepared mentally and really
just bring things forth to your mind
that maybe even some things that you
want to change some things that you want
to do differently some things that maybe
you've been wanting to start spiritually
wise but you haven't really found the
opportunity to do it so what is the
perfect opportunity to kind of meditate
on that and really just start something
that you that's gonna help bring you
closer to God and to Christ and to
really walk with him throughout this
journey that he's gonna be going through
as well or that he went through right
before he right before his passion and
so so let's dive into it
alright so what is life so light is
again like I said it's a time for prayer
it's a time for fasting and it's a time
for almsgiving so why time prepare so
remember we're getting ourselves into
the mindset you know we're preparing for
Christ's passion we're preparing for his
resurrection we're preparing for Easter
okay we're preparing for that big moment
it's like the ultimate moment in our
faith when God proves to us you know
that this is my son
this is what he came for this is what he
came to do and he's gonna fulfill his
mission and so at the same time we're
kind of giving that same responsibility
to fulfill our mission as well as
Christians as Catholic Christians and so
by praying it's a perfect opportunity to
just get yourself in the rhythm get
yourself prepared mentally to just start
bringing things forth in your mind if
things are gonna bring you that maybe
things that you needed to talk to him
about okay so you know you're let's say
we're starting on prayer you need stuff
it's Ash Wednesday right lord I know
you're about to start you know this is
this is the forty days of Lent you're
about to start your process and I want
to start it with you and so I want to be
able to go through this journey with you
and just have that conversation with him
so yeah the almsgiving is really just
the time for you to just to get into the
giving mood and to just really reflect
on the good things that you've done as
well because you know Christ sees that
God sees that you know to think the good
things that you do and the good things
that you give up for him and his people
and so it's really important that we
take that into mind you know during this
time and fasting so fasting is like a
huge question I know a lot of people are
like oh why do Catholics like give a
meat on Fridays and you know why don't
you you know why on I know some people
in Good Friday like don't eat at all
some people it's really just based off
of your traditions but as Catholics on
Fridays we give up me we give up eating
red meat so the only thing we're allowed
to eat it's fish which will be another
video for that so I'm not gonna go too
much into detail because I don't want to
you know spill the beans on that one but
so fasting fasting is a way again
another thing for you to give up you
know when Christ was during his journey
through the forty days at that time of
reflection you know he barely ate I'm
sure you know he tastes he sacrificed
a lot during that time and so we should
be doing the same thing so you're
probably like alright so what can I give
up like what what are some things that I
can give up that are easy right we want
practical things that make sense to us
but are going to be very very meaningful
and play a huge role into something
that's going to change like pretty much
our mindset after the 40 days you know
after Easter is done after lent is over
you know those 40 days it's gonna be
like its it's gonna fly and then after
you know this 40 days those things are
going to become a habit and so this is
the perfect way to start forming a new
habit and a good habit so I know
normally people will be like alright I'm
gonna give up chocolate for Lent I'm
gonna give up coffee I'm gonna give up
TV like I'm not gonna watch TV please
don't don't like that's fine okay if we
were like a complete addict to like
chocolate fine coffee I don't recommend
it I know somebody who did it didn't
really end well for that person because
winter withdraw the caffeine withdrawal
yeah it's not fun it's not a good time
so I don't recommend it but if you
really have to I mean hey if it's a
really really big sacrifice for you and
you feel like that's something that you
really do need to give up hi
by all means but I want you to think
about some things that are just a slight
like things are just a little bit hurt
more harder that you don't realize that
you do but that we do like on a daily
basis I mean like everyday so the one
thing that I know that I sometimes do
and I know a lot of people do our age is
we wish sometimes we wish for something
that somebody else has right we're
comparing our lives to constantly to
someone else's like our friends or
someone we used to be friends with or
somebody we went to school with and as
we're comparing we're kind of like it's
almost like a competition right
but in the end it's really not a
competition
we shouldn't be wishing for something
that somebody else has okay because that
is called envy and envy is a mortal sin
and so we want to stay far away from
that we want to stay far away from that
as possible possible and so if you ever
find yourself kind of being like man
like I can't believe she got a new car
or like oh my god I can't believe she
just moved down to her whole own house
and you know she's doing her own thing
instead of making those types of
comments just be like wow that's great
I'm so happy for that person or Wow Lord
bless that person you know maybe that's
what they really wanted you don't know
how hard somebody fought to get to that
point okay so we don't want to sit there
and compare our lives God places us on
different paths for a reason we all have
a purpose in our life and so we want to
make sure that we stay very grounded on
that path no matter where it takes us
the good and the bad you know we want to
we want to stay on that path and we want
to be grateful we want to be grateful
for what we already have instead of
trying trying to compare and being
ungrateful we want to be grateful and
say you know what I have I'm going to
school you know I have the opportunity
to further my education I have a job I
have a car you know you have your basic
necessities you have everything you
already need and maybe there are just
some things that you want but they may
not be things that you need and so
linens the perfect perfect way to just
stop comparing ourselves stop getting
ourselves into the habit of like wishing
for something that somebody else had
just just stop like just just don't do
it it's not healthy it's not good for
you and I know 100% that God would not
want you to sit there and compare
yourself to other people you are perfect
to him and your purpose and life is even
that more important to him and so just
be mindful of that all right second
thing second thing that we should greed
a should give up
is buying things that aren't essential
so what do I mean by that so meaning
alright I'm gonna go to the mall and I'm
gonna pick up these pair of shoes but do
I really need these shoes like do I
really need these shoes they may be cute
but do I really need them probably not
you know don't use light as an
opportunity to give up on overspending
or buying things that you don't need
like or going out to places to eat or
you know buying luxurious things or
buying the top of the top unit II mean
it's not those things don't matter you
know those things aren't important to
God those materialistic things don't
matter to him and so just as equally
they shouldn't matter to you especially
during that time I mean this is a time
of sacrifice and so we we should really
be putting into mine things that we
should be giving up as well um second
thing which is hard sometimes but we
should stop being lazy people stop being
lazy it's hard I know it's hard trust me
sometimes I just want to lay on the
couch click neck flex and just watch my
shoes right it's after a hard week after
all you know after some craziness if you
had a really bad week of course we just
want to lay up and do nothing nothing
right but stop being lazy if someone
says hey do you want to do something yes
go if there's mass and you normally
don't go to mass and you're just like
making excuses and you're just like I'm
not gonna go because I'd rather just
sleep
no don't stop being lazy get up go spend
time with God go spend time with your
family go spend time with your closest
friends those are those people who are
just gonna bring you closer and make
that time remaining full for Lent
you know spend time with those people go
to maybe a young adult group maybe
you've always wanted to go young adult
group or youth group and you've just
never wanted to go go make this make
this
you're I don't know what the word is but
just make that your thing for let make
that something that you want to add on
to your on to your life and so that's
the perfect opportunity to do that so
fourth thing I don't know if I'm going
in the right order but that's okay so
fourth thing this is something we do
probably every day
unconsciously maybe but this is
something we do every day
okay Gossett do not cost people do not
talk about anybody
do not talk badly of anyone do not
spread rumors don't worry about what
everyone else is doing focus on you and
God okay that that those two things
especially during this time is the most
important thing because that's how this
this relationship is gonna grow even
stronger okay is if your focus is
strictly on you and God and I'm not
saying you got a completely just own
yourself from the world and hide in your
house and not talk to anybody put on
that something saying what I'm saying is
refrain from doing and especially
talking about people or talking
negatively about somebody refrain from
doing that because that's only you just
basically talking down about somebody
when they're not even there and you're
talking about a soul that God cares
about right so and God loves everybody
no matter who they are no matter what
they do good or bad God loves you right
God loves us and so if we're sitting
there and we're having a bad
conversation about somebody then I mean
God's probably can notice like really
instead of you focusing putting your
focus on this person and what they're
doing what they're not doing or what
they're not doing right you should be
focusing on me focusing on the things
that you're not doing the things that
you're not doing right and doing better
and so I know it's so hard because it's
so easy to be like oh did you hear about
this
no I did and what happened like that's
just like the little worm in the ear
that just keeps going deeper and deeper
and deeper and it just doesn't stop and
so just please try try to stop doing
that
I know it's hard it's just it's a nasty
thing that I think some of us really
need to work on last or the second to
last thing is to refrain from saying
Jesus or God outside of prayer okay what
I mean by that meaning if someone says
lord please forgive me this is just an
example be like it's like somebody
scared you're like oh yeah Jesus really
oh Jesus no don't don't don't do that
don't don't take his name in vain
don't say oMG I'm not gonna say it out
loud but don't say oMG or like you know
I said it earlier on the video actually
I shouldn't have said that but I did but
you know don't try harder to be more
mindful of that try harder to just be
like whoa like okay I gotta stop myself
from taking his name in vain and of
course if you're praying to him and
you're like Jesus like I really need
this God I really need this I I'm going
through this thing God what am I
supposed to do that's fine but if you're
just like OMG bla bla bla bla you're
like you're going on a rant about
something or you're upset about
something
you know don't don't use his name in
that sentence please don't I mean he
doesn't want to be used in that context
you wouldn't want to be used in that
context and so let's just really be
mindful of that let's be try to be more
respectful of his name and and the
meaning of the meaning behind it you
know how especially during this time how
important it is to really just be just
be mindful of all the sacrifices that
he's did for that he's done for us
everything from the beginning until the
end you know we really really really
need to be more mindful and respectful
of all that so
I know that's a really hard one and the
last thing is also a very hard thing
something maybe a type of embarrassment
but stop hiding your faith from those
around you okay so stop so let's say you
go to youth group re or you go to young
adult and you know you're this young
adult weird group is your family these
are your friends these are everybody
that you love and care about and you
really just have grown strong in this in
this group or even if you go to church
and you're just you're no you're really
strong in that community share that
faith share that family share that
testimony don't be afraid to say I love
God I love Jesus I love my church I do
this on the weekends for my church I'm
in this youth group I'm in this young
adult group don't be afraid be proud of
that be proud of it
God sacrificed his only Son for you to
be proud of that for you to be proud of
the fact to say I am Catholic I am
Christian I that I think you're just
happy about it just to be happy about it
and share it share that love share that
passion the way that he shared his son
for you for me for your mom your dad
your sister your grandma for everybody I
mean be proud of that that is something
to be so proud of and the way that I'm
sure you would be one day if you have
kids and you're like your kid want a big
old championship and you're like that's
my son or that's my daughter
do the same thing don't be scared if
someone's gonna judge you let someone
judge you who cares why what do you why
do you care cause P we're gonna gossip
about you guess what they're not doing
what you're supposed to be doing well
they're not doing what you're gonna be
giving up doing okay so just be proud of
that
be proud of your faith stand firm in
everything that God is going to be doing
for you this season during Lent be proud
of that and don't take it for
and there are so many young people
nowadays who just take who just take
everything that was done for us for
granted and we don't even recognize this
some people don't even recognize it or
even go to church or their go to Easter
for one day for the one mass I mean
that's fine that's great but how like
how how was a relationship built how did
you grow during these 40 days if you
didn't sacrifice anything and he
sacrificed everything for you and so I
really really encourage you to just make
this this season of Lent an opportunity
of growth this is the up this is the
time for growth for meditation for you
to just sit back and realize all the
good things that you have all the things
that you could be doing better and I
don't mean better like better isn't like
I can get better grades better as in
like things that you could do better for
you to grow closer to Christ to go
krause it to to grow closer to God
really just meditate on that and think
about that I mean it's so important this
could be the first set for you if you
don't even go to church or you're not
you you know you're not really well well
not you don't know really that much
about the faith that's fine you don't
have to know but if you're like even the
slightest bit kind of interested just
take take advantage of this opportunity
of this moment in time these 40 days
that are about to be coming up and
really just take this time to sacrifice
something to give something to him to
pray to talk to him more and to just be
more more aware and more aware of the
things that we could be changing and so
I really hope you enjoyed this video I'm
really excited for the next one we have
some really really exciting videos
planned
um please let me know any topics that
you want to know that you want to learn
about Lent like Palm Sunday or why we do
ashes anything anything you want to know
please let me know in the comments below
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catholic keeping it catholic and just i
really hope you enjoyed this video and i
can't wait for the next one thank you
bye
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