Lent is an opportunity for taking your faith seriously, and hopefully a bit of permanent change results. We are supposed to be attuned to our own sacrifices, our own mortification. Not about how well others are going about their mortification. It is the season that Christianity has done this for almost two thousand years now.
But every day we should be taking our faith seriously, and everyone is going to approach lent in the way that they see appropriate. Our salvation isn't based on our mortification or what we give up, but grace through our faith in what Christ gave.
Yes, every day we should be taking our faith seriously. We should make constant significant progress every day in letting God draw us ever closer. But somehow most of us are more like roller coasters. We advance and we slide back. So a season of concentration is a good thing.
You get to do that if you wish. The point in this thread is that it is not about judging how other people do their Lent.
I think you might want to learn a bit more about the purposes of Lent before you come in here and tell us about what our salvation is or isn't based on. You are a guest here and you might learn something if you are willing. But telling us your opinions of how we are all wet about salvation is hardly a good start to that.
Your first point I completely agree on, and I apologize that my remark implied that our development as Christians is a constant.
You have stumbled into a Catholic forum and maybe it just seems like you are trying to tell us that we're all wet? Maybe I'm wrong about that. I don't want to be pre-judging you.
I'm not trying to say anyone is "wet" because I have no right to make that statement. Perhaps this is a denominational difference. I'd hope conversation is welcome anywhere in the Christian community, and I'm just throwing ideas out there for discussion.
I didn't know that. I do know that a lot of non-Catholics have very strong opinions about the Catholic church, but as someone who grew up with a Catholic dad I'd like to believe we are all one body and can respect one-another. Crossing denominational lines is a passion of mine, because I want to know more and maybe open channels for dialogue.
That's sad, but not unlike what I've observed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike around me in real life. I used to have this grand idea of starting a public campaign to try and bring the denominations together, but I've grown to appreciate the differences and think that we should instead learn from each other. I don't think I have wisdom, but I'm in search of it. Any conversation is valuable for learning, so I'm just here on this site to talk.
