>>25096708
I gave up lists for lent

I gave up religion for lent

I am listening to a series of lectures on Von Balthasar now. When I finish I will probably go back the The Ladder of Divine Ascent or the Divine Comedy.

>>25096708
Since I'm a newfren I'm reading the catechumem book along with the bible.

I'm also giving up opioids (low dose 0.5-1mg buprenorphine ED for abt 6 years now), so please pray for me...

Been preparing to ditch the 'medication' for a couple weeks now but yesterday seem to have caught the flu. Perhaps it's Gods way of preparing me by tearing the bandaid off in advance, no matter whether I kick the shit or not I'll be stuck with flu-like symptoms lol

>>25096831
We shall pray for you. The flesh is weak, but the Spirit is without limit.

>>25096708
Bernard of Clairvaux’s sermons for Lent and the Easter season.

File: AQOHlrak14RJQC19HTD5FCpRWcl6jdZ0OoRyCHwX4yTRmnRZB_lPJK1H2uORSa8-gZ8n3EksjarZQSXjZTWm3lhY24ZA0s1j1f0eLjc (1).mp4 (2.4 MB)

2.4 MB MP4

Japanese short story collection. And this.

>>25097912
Which short story collection? Give some recs

St. Alphonsus' book on the passion is the best thing I've read for lent
https://archive.org/details/ThePassionAndTheDeathOfJesusChrist/page/5/mode/2up

File: 61xJC28WKBL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg (75.6 KB)

75.6 KB JPG

>>25097912
>>25097993
Just finished Miller San book 1 and can recommend it for basic day to day stories told in the first person with a ton of conversation.

Currently reading pic related. It's quite cheaply made, but the stories are interesting enough and cover everything from trains, inventions, and dreams. Stories are generally third person.

Trying to practice reading more this year. these book bridge the gap from N4-N3.

File: 1750276106687771.png (300.3 KB)

300.3 KB PNG

>>25098052
Why learn Japanese instead of Greek for Holy Lent desu?

File: DWM-XbKV4AAYX9k.jpg_large.jpg (186.7 KB)

186.7 KB JPG

The fact that consumerism just continues in full force during Lent, that one is unlikely to see ashes anywhere on Ash Wednesday, that no bells mark the canonical hours or Angelus, and that employers feel not the slightest pressure to give their employees space to practice the Hours shows we are truly a post-Christian society.

That therapeutic "Christianity" zombie walks along, or that our society still has many Christians (now a wholly private affair under the hegemony of liberalism) doesn't change this. Indeed it is a symptom of it. We are like those living under pre-Christian Rome or the Persians. There aren't even isolated Christian communities because liberalism is so strong that it tells us the economics trumps community.

When liberalism collapses, as it is currently in the process of slowly doing, a new monasticism must be founded.

File: The_Bible,_The_New_Interconfessional_Translation.jpg (2.4 MB)

2.4 MB JPG

>>25099594
Was already studying Japanese. Once I finish the Lexham English Septuagint and EOB New Testament I would be interested in the original Greek versions of both. I'm still new to reading the Bible.

>>25099670
Wtf is nippon read like a matrix?!

>>25099770
Usually it's left to right and top to bottom, but for newspapers and books it's top to bottom and right to left.

Gonna give The Consolation of Philosophy a re-read.

>>25096708
I’m reading the revelations of st Birgitta of Sweden. It’s my first book by a mystic, so I’m very intrigued.

Bump

>>25096708
City of God

>>25100106
Birgitta of Sweden huh, never heard of her. Probably because I live in that secularized hellhole of degeneracy where nobody cares about history, tradition or lineage.

>>25101672
That hellhole being? If you're referring to Sweden, then, while I generally agree with your insult, I think you just weren't paying attention in elementary. Everybody knows her.

>>25096724
How come?

>>25096708
Moralia in Job, The Way of the Cross According to the Carmelite Saints

Fasting for Ramadan kek

File: 3133.jpg (12.1 KB)

12.1 KB JPG

>>25103921
Oh yeah almost forgot that mudslems mimic Christian tradition.

Myself I'll be reading picrel

>>25103886
Based choice fren

>>25096708
Mere christianity
Screwtape letters
Jesus and the jewish roots of mary (relatively new and im a bit dubious)
The four loves
Warriors into the wild (with friends as light reading, actually super cute)
If i get around to it maybe
The odyssey (dont think ive actually read it from beginning to end)
The prince
Beyond good and evil (probably not finishing it this lent, but its a fun book to debate with and debunk nietzsche for being an arrogant schizo)
I am new to the catholic faith, but raised baptist. if anyone has any other recommendations please let me know.

>>25105583
I'm new as well, getting baptized into the church this Easter. I spoke with some of the guys at the parish after mass and they recommended me a few books from Scott Hahn and Robert Barron - pretty easy stuff to comprehend, so I'm going to start there. I also got the Ignatius Study Bible and a notebook to jot down some important bits and/or thoughts I may get while reading.

File: 914NmG0nXwL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg (148.3 KB)

148.3 KB JPG

Reading this on Kindle right now. Seems alright. Still have four hours left in the sample.

>>25105594
Congrats anon.
Also not a bad idea to take notes, some theology is certainly worth remembering

If I just show up to mass one day and sit in the back without doing anything will I get weird looks?
I'm kind of a huge degenerate but I've been attracted to Catholicism for a while.

Is giving regular donations during lent acceptable behavior or do I ABSOLUTELY have to "give something up?"

>>25106172
You'll be fine. Just don't take the Eucharist.

>>25106172
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Isaiah 1:18 - Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Romans 5:8 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

n.b. its john the baptist not john the catholic

>>25106182
you have to give up not taking things seriously, not reading the Bible, not talking to your favorite llm about what the Bible says, not listening to every pastor you can find. rend your heart not your garment. love the Lord with your whole mind

>>25106172
Nobody will care lol they probably won’t even notice you

How do I even begin to properly tackle the bible?

It's a big book

File: 71THN8J-zUL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg (175.5 KB)

175.5 KB JPG

>>25105705
I have that. Its huge. Picrel is also huge but its becoming a drag. Why does Duffy have to write so much?

>>25106206
Gotcha. Working on it.

File: deus1.jpg (833.8 KB)

833.8 KB JPG

>>25096708
DEUS VULT

>>25106332
Gospels -> Genesis -> Exodus
Then find a Bible reading plan that does a little Old Testament, Psalms. Proverbs, and New Testament. You could also find the daily readings on your church website and just do that daily.

Lately I'm reading about the history of Biblical critical studies. Frankly, it is puzzling how this kind of thing influenced even some Catholics.

>>25106172
For better or for worse, people tend to ignore you if you stay silent in Mass.

>>25106332
>How do I even begin to properly tackle the bible?
One does not simply just read the Bible. You must live, breath, and pray the entire faith. Studying the sacred scripture is simply one aspect. Reading Sacred Scripture as if it was any other text won't profit you anything.

First you must become at least somewhat catechized. Start with the Catechism of the Council of Trent to understand the doctrines, then approach the Bible through that lens, because the Bible won't profit you much without this grounding of faith.

Remember, always pray before and after reading Sacred Scripture. A simple act of faith is fitting:
>Lord, I believe that Sacred Scripture is Thy inspired Word. Grant me humility to receive it, understanding to comprehend it, and love to live by it. Amen.

The Haydock Douay Rheims Bible is the best Bible you can get. The Douay Rheims Bible is the most accurate English translation, and Rev. Haydock's biblical commentary is unparalleled and faithful to Catholic Doctrine. He explains in great exegetical detail the entirety of the Sacred Scripted verse by verse. Without the commentary, a first read of the Bible won't profit you much.

>>25096708
The Four Gospels

>>25105583
>>25105594
I would suggest An Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales. Beautifully and succinctly written and quite relevant for our modern times

>>25096708
Book of Common Prayer.

>>25099670
>Was already studying Japanese
How is your Japanese now, and how long have you been studying it, just wondering? I’ve always wanted to study eastern languages myself but discouraged by the fact that they seem so far removed from Indo-European languages. Guess that’s just me not trying hard enough.

>>25108490
Did on and off study for the past five years. Unfortunately much of that time was wasted on qutting and catching up and then doing that again. Caught in the cycle of beginner hell.
Last year I finally started setting goals and really knuckling down with solid daily study. Passed the N4 and started taking immersion more seriously now that I finally have enough grammar and vocabulary to make look ups less frequent. My listening is still terrible, but I'm finding leveraging me reading/vocabulary skills is helping if I look for videos and content with Japanese subs or transcripts.
Biggest regret is wasting time with wani kani and textbooks. Ankidrone deck and Bunpro was all I needed for solid Vocabulary, Kanji, and grammar. Dedicated Kanji study past the first 100 or so is a meme.

>>25106332
just read it. I recommend ESV or NRSV

KJV is also okay but you will need a companion bible because we dont use the same words the same way as they did a few centuries ago

>>25106332
>>25108731
Bear in mind that the three bibles anon is recommending are all protestant bibles and lack the deuterocanonical books.

>>25108808
NRSV is a hodgepodge of everything. It's fine if that's what they want. I'd suggest either using the Septuagint or just going with an actual Jewish Bible for the old testament instead of doing the weird mix most other translations do.

Basically do they want what the ancient Christians/Jews wrote down or what the later Jews revised.

>>25108808
Translations consult the Septuagint, Peshitta, DSS, and other texts because there are fairly obvious transcription errors in each version that can be repaired by looking at other texts. It would be strange to use a medieval Jewish text when you have earlier Hebrew for many parts of the Bible, and also plenty of older Greek translations that suggest fixes.

File: jesus_christ_is_sittng_on_desert_hd_jesus.jpg (1004.5 KB)

1004.5 KB JPG

>>25096801
>giving up religion
*tips fedora
everyone is religious, some just don't realize they are
my religion is the Lord Jesus Christ, and I know it
your religion is your brain, and you don't know it
let your brain be washed in Jesus' blood (God-blood), and then you'll know how wretched you really are.
>>25106332
>tackle the bible
what are you, Jacob who wrestled with God?
just read it
the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any doubled-edged sword, even cutting apart soul and spirit.
>>25108731
>scholarly translations
God is not the god of scholars, but of saints and children
>>25108490
>japanese
what's interesting is that in japanese the word 'hero' sounds like "Jesus"

Jesus is Lord

>>25096708
I was reading Monkey Magic for Lunar New Year to watch Daoists get the shit beat out of them. And reading an OUP translation of the Koran to watch Orthodox theologicans get the shit beat ouf of them by what was effectively methodism.
And I'm watching the English Language Mahabharata film to watch the Panduva beat the living shit out of themselves by betraying everything they stand for while fighting their 100 cousins.

Also I'm reading erotic anal fiction.

>>25106172
Go to a Latin Mass, it will save lots of time in your conversion process.

Thinking of buying light of the microcosm by Njegoš. It's the balkan Paradise Lost.

>>25096708
God willing:
>Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales
>Introduction to the Spiritual Life by Pitre
>Gospel of Mark
>Prayer by Von Balthasar
Might add one or two more, not sure.

been reading a chapter of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis a day this lent. It's overall a very edifying read but Kempis has a very negative view towards to everything of this world, not sure if I agree with that aspect of the book fully but I think there is truth to it

File: 1752317619674210.jpg (57.5 KB)

57.5 KB JPG

>>25096831
Just wanted to pitch in and say I was spared any withdrawal past the 3 day mark (bupe is notorious for MONTHS LONG WD) and even that was very mild (freezing, sneezing, lack of motivation, and just feeling bummed)

Tried quitting 2 years ago with the aid of Kratom, and the wd was far more intense in spite of it. Can't point to anything but a miracle.