One way I embrace festive discomfort is by limiting myself to purchasing one non-essential item a day, but I prioritize all holiday gifts and necessities over my personal shopping list. I do this all year round but come this time of year I have so many things to buy for other people that I end up buying very little for myself and it's nice to put myself on the back burner for a couple of months. ❤️
Oh, I loved this. Mansfield Park is probably my favourite Austen novel and the main lady, Fanny Price, is the picture of temperance. Unsurprisingly, people usually rag on her as being the most boring of Austen's ladies.
As for Advent...as we've moved into the Orthodox Church, I've really learned to appreciate the fasting-before-feasting liturgical cycle. I almost never think I'm teetering towards gluttony until a fast reveals to me that, yes, yes I am. I love to hide in creaturely comforts and numb the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I always come out of a fast which such awareness and gratitude for the many good gifts around me!
I think it's interesting the Church historic maintained such regular fasts throughout the whole year like they knew we needed the habit of temperance...
Thank you, Tsh. I like the phrase "festive discomfort." The whole Christmas story is about laboring and birthing before the angels sing. But then it is us mothers who must be reminders that there is lots of discomfort involved before the Hallelujah choirs! What a long and aching process where we must practice temperance and patience and hope on yet another path untrodden which comes with walking pregnant and birthing new life. How much we can't even eat and drink! What better image could there be for the Divine searching for its dwelling place?
My personal "festive discomfort" is to write myself through The 12 Days of Christmas, a contemplative writing practice which I send out to the world, raw and tender, while walking the walk to Bethlehem with-in. I think "festive discomfort" described quite well how I feel during these days! Thank you!
We have a long standing tradition to give up sweets during Advent. It has always served as a reminder of the season! This year I'm also (painfully) getting up earlier (for no other reason except to sit in the silence).
And perhaps not a festive discomfort, but our family commits to finishing Christmas shopping before advent...I know that might make me sound crazy... but it has given Advent so much more space in my mind and heart.
There are four excellent YouTube lectures given by Father Chad Ripperger called Four Cardinal Virtues on the Sensus Fidelium channel. I highly recommend them.
Thank you, Tsh. It is crucial to differentiate between temperance and abstinence, indeed. I think the American diet is a good example where it fails. It is always either / or. Lots of sugar or sugar free. Lots of fat or fat free. Healthy or unhealthy.
Also, I had to smile reading your words: "If temperance is indeed cardinal, then we should want as much of it as possible."
Because I guess if temperance is moderation we even need to moderate our wanting it ;-) Thanks God!
One way I embrace festive discomfort is by limiting myself to purchasing one non-essential item a day, but I prioritize all holiday gifts and necessities over my personal shopping list. I do this all year round but come this time of year I have so many things to buy for other people that I end up buying very little for myself and it's nice to put myself on the back burner for a couple of months. ❤️
Oh, I loved this. Mansfield Park is probably my favourite Austen novel and the main lady, Fanny Price, is the picture of temperance. Unsurprisingly, people usually rag on her as being the most boring of Austen's ladies.
As for Advent...as we've moved into the Orthodox Church, I've really learned to appreciate the fasting-before-feasting liturgical cycle. I almost never think I'm teetering towards gluttony until a fast reveals to me that, yes, yes I am. I love to hide in creaturely comforts and numb the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I always come out of a fast which such awareness and gratitude for the many good gifts around me!
I think it's interesting the Church historic maintained such regular fasts throughout the whole year like they knew we needed the habit of temperance...
Thank you, Tsh. I like the phrase "festive discomfort." The whole Christmas story is about laboring and birthing before the angels sing. But then it is us mothers who must be reminders that there is lots of discomfort involved before the Hallelujah choirs! What a long and aching process where we must practice temperance and patience and hope on yet another path untrodden which comes with walking pregnant and birthing new life. How much we can't even eat and drink! What better image could there be for the Divine searching for its dwelling place?
My personal "festive discomfort" is to write myself through The 12 Days of Christmas, a contemplative writing practice which I send out to the world, raw and tender, while walking the walk to Bethlehem with-in. I think "festive discomfort" described quite well how I feel during these days! Thank you!
Well said, Tsh!
We have a long standing tradition to give up sweets during Advent. It has always served as a reminder of the season! This year I'm also (painfully) getting up earlier (for no other reason except to sit in the silence).
And perhaps not a festive discomfort, but our family commits to finishing Christmas shopping before advent...I know that might make me sound crazy... but it has given Advent so much more space in my mind and heart.
There are four excellent YouTube lectures given by Father Chad Ripperger called Four Cardinal Virtues on the Sensus Fidelium channel. I highly recommend them.
Thank you, Tsh. It is crucial to differentiate between temperance and abstinence, indeed. I think the American diet is a good example where it fails. It is always either / or. Lots of sugar or sugar free. Lots of fat or fat free. Healthy or unhealthy.
Also, I had to smile reading your words: "If temperance is indeed cardinal, then we should want as much of it as possible."
Because I guess if temperance is moderation we even need to moderate our wanting it ;-) Thanks God!
Much blessings, Almut