April's Challenge: Proudest Moment

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect or represent the Filipinos, women or Cebuanos. Furthermore this article do not promote vanity or pride or discrimination.

Sorry I really got random when the topic seem so hard. And seriously, this blog challenge seems to go harder and harder each day. Let's start?

How hard is it to hold back when you have impulse? The difficulty will depend on once intensity of want towards that impulse. Personally I really have good appetite, aside from anime and reading, eating is my next hobby. I find it hard to hold back eating, specially meat products because:

• I don't have any health condition(Thank you, Lord) that limit my food. This means I can eat anything as long as I like the food.
• I have enough money to cater to my cravings.
• I live in a place where there are many shops that offer wide variety of food.
• I'm friends with the same feathers. Most of my friends are foodies.
• Most of the Filipino food recipe has meat on it (pork or chicken)
• I don't have any activity that would divert my attention to think about food.
• I am active, means I need energy which come from food - protein.

Even more harder to hold back since there is no one telling you to stop. My friend even my even my friends and my mom encourage me to eat more so that I grow some meat. You might think what is wrong with me for not eating meat. Well my "proudest moment" that is why. A year ago I decided to give up meat for the same season of Lent (starting Ash Wednesday to Good Friday). It has been a struggle because I have to hold but and struggle more to keep the purity of fasting. 

Fasting has been engraved in every Catholic and is more prominent during Lent. As CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) teaches, fasting is one of the forms of penance to express conversion of oneself, to God and others. (Refer to Tobit 12:8 and Mt. 6: 1-18). Is not only during Lent that fasting is observe, each Friday a Catholic at age 16 and up must fast as long as they don't have any medical condition that would endanger their health if they fast (Canon Law). Each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord. 

But one thing to keep in mind when doing this act is: 

What is Fasting?

Fasting is the act of refraining from food and drink just as Jesus fast for forty days. This has been recommended by the Church fathers in order to be master of their heart and instinct. This is also included in Church law which stating that all Catholic ages 16 to 59 must fast on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays except for seniors and sick. 

Now, I'm not proud of it but I had poor catechism, I did not know about this until I'm 25. So that means I've been, though unaware, committing sin. My ignorance is not an excuse, because as Catholic who was baptized and confirmed it is my duty to know my faith. Last year I decided to commit fasting on all Fridays of Lent and abstain from meat during this season. With the hope to show God how sorry I am externally. Another factor for my decision is the message of Jesus in the Book of Truth pertaining fasting.

The challenging part of during that time is maintaining a presence of mind that you are fasting. It is hard to break away from your habit or from your normal routine. What I did is every morning I always include the success of my fasting in my morning prayer. I also asked for the help of my companion, my guardian angel. There are 3 experiences which I can share. The first is when we did have Mission to community scouts boys. During the lunch time all viands had meet so I had to eat the carrots and the potatoes only. Oh how mouth watering those beef are, but I was able to hold back. Another is during dinner after our Mission in Daanbantayan, Cebu. The restaurant where we ate run out of vegetable food, so again I opt to eat rice adding only the broth. The hardest is when I went home on Maundy Thursday (since we have long holiday). My mom really wanted to eat meat but she didn't know that I refrained from it. I did not inform her since, because I am conscious of what Jesus said in Mt. 6: 1-18.

I am so happy because the Lord helped me to persevere in fasting. I can say that it is not my effort that keep me going but the grace of God. He is so good to me. And I am very proud because the Lord had cast His eye upon me. 

This year, I was not able to abstain of meat more especially this Holy Monday till Good Friday. The enhanced quarantined restricted us to go out so the only option for us is canned goods and noodles. Noodles are not healthy to be eaten always so I cannot avoid meat. So instead of fasting in meat, this year I'll fast on reading novels. As I've said before eating comes only after anime and reading. I've taken absent from work twice (2x) for the whole day because I got hooked and reading. So even if I am itching to type Novel Update in the search bar, I am refraining from it.