Often when we think about Lent and what we should sacrifice, we choose something like sweets or chocolates. However, St. John Chyrsostom wrote that we should also abstain from harmful words -- such as, in our day, nasty social media comments -- during Lent.
St. John Chyrsostom wrote this in the context of a homily addressing the spiritual discipline of fasting.
Now, technically speaking, we should always abstain from sin, whether the sin comes from our mouth or even our thoughts. We shouldn't make a commitment to living a virtuous life during Lent, and then resume our sinful ways when Easter comes around.
At the same time, Lent provides a perfect opportunity for us to work on our faults, making concentrated efforts to eliminate our sinful habits. When looking at our own lives, we should be honest and see whether giving up nasty social media comments for Lent would be a good starting point.
This discipline also reminds us that our actions have consequences, not only in our own lives, but also in the wider Church.
Most of our friends and family know we are Christian, and when we leave nasty comments here and there, it reflects on our Christian faith.
When thinking about what you can give up, seriously discern your social media presence and consider giving up argumentative, negative, and mean comments during Lent.
As the old saying goes, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all!"
