Being raised as a Catholic can be a blessing and a curse. The curse mainly comes from the stigmas that surround the religion and the assumptions others make. But, as a child, nothing seemed more awful than the season of Lent.
Nowadays, the practice seems almost outdated and as ancient as the church itself.
Lent is about self-denial and fasting in preparation of the holy days to come. It lasts 44 days for Roman Catholics, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday.
A lot of the priests I grew up listening to likened the experience to the 40 days Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness.
But, at home, I was always taught to treat Lent as a way of bettering myself and improving what I could by either giving something up or making a certain promise.
Over the years I’ve given up almost everything I could think of within reason, and have tried to give up homework more times than acceptable.
But, this year, it just so happens to be fast food and soda. While it’s difficult, it is helping my bank account stay full.
Of course Lent isn’t for everyone, but it’s a good idea.
I’m not the most religious person in the world, but I’ve always participated when the time came simply because I do believe it helps improve the value of life. Even if it’s just for 40 some odd days.
If your self-control is lacking, it wouldn’t be recommended you participate. Cheating and completely disregarding the promises and vows made at the start can ruin the spirit of the season and, in effect, cheapen it for others.
It’s not that difficult to avoid eating meat on Fridays, and there are plenty of places that make fantastic fish dishes.
If you still want to participate and doubt your ability to stick with your promise, find those that will help you stay on track. Or make a promise that you can realistically live up to.
As a college student, I’m going to purchase some fast food at some point during the week.
In response to that, I’ve allowed two meals a week to come from a fast food restaurant, in case there is no other option.
Find friends that will make you feel guilty for even considering cheating, or those who will join you and give up the same things you are. It’s always easier to get through caffeine withdrawals when someone else understands your pain.
And if going without isn’t your style, try to accomplish something. Give to those in need; help provide food for the hungry.
But, most of all, realize that Lent is more than suffering through 44 days without a chocolate bar.
After a month of celebrating the good times, pigging out on king cake and other Mardi Gras specialties, it’s good to realize that not everyone has the privilege to let the good times roll.
Use the time between the parades and Easter to improve upon yourself, whether it be spiritually or physically.
While it may be an old-fashioned idea in today’s world, giving instead of taking will always be a practice most of us need to work on and a Lenten promise is a good way to accomplish that.
Religion can be spoken about freely, yet we tread softly when publically mentioning it.
But, the hardest idea to grasp is that having the right to spread religious awareness is certainly not the same as pushing beliefs on others.
While people reserve the right to practice religious freedom and to speak without restraint about any faith they choose, forcing others to listen isn’t freedom of speech; it’s harassment.
There are over 127 major religions and seven billion people on earth with seven billion different views of God. Some love Him, some fear Him, some question His existence and some are still searching for Him.
Some will decide that God plays no role in the trials and tribulations of life, while others will find faith the moment they see their newborn child take the first breath of being.
Whether we discover where we spiritually belong in a pew on Sunday morning or on a lonely drive with no destination, the journey to finding or forgetting God is what determines our views. We can’t be told what and who to believe in, or to even believe in anything at all.
What we learn, who we meet and the challenges we face are what we remember when we stand before Him, not the church members that knock on our front doors, or the people that stand in the quad condemning us all to hell.
And if the church goer at your front door changes your perspective, let them. Be baptized in one church, change your mind, and be baptized in another. Let what you learned in biology class make you question evolution and the powers above.
Learning from life experiences and questioning God’s ways isn’t sin; it’s human. It’s human to change emotionally, mentally, and spiritually when physical surroundings change. It’s human to simply be curious and indecisive.
Faith only exists because there are people that believe strongly enough in it to make it a reality and a way of life. Without doubters and differences, the strength of religion would never have anything to be measured against.
Because of that, religion without true belief is weak.
Never practice out of habit, don’t follow just because your parents or friends do, and don’t ever think one religion is superior to another. In a time that seems to have the explanation for everything in a test tube or on a database, people believing in any God at all is a miracle in itself.
