By: PAIGE FOSTER
Staff Writer
This first week of March brings with it a variety of new beginnings. For one, it is the beginning of the end of the year. This month, many seniors will hear back from colleges, commit to plans for next year, and begin to picture themselves outside of the confines of high school. It is also the beginning of the season of Lent, in which people choose to give up something they enjoy in honor of God’s sanctity. It seems that the common thread is that the vast majority of El Diamante is collectively entering into a season of release – releasing the past year or the past four and releasing one’s grip on instant gratifications for a more significant purpose. It is apparent that Lent gains even more significance when viewed in conjunction with the coming ending of a school year or an entire high school experience.
Though Lent is traditionally a Catholic holiday, many people outside of the Catholic faith choose to celebrate also. Part of the reason that Lent has become so widely observed is that giving something up – like sweets, junk food, or sleeping in – can offer many benefits in a person’s life. It also provides people with a sense of accomplishment. And yet, there are a few people who will go the entire Lent season feeling as though they did not get anything out of it. Their experience will be one of perpetual frustration and dissatisfaction. Ironically, I believe these are the people who have it right.
At its core, Lent is about furthering one’s walk with Christ. It is not meant to be a self-improvement project. It is not even meant to make one feel good spiritually. The religious practice of fasting – such as fasting from something enjoyable during Lent – allows people to practice resisting the culture which tells us the lie that the pleasures in this world are both significant and permanent. It reveals to each person which wants have been confused as needs. This is a humbling experience by nature, and thus it should not be at all unusual for Lent to feel unpleasant as opposed to pleasurable. That is the entire point. The discomfort one experiences is a testament to their commitment to Jesus even in less than ideal circumstances. Knowing this, it is easier to find comfort in discomfort, recognizing it as both normal and productive.
“Giving up” is an overwhelmingly negative term, and yet there is incredible merit in it. During Lent, we learn to give up. Whether you give up money to a local charity, your favorite foods, or your morning coffee, Lent teaches the vital skill of releasing what is unimportant or unnecessary. It gives one the strength to embrace seasons of deprivation, seasons of abundance, and the transitions in between, by centering one’s perspective on that which is more important than a slice of cake or a twenty-dollar bill.