Last week, we celebrated the beginning of Lent during Ash Wednesday. Lent is a 40-day period in which Christians pray, fast, and give alms in preparation for Jesus’ resurrection. Let’s learn more about why this season is so important.
I had the chance to have a chat with one of our beloved priests here on campus to learn more about the meaning of Lent. “The most important thing is that all the things that we give up, or add to our daily routine, we do that for having that closer encounter with Jesus,” Father Paul says.
Lent acts as a time of preparation, representing the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, but did you know it also represents another significant period?
“The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert, getting ready to enter the Promised Land,” Father Paul says. Both the Israelites, who waited for the Promised Land, and Jesus, who waited to fulfill His mission on earth, spent time suffering in the desert. This is the general basis for why we choose to fast and give alms during Lent, to grow that connection with Jesus by living like He did.
“The whole purpose of Lent is penitential,” Mr. Cunha, a religion teacher here at CCHS, says. “It’s a time where you are sorrowful in the sense of whenever you’ve dealt with in your own life as far as temptations go.” Mr. Cunha says he hopes students will learn to grapple with their own shortcomings and “atone for our sins via penance.”
Hannah Sperling, class of 2026, says that her Lenten promise was inspired by her religion teacher. “Every day of Lent, I am putting one item from my room in a box, and at the end of Lent I will donate the 40 things,” she says.
Like Hannah’s promise, Lent can be about giving things up, or trying something new. Hannah hopes her promise helps her grow in her faith by “giving back to my community and becoming less reliant on material things.”
Doing things like not eating meat on Fridays, not snacking as much, or going out of your comfort zone are great ways to connect with God during this sacred time.
One thing students can do that directly helps our school is donating to the Zak Myers Food Pantry during their Lenten food drive! Lent is such an integral part of our faith, and it is crucial that we remember what is most important.
