Forty days. Lent is a 40-day period in which as Christians we promise ourselves that since Jesus gave up his life for us, we will give up our favorite soda or late night snack. It seems kind of ridiculous, right? Jesus made this huge, life-altering sacrifice and I am proud of myself if I remember to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. I have heard endless conversations between my fellow Villanovans, asking one another, “What did you give up for Lent this year?” and the answers are always the same. Also, no one seems to bat an eye if we all break our vows once or twice to indulge in whatever we decide to give up for the 40-day period. People need to stop fixating on what they are giving up, but rather focus on what our action of giving something up is symbolizing.
For years I have found myself giving up a wide range of things, from chocolate to Friends reruns. Every year, it seems as if the conversation of what I have given up begins as a question and turns into an opportunity to complain about how hard it will be to go 40 days without our chosen vice. However, coming back to campus from Spring Break this year and talking to all of my friends here at Villanova about it, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. We sit in Connelly and complain about what we are sacrificing, yet in hindsight, is it really a sacrifice? Giving up Coca Cola but switching to Sprite? Deleting social media but downloading 14 new games? It seems as if we are exchanging one vice for another, or making a small sacrifice on purpose knowing it won’t affect us. I have been guilty of this, giving up something I do often but I am not super attached to, just to say that I gave something up for Lent.
Yet, as a student at an Augustinian institution rooted in faith, I find it comical the way that Villanova students have approached Lent, despite all of us being guilty of it. I have come to the realization that these small sacrifices aren’t there so we will become healthier or less attached to our phones, but rather to reach the importance of putting a greater cause in front of our wants and needs. Jesus gave up his life to save each and every one of us, people he didn’t even know and didn’t owe anything to. More importantly, Jesus made this large sacrifice without the expectation of anything in return. Lent is supposed to remind us of this sacrifice, so that we can be grateful for the ultimate act of selflessness that has saved all of us from sin. Our demonstration of gratefulness is to sacrifice something we care about, to remind ourselves that we too should live as Jesus did and sacrifice for something bigger without an expectation of any reward in return.
As Villanovans, we are rooted in community and push one another to be better, which is why during this season of Lent we need to hold one another accountable. We shouldn’t be complaining about what we gave up, or giving up something silly, but rather being grateful for the opportunities we have been given, like getting to attend this University.
“I think Lent is supposed to remind us of the sacrifices Jesus made for us and that throughout Lent even when we struggle whether fasting or giving up certain things it’s a time when we should turn to God and get closer to him through prayer which I think is important for college students because many times during the year students may feel too busy and make their spiritual life a second priority, so Lent is a good way to refocus our relationship with God,” freshman Faith Malki said.
Life is like an ocean. It is so easy for swimmers in that ocean to get caught up in the waves and lose sight of land when we begin to drift out too far. Lent gives us the opportunity to get out of the waves of everyday life and remind ourselves of what it means to contribute to something bigger than ourselves through sacrifice. There is nothing wrong with giving up your favorite snack or television show, but approaching Lent in a more meaningful way and contributing to that sacrifice is what makes the difference. In the end, Lent is not just about what we give up, but about using that sacrifice as a reminder to prioritize what truly matters and to live with purpose beyond our daily comforts.
