Lent has always been an important preparation season in the Catholic church. This liturgical season has deep roots and an interesting history. According to Fr.William Saunders of Arlington Catholic Herald , “the word Lent itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning “Spring,” and lenctentid, which literally means not only “Springtide” but also was the word for “March,” the month in which the majority of Lent falls.”

Lent has been practiced since the earliest times of the church, however Lenten preparation only became regularized around AD 313. In the early days, there was some confusion on whether Lent lasted for 40 hours, or 40 days. When a passage regarding Lent was translated from Greek to Latin, it was interpreted that Lent lasted for 40 days. Additionally, according to ReligionFacts.com, in the early days only “one meal was allowed per day, in the evening, and meat, fish, eggs, and butter were forbidden.” This practice was stopped during World War II and is rarely practiced today.

Many students give up things for Lent or try to improve themselves in some way. Lent can be a good way to challenge yourself and strengthen your self control. Popular trends involve fasting from food, drink, and bad habits, as well as setting self improvement goals. Here at Naz, sacrificing food is quite popular. For example, several Naz students claim they are sacrificing an unhealthy or favorite food this lent. Specifically, Ellen Gross and Emily Williams are giving up the delicious Naz cookies! Others chose to give up things they love. Monika Falat chose to give up Jimmy Fallon and Maggie Roache gave up participating in her family’s St. Patrick’s Day traditions.

Conversely, some students decided to embark on a more proactive route. Nick Baumel is trying to swear less, Ethan Spiller is aiming to be kinder to his little sister, and Mary Clare Harrington has dedicated herself to praying three times a day in addition to giving up gatorade.

Lent is a powerful season of reflection and sacrifice. Samantha Caruso tells that, “lent is hard but rewarding in the end. So far, I have kept my commitment.”Additionally, keeping to your Lenten promise has its rewards.

Maggie Roache explains, “ I decided to give up soda for Lent and it’s been going good so far. Whenever my family has soda with dinner, I try to stick to water and even though it’s kind of hard sometimes I always feel good about it when I look back on it and I feel a lot healthier.”   Similarly,  Mr. Sep explains that Lent has, “been a struggle, but it’s worth it.”  Hopefully many have felt inspired during this Lenten season as we enter Holy Week.