By Marisa Young | Reporter
Lent is a time preceding Easter in which Christians from different denominations remember the crucifixion of Jesus through practices such as fasting and abstinence. Although it is commonly associated with Catholicism, Lent can be a period of devotion for Christians of any faith background.
Austin sophomore Miriam Daniel said in her Presbyterian household she was raised with great respect and appreciation toward the season of Lent.
“Growing up, my parents always told me that Lent was a time to prepare your heart for Easter,” Daniel said. “Just reflecting on Jesus’ crucifixion and giving up something to be a reminder of that over 40 days.”
Similar to the Catholic tradition, Daniel said her home church hosted Ash Wednesday services to kick off the Lent season.
“I think it’s a little bit different than the Catholic Ash Wednesday services,” Daniel said. “I don’t know exactly the difference, but it was more a reminder of the sacrifice of the cross.”
Coming to Baylor, Daniel said she was slightly taken aback that not all Christians celebrate Lent, as it was a crucial part of her faith experience growing up.
“I was shocked that my church here didn’t have an Ash Wednesday service, but it’s just all part of their tradition,” Daniel said. “So it’s definitely been different, but I’ve enjoyed getting to see all the different ways people celebrate.”
For Daniel, Lent has been an opportunity for different denominations to come together.
“I don’t think it’s something divisive,” Daniel said. “Everyone tries to prepare for Easter in a different way — it’s cool to be able to see the different ways that people do that, and so I think it’s a unifying thing.”
New Orleans sophomore Ayden Menesses was raised Catholic and said her perception of Lent altered throughout her faith journey.
“Lent was always about giving something up, which was kind of hard for me as a kid because I didn’t come from a whole lot,” Menesses said.
She said that growing up it was hard for her to find things that she was willing to give up because she didn’t fully understand why she was doing it.
“Lent definitely became a lot more meaningful to me when I started to understand that sacrifice, especially in the Catholic sense,” Menesses said. “It was about sacrifice, and not necessarily just giving up stuff but also really adding things on.”
Once Menesses made this switch in perspective, she said she found herself motivated to celebrate Lent in the same way she watched her family celebrate.
While it is viewed as primarily a Catholic practice, Menesses said the season serves all Christians regardless of their faith tradition.
“Lent is a time for reflection, and in all Christian traditions it’s a time for preparation,” Menesses said. “You’re putting yourself in a meditative state to think about what Easter really means and the significance of that.”
She described her celebration of Lent as a chance to “mentally take a step back” and add something to her daily routine that nourishes her spiritual life.
“All Christian traditions can appreciate Easter for what it is, and I think the preparation season is a really good opportunity, for reflection, for connection, for understanding,” Menesses said. “I think that’s something that we should be able to share in and should be encouraged to be a community wide process.”
